The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk C.A.W valve cover

I have come across a used non polished c.a.w. valve, and its for sale. What is the average price for a average used one going for. I'm not using eBay for a base. I would like to know what people in this forum have paid or sold one for or have one for sale.I have found the history and the patient info, and know how rare they are. thank you

The gentleman who made them lived in Denver, no one in the family lives at that address now. I have one too.

Ed

do you think its worth more than $350?

i know you said you don't want to use eBay as a reference, but there are 2 on there for ~$600...

ps what's C.A.W mean/stand for?

The gentleman who made them, I forgot his name.

Ed

How did you search for it on ebay?

I did a eBay search history. 1 guy in the UK was selling one on a forum for 100-200E in unused condition. It was gone in February. The 2 on eBay are used, one was painted. The price is high, but all aftermarket supplies are not available. 1 supplier states that Offenhauser cover mold was damaged. and no-one knows when more are going to be on the market. The Wayne valve cover are also in short in supply. I don't want over pay for a piece of history that know one knows about.

So decide what it's worth to you personally for your own reasons, and don't spend any more than that...

"ps what's C.A.W mean/stand for?"

C. (Charles) A. Wefing
4851 W. Hayward Place
Denver Colorado

I have had one for a number of years. As I understand it, C.A.W. stands for Colorado Auto Works. Colorado Auto Works was trucking company that ran a fleet of trucks for years in Denver. All of the trucks were powered by 235 engines with noisy valves, and when the trucks left the warehouse in the mornings, the local families complained so much about the noisy valve trains on the truck engines in the cold weather months that the owner of the company had valve covers cast for his fleet of trucks. Supposedly, covers were installed on the fleet of trucks in hopes the solid lifter valves on the trucks would more quiet. How many trucks there were, I don't know, but it must have been a lot because these things have been around for a lot of years. I have a neighbor here where I live now who lived in Denver for years and he told he never heard of the company. He tells me that part of Denver is no long the type of area for a trucking company.
A cover in good condition will polish up nicely and even though they aren't well "decorated" with fins, they still look nice. Most collectors of the valve covers made for 216-235-261 engines do include this cover in their collection.
Just my thoughts here: With your initials being C.A.W., how could you pass that up? For you, a cover in nice condition ready for polish, the prices seem reasonable. And your in Denver to boot!! Seems like a nice touch to a Stovebolt with it's home in Denver!

C.A.W. Valve Cover Photo

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Photobucket

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv57/glp0329/CAW%20Valve%20Cover/CAW_zpsha1q3l6y.jpg

CAW valve cover with patent drawing with name on document : Charles A. Wefing

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30524403/CAW%20valve%20cover%20installed.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30524403/CAW%20name%20address%20on%20valve%20cover.jpg

A poster here suggested Colorado Aluminum Works, but no reference is given. Also, one poster also suggested CAW refers to Charles A Wefing. It could refer to both, and/or to Colorado Auto Works and/or something else? Could be any/all of the suggestions the these posts.

Just a guess Tim, but my way of thinking would be if the C.A.W. is over the top of the address, as in the picture, it would at least seem to make sense that the C A W would be for the company name with address underneath....thus Colorado Aluminum (Auto?) Works.

...just me thinking again.

This is an interesting mystery. All answers are based on logical speculation.

Here's one from Ed Pruss, posted on Inliners.org

Here's the house that is now at that address.

OK - I didn't get the gentleman's name as being the man who made the cover in my remarks. I was going with the name Colorado Auto Works and thought the writer of the post was named Charles A. Wefing. Duh.....forgive me.

No problem, this is interesting (and, this speculation serves no purpose, really). They are very nice and rare valve covers, no matter what CAW refers to.

This might have been an aluminum foundry, or things might have changed over the years.

The picture of the neighborhood doesn't lend itself well to the comments from myself and others regarding the part of Denver this "place" was in. But, I guess things can change in 50 or more years.