Today, my valve cover will go from faded, chipping, flat, textured black, to shiny,new, graphite grey metallic.

I took the cover off, washed it repeatedly to get any and all peeling paint and oil off of it. I washed it using steel wool, with dish detergent, Mothers degreaser/cleaner, and dish detergent again. Now it's out in the sun drying. After it dries, it gets sanded, washed again, dried. Then I mask the letters and the logo, then it gets 2-3 light coats of primer. Sits for 30 minutes, then comes
2-3 light coats of paint, 20 minutes between each coat, and finally, 2-3 coats of clear. Then it will sit in the sun and dry until I can handle it so I can put her back together. I know, this thread is worthless w/o pics, but no digi cam so you'll just have to wait to see the finished product