have someone cast/mold your present cover in clear hi-temp plastic...
i know you can get valve covers with clear plexi-inserts for some chevy small blocks...
93MX3-B6ME, homegrown matching on my intake and head, HiFlow-Cat > 2.25" > no res. > Truck Muffler from Meineke (a.k.a. Mexican Flowmaster), 4 wheels with accompanying tires...<br>
I have seen some guys here run their engines with the cam gears and timing belts exposed for years. I imagine you would have to make sure engine is kept pretty clean and watch out dust, dirt and debris a whole lot more.
The best solution is really a modified cover or a clear one.
ive had mine exposed for almost five years now... no problems.
Jarid Perry
94 mx3 Turrrbooooo (not even close to stock) 302WHP
71 Chevy C20 (tow rig!!)
77 Jeep CJ5 (no way its stock)
06 MINI Cooper S JCW GP (few goodies) 210WHP
2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S
i would just cut the sides out of the cover, leave the lip on the top to prevent anythign from falling on it, but cut the sides so you can adjust and see them, but mainly keep the entire belt area covered
Buy some 1/4" to 1/2" thick clear acrylic..and acrylic glue...
Take a piece of sheet metal and bend it into the shape you want to cover your gears..
Place a piece of acrylic over the metal form with atleast and inch over all the edges...
Put it on an old cookie sheet and heat the METAL up with a heat gun on a low setting... it will start to fall over the form....If it's not falling properly onto the form you can use a metal roller that's been heated in the oven to 80C-100C..enough to not shock-cool the piece but not hot enough to put marks or boils in it...
Cut tabs to extend out to the last to bolts on the valve cover and glue them on, After the piece has cooled...
I've made a couple of things this way... never used any Hi-temp plastics though...
In my case it's not about being "conservative" so much as not liking the underhood racket with the gears exposed. I just picked up a set of stage2 cams and plan to use a spare (cut) valve cover that exposes the cam gears, until things are dialed in. Then the uncut valve cover goes back on. To each his own...