Beauty and looks are something we all know and care about here in Southern California. Take a drive up the 15 North and count off how many laser facial facilities there are, and you’ll lose your place before you get five miles from your desired off-ramp. Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the fact remains that when it comes to someone’s countenance, the doctors in SoCal have quite a few ideas on how to improve them.

In a similar vein, we recognized the need to boost the appeal of one of our engine builds; more specifically, our Motown LS from World Products. As an appealing blend of classic SBC utility mixed with modern LS capabilities, the mill was already prepped for performance. The task for today, however, would be to get it looking the part as well.

To help us get there, we contacted our friends at Proform and asked if they had any thoughts on how to boost our engine bay’s appeal. We had our answer in the form of selected dress-up parts–engine timing cover, starter, fuel pump block-off plate, and valve covers–and had the opportunity to speak with special projects manager Booth Platt to assist us with our questions.

A Bright, Shiny Path To Greatness

For over 25 years, Proform has made its mark in the automotive industry, popularizing newly-built parts over the swaths of rebuilt parts that others may tend toward using in their engine bay. From alternators to valve covers to electric fans, the company prides itself on its innovation and quality management when it comes to the manufacturing process.

The Chevy Orange Deluxe Dress-Up Kit (p/n 141-780),  calling to mind the Hugger Orange paint code of the muscle car era.

“Engine dress-up, to us, is part of our identity,” said Platt. “They’re the easiest way to get your foot in the door, and someone can bolt the whole thing on and off in a matter of minutes and just totally transform the look and theme of a car or truck.”

Those in the market for dress-up kits have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to Proform’s catalog, and the company makes searching for these parts a breeze thanks to its website. Full-on kits supply users with just about everything they need to finish the job.

Covering a healthy variety of American V8 applications, web visitors can currently pick between six different kits that work on Ford, Chevy, and Pontiac motors. The trend, both for Proform and car culture, is shifting away from these original kits, however, and is now in full support of Chevy Performance (as well as Ford Racing).

For GM fans, the sky is the limit as far as customization and combination goes. “We now offer about 16 or so combinations of the slant edge SBC aluminum valve covers,” said Platt. “We have unpolished versions, 24-karat gold versions, and so on and so forth. Every year brings something new.”

The Carbon-style Dress-Up Kit (p/n 141-710) is one of the latest designs to come from Proform.

One of the latest kits to make its debut is the Carbon-style Dress-Up Kit (p/n 141-712, 141-713) for small-block Chevys. “These are stamped steel units that have been given a carbon fiber wrap to give customers the best of both worlds,” explained Platt. “Issues with fitment of carbon fiber have been occurring in the aftermarket, so ours will offer users fit and finish they’ll get maximum satisfaction from.”

The savings one gets from not having to use actual carbon fiber are quite nice too, and serve to make the kit one of the more attractive options on the market. “Engine dress-up is constantly evolving, and this kit is us showing we’re right there with it,” said Platt.

Speaking of evolution, 2015 is just around the corner, and with it new offerings that round out Proform’s selection. “Next year, we will start launching new slant edge air cleaners for Ford and GM applications,” said Platt. “We’ve given a lot of attention to the valve covers as of late, and now we’ll be developing die-cast air cleaners for our customers.”

Our selected assortment of Proform parts included a timing cover, starter, valve covers, and fuel pump block-off plate.

Paint The MoTown Chrome

For our Motown LS engine build, the thought of doing a full-blown dress-up kit didn’t seem like the right direction to go. We instead went for a piecemeal approach, pick and choosing which products would make a good fit on the motor. Reconciling the best technology between old and new, the powerplant is a fusion of a GM small block, redesigned to work with LS heads, which are well-known for their excellent flow characteristics.

The clockable design of Proform’s Hi-Torque Gear-Reduction starter (p/n 66256) makes it able to fit in tight spaces with ease.

The plans for a future vehicle project are currently being drawn up, but we do know that once that happens, it will be a pretty big deal. In the meantime, we’re content to check out our Proform parts and how they’ll fit onto the engine, as well as what sorts of features and benefits we can expect.

In sum, the parts we received were the polished Chevrolet timing cover (p/n 141-217), hi-torque gear-reduction starter (p/n 66256), Chevrolet slant edge aluminum valve covers (p/n 141-266), and a fuel pump block-off plate (p/n 141-212).

The starter is of special interest, as its offset design and rotational axis allows for use in cramped spaces where an oil pan might ordinarily become an obstacle. Additionally, it’ll be a steadfast ally of our Motown motor thanks to its high-powered cranking power–40-50 percent over stock, says Proform.

The gear-reduction drive and full ball-bearing construction contribute to the unit’s light weight and compact size, while also enhancing its starting capabilities, far better than a direct-drive starter would be able to, as it’s able to deliver a compression ratio of 11:1. It fits all Chevy mills, whether V6 or V8.

As our Motown LS comes together, you can be sure that we’ll be updating you with more on the project as our plans start to solidify. In the meantime, we encourage you to look up Proform online or by phone to learn more about their engine dress-up products and kits. The company’s contact information has been provided below.