I acquired a “correct” 1966 1300cc rear engine breast plate from a local guy. Willy wasn’t able to find a “correct” part when building the engine, as it is a one year only part and very hard to find. I was shocked I actually found one locally. They’re even hard to find online. The person I purchased it from also has a ’66 Beetle. Lucky me! (Thanks Jonce!)
I degreased and cleaned the rear breast plate engine tin today, and sent it off to Awesome Powercoat in Ohio. I had them powder coat it in OEM VW Factory Finish Satin Black. They did a great job and turned it around really fast. Their email communication was very prompt as well. Here are the “before” pictures of the engine tin (after degreasing/cleaning):
I forgot to take a picture of it prior to installing it in the car. They worked on the metal prior to powdercoating it and took out all the dents as well. Here are some “after” pictures of it installed in the car: