Made an observation about my MY04 today - it has the black spark plug cover, but the engine code stamped on the block definitely says F22C1. Other cars of the same year and up that I've seen all have the gold spark plug cover instead. I'm guessing it was just replaced with the black one at some point in it's life? Did anyone else's F22C1 come from the factory with the black cover?

 

Someone swapped it. Must've preferred the black. I think the black and red go great together; the red and gold, not so much, but to each their own. If the valve cover was wrinkle black though...

 

The covers are interchangeable. There's a difference in lettering as well as black vs gold. "H" on the black cover "Honda" on the gold.

-- Chuck