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Cleaning up the engine bay #636089
03/10/10 08:55 PM
03/10/10 08:55 PM
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RoyceFlo73 Offline OP
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So the motor is pulled, all the wires are out and i am prepping for paint. I have a couple questions though.

I decided to go and paint the bay black. The car is a 73 swinger with a small block. I had to re-wire the engine bay as the alternator wire fried leading to the ignition.

I was curious about two things though. I Have seen a few cars with the black bay and was wondering where the taped off. I assume the painted everything up to the radiator support and up to (excluding) the actual fender where it mates to the inner fender.

Also, has anyone ever used truck bed liner. I was thinking the texture may look kinda cool actually in contrast to the smooth paint on the engine, plus it's durable, doesn't stain, and cleans easy.

Only downside i guess would be, its sure a pain in the butt if I don't like it to remove it.

Anyone ever do this, and have any pictures?

Thoughts? remember, its a 73 swinger originally with a slant. I obviously am not concerned with it holding any value. I just want it to look good.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636090
03/10/10 08:59 PM
03/10/10 08:59 PM
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tulsa ok
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upnover Offline
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unless the car is black it will look like a chevy guy painted underhood.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636091
03/10/10 09:11 PM
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buildanother Offline
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Black is also harder to keep clean. Ever have a car with new black carpet? It shows everything. It's your decision, your car. FYI, I painted the engine bay black when I was 18 years old, on my 70 purple V code shaker cuda, I really did. Peeled the emission sticker off of it, said "void" on back of sticker, still have sticker today.....but not the cuda

Last edited by buildanother; 03/10/10 09:52 PM.
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: upnover] #636092
03/10/10 09:11 PM
03/10/10 09:11 PM
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scratchnfotraction Offline
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if the engine was out,you sandblasted the under hood,sprayed the bed liner/textured paint/trunk splater paint it would be ok IMHO

I have seen a few rice burners with the trunk spalter stuff under hood and inside on the dash/floor/door panels before

cant say how long it looked good but on show day it looked real good

you deff want something tuff that wont peel later on


Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: scratchnfotraction] #636093
03/10/10 09:20 PM
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RoyceFlo73 Offline OP
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Well. EFF it then. I think I am just gonna go for it, and who knows. Maybe i'll start a trend

I have some herculiner. I painted a dakota bed with it and it looks and holds up and cleans wicked easy as a bed liner. I guarantee that the truck bed has seen more grime and abuse than an engine bay.

Worst case scenario, i do it, drop in the motor and hate it. Hell, im 21... I'll just blame it on youthful stupidity if It looks bad.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636094
03/10/10 09:29 PM
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Dougsmopars Offline
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Paint it body color. You'll be much happier.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636095
03/10/10 09:29 PM
03/10/10 09:29 PM
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I've used the truck bedliner spray before. It dries hard and gives a nice finish. Never used it on anything visible, mostly used it for covering floors, etc. I would rather see it painted a color close to the exterior color instead of a textured bedliner spray, but the bedliner spray will look better than rust or damaged original paint. If you ever want to redo I wonder how well a chemical stripper would work...

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636096
03/10/10 09:34 PM
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yep,the things I could scare you with when I was 16 with a driver licens and moms 71 fury I ex highway patrol car

I would not have a A-body 8 3/4 with 12" rims in the 85 truck if I had not just went for it

I think it will do ok and look fine,I have seen the whole metal part of a 79 ferd done in the gray splatter paint also

i done the inside of my 12' alum john boat with it,used a dark green trunk splatter on it

you can allways get another mopar someday...which I know you will want another one

so live your reckless youth and enjoy while you have it and you can

keep us up to date with it,you just "might" start a trend...who knows

you get the from me


Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: DaytonaTurbo] #636097
03/10/10 09:37 PM
03/10/10 09:37 PM
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landon1 Offline
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i considered bedliner type material, and ended up using undercoating. not very happy with it - pretty dull and looks kinda strange. i shoulda went with bedliner like i thought. you can put a clear coat on it too if desired.

Stacey David's Crazy Horse Bronco has bedliner (i believe) for the underhood area. i think it looks good, plus if you are going to do some actual work, there's no paint to worry about messing up. i'm 23, maybe it's a young guy thing


'71 Satellite Sebring 440
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: landon1] #636098
03/10/10 09:44 PM
03/10/10 09:44 PM
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I am 45 and giving it some thought,I kinda like the idea

I sandblasted/udercoated the bottom of the cab while off,then used the rustoleum gloss black to piant all the under hood and wheel wells

nice and shinny black but some color splatter paint would have looked good now I thinks on it some


Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: scratchnfotraction] #636099
03/10/10 10:56 PM
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RoyceFlo73 Offline OP
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My thoughts are that the car is daily driver. And it will never really be worth anything. So its not like i care about a factory resto.

I could line it and it should look decent, clean easy. And as said, if i work on it and drop a wrench or anything like that, I don't have to worry about touch up.

I bought the paint an hour ago. Ill take some before and after pictures this weekend. We will see.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: upnover] #636100
03/10/10 11:31 PM
03/10/10 11:31 PM
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Mooresburg, Tn
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Quote:

unless the car is black it will look like a chevy guy painted underhood.




My race car (E-body) started life green. I couldn't wait to paint engine compartment black. Car is painted red white and blue. Ain't been no chevy guys near it.
Brian

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: scratchnfotraction] #636101
03/10/10 11:37 PM
03/10/10 11:37 PM
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St. Charles, MO
wingman Offline
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Quote:

you just "might" start a trend




Meh, that's not a trend--there are thousands of Camaros out there painted just like that.

If you REALLY want to do something new, paint the whole car black EXCEPT the engine bay...


1969 Dodge Coronet Super Bee 383 A4
1970 Plymouth Road Runner 440 FC7 (sold)
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: wingman] #636102
03/10/10 11:41 PM
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RoyceFlo73 Offline OP
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I looked at 2nd generation cummins powered 2500 not too long ago that did exactly that.

The truck was originally a dark green metallic paint. The previous owner or the not so discerning used car lot apparently had a budget paint job done to it.

Oddly enough the whole truck was done black, including door jams. But open the hood, and the radiator support as well as the inner fenders were still forest green.

Probably didnt want to pull the motor.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636103
03/11/10 12:06 AM
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I used Dupli-Color bedliner on the inside floors and gas tank on my Challenger. I had some issues with it flaking off the gas tank because the surface was too smooth (I stripped it with a wire brush instead of sanding/grinding). At least the Dupli-Color bedliner needs a rougher surface to adhere properly. Check the directions on whatever you use!

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636104
03/11/10 04:06 AM
03/11/10 04:06 AM
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minot north dakota
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One thing that you might want to concider before painting it black, is that a lighter, brighter color would keep it brighter under the hood, and would make it easier to see what you are working on. Just a thought.


DRIVE EM, DONT HIDE EM.
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Dougsmopars] #636105
03/11/10 08:15 AM
03/11/10 08:15 AM
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Quote:

Paint it body color. You'll be much happier.



Good God man. Paint it body color.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636106
03/11/10 11:57 AM
03/11/10 11:57 AM
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Boise Idaho
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Boise Chall Offline
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You tell me what looks better and this car came from a Mopar guy in fact he owned the drag Car THE HULK the 70's Dodge Colt with a monster big block in it that was popular in the 70's and 80's



Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Boise Chall] #636107
03/11/10 12:33 PM
03/11/10 12:33 PM
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Holland MI Ottawa
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I like my engine bays dull black. In my experience the glossy body colored engine bay paint would dull from the header heat. Plus in flat black if you scratch or nick the paint the touch up is just a spray can repair. Very low maint. Yes its a chevy thing but I am choosing functionality for me over OEM correctness. Cowl hoods are a chevy thing and they look great on mopars.


Keep old mopars alive.
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Boise Chall] #636108
03/11/10 01:31 PM
03/11/10 01:31 PM
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Tucson, AZ
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You're right. I vote for the body-matching K-member and torsion bar look.

Looks good.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: cruzin] #636109
03/11/10 05:54 PM
03/11/10 05:54 PM
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Hey cruizin if that was a shot at me look closer. The torsion bars and connecting link are still wrapped in paper in the painted engine compartment picture. They are painted single stage pitch black under the paper. The K member is paint yellow and so is the engine block.




Last edited by Boise Chall; 03/11/10 06:00 PM.
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Boise Chall] #636110
03/11/10 06:54 PM
03/11/10 06:54 PM
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las vegas
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It is your car..paint it what ever color you want to.


Tony

70 AARCuda Vitamin C
71 Dart Swinger 360 10.318 @ 128.22(10-04-14 Bakersfield)
71 Demon 360 10.666 @122.41 (01-29-17 @ Las Vegas)
71 Duster 408 (10.29 @ 127.86 3/16/19 Las Vegas)
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: 70AARcuda] #636111
03/11/10 07:23 PM
03/11/10 07:23 PM
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Ft.Myers,Florida
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My vote is car color...

5858990-Cruise09018.JPG (138 downloads)
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: DennisH ] #636112
03/11/10 07:28 PM
03/11/10 07:28 PM
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Excuse me ? Thats right paint it body color the way the car was made. Bedliner, what are you building a car from the road warriors?

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Dougsmopars] #636113
03/11/10 08:25 PM
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Nope, i would rattle can the whole car flat black primer, put some cop wheels on it, open headers, and a bull bar. Then it would be road warriors.

I have seen plenty of black engine bays before can't say its bad looking. I got the whole inside sanded down today. about 4 hours, the engine bay was a MESS!

Took some decent photos. Ill update this with photos and everything sometime this weekend. let you all see how it looks, and bash me!

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636114
04/24/10 02:24 AM
04/24/10 02:24 AM
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Des Moines, IA
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Just wondering if anyone had gone through with painting their engine compartment with bedliner. The engine bay of my truck is an orangish red and with the engine out I'd planned on finding a similar shade to do a quick re paint, but the bedliner caught my attention. I believe I've seen a variety of bedliner colors. Hoping someone had some good results to share and hopefully I can find a color that will look good.

thanks
Corey

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636115
04/24/10 06:38 AM
04/24/10 06:38 AM
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Granite Bay CA
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A 73 Dart is still a MOPAR and deserves a body color engine bay. To say that it will never be worth much isn't really accurate. Have you checked the prices of nice ones on ebay lately? Yes, the values have risen. Maybe you dont care about the factory correct aspect of car restoration. It is your car, but I am another one who thinks that black is hack. Fords and GM cars did the black engine bays. The bedliner coatings are worse. "Black is good for touch ups". THAT is a crock as well. Do a decent prep and paint and the finish will be more resistant to scratching and flaking off. Personally, I can only understand the alternative paint ideas if your car is a rusty old turd with a slant sick running on 3 holes, belching oil smoke from the 1 7/8 single exhaust pipe. That doesn't sound like you.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Kern Dog] #636116
04/24/10 09:18 AM
04/24/10 09:18 AM
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Value in a non-origial car has more to do with quality and eye appeal than with originality. Lets face it, there a customs out there that bring a lot of money. So to say the car will be worth more with the engine comp. done in "body color" is just not true.

Personally I'd stay away from the spatter. It just looks "cheap" in my opinion. I don't like the truck bed stuff as it would give me the impression there's something being hidden underneath. Black looks Chevyish.

I'm leaning towards a metallic charcoal or dark silver - something complimentary to the body color.

Pull the fenders and do the whole front end and you'll also solve the "blackout" issue behind the grill as well as the wheelwells!

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Stanton] #636117
04/24/10 10:41 AM
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feets Offline
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Skip the bedliner and do it right. You're going through all that work so why kill it with a hack job?

Shoot it body color and it will look much better. Do the prep right and it'll be fairly impact resistant too.


We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind.
- Stu Harmon
Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: feets] #636118
04/24/10 12:18 PM
04/24/10 12:18 PM
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Quote:

Skip the bedliner and do it right. You're going through all that work so why kill it with a hack job?

Shoot it body color and it will look much better. Do the prep right and it'll be fairly impact resistant too.


Too much work involved to goop it up with bed liner paint. JMO

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Todd] #636119
04/24/10 01:19 PM
04/24/10 01:19 PM
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Quote:

Quote:

Skip the bedliner and do it right. You're going through all that work so why kill it with a hack job?

Shoot it body color and it will look much better. Do the prep right and it'll be fairly impact resistant too.


Too much work involved to goop it up with bed liner paint. JMO





Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: RoyceFlo73] #636120
04/24/10 02:04 PM
04/24/10 02:04 PM
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"unless the car is black it will look like a chevy guy painted underhood."

I'm with upnover, but if your budget is limited then do the best you can and be proud.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: Lefty] #636121
04/24/10 02:08 PM
04/24/10 02:08 PM
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dirtybee Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Skip the bedliner and do it right. You're going through all that work so why kill it with a hack job?

Shoot it body color and it will look much better. Do the prep right and it'll be fairly impact resistant too.


Too much work involved to goop it up with bed liner paint. JMO








Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: dirtybee] #636122
04/24/10 03:32 PM
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RoyceFlo73 Offline OP
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Wow, this did bring a lot of responses. The way I see it is that, what makes "chevy guy" a "chevy guy" and a "ford guy" a "ford guy" is that they drive chevrolets and fords!

I really wasn't around when all of this came to be, and certainly wasn't around when they were new. Unless yall's cars are survivors capsulated in a barn somewhere for 40 years...none of your cars are "original".

And sure this 73 is going up a bit in value. But, I'm not real concerned with that right now. Honestly, it really won't ever be worth a lot. It's ALWAYS going to be eclipsed by mostly everything pre-72 when emissions didn't kill the motors.

I don't see how this is "hack". I stripped and sanded the paint to metal, removed EVERYTHING from the front end and painted it with bed-liner. I love how it looks. I also don't care if i get picked on for it. At the end of the day it still is a fast Mopar with a black engine bay. At the end of the day, it MY fast Mopar with a black engine bay.

When yall started doing this hobby, i bet non of you were even slightly interested in "correctness", I bet it was all about having a fast cool car.

So if ya don't have anything good to say, thats fine, say it anyways. Just don't expect me to care.

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: '72CudaRacer] #636123
04/24/10 06:12 PM
04/24/10 06:12 PM
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Omaha, Nebraska
Scott Carl Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

unless the car is black it will look like a chevy guy painted underhood.




My race car (E-body) started life green. I couldn't wait to paint engine compartment black. Car is painted red white and blue. Ain't been no chevy guys near it.
Brian




But you really wanted a camaro, huh?

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay [Re: DennisH ] #636124
04/24/10 07:17 PM
04/24/10 07:17 PM
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Dougsmopars Offline
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Yes paint it body color like the factory did. They look the best that way. Bedliner looks wicked hack.

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