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Cleaning up the engine bay

Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 12:55 AM

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.
Posted By: upnover

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 12:59 AM

unless the car is black it will look like a chevy guy painted underhood.
Posted By: buildanother

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:11 AM

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
Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:11 AM

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

Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:20 AM

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.
Posted By: Dougsmopars

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:29 AM

Paint it body color. You'll be much happier.
Posted By: DaytonaTurbo

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:29 AM

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...
Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:34 AM



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

Posted By: landon1

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:37 AM

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
Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 01:44 AM

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

Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 02:56 AM

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.
Posted By: '72CudaRacer

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 03:31 AM

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
Posted By: wingman

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 03:37 AM

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...
Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 03:41 AM

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.
Posted By: BigDawg72

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 04:06 AM

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!
Posted By: ledft79

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 08:06 AM

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.

Attached picture 5857881-01-12-201010;04;19PM.JPG
Posted By: DennisH

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 12:15 PM

Quote:

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


Good God man. Paint it body color.
Posted By: Boise Chall

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 03:57 PM

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


Posted By: 2boltmain

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 04:33 PM

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.
Posted By: cruzin

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 05:31 PM

You're right. I vote for the body-matching K-member and torsion bar look.

Looks good.
Posted By: Boise Chall

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 09:54 PM

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.



Posted By: 70AARcuda

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 10:54 PM

It is your car..paint it what ever color you want to.
Posted By: Hemiruss

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 11:23 PM

My vote is car color...

Attached picture 5858990-Cruise09018.JPG
Posted By: Dougsmopars

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/11/10 11:28 PM

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?
Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 03/12/10 12:25 AM

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!
Posted By: CoreyWilson

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 06:24 AM

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
Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 10:38 AM

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.
Posted By: Stanton

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 01:18 PM

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!
Posted By: feets

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 02:41 PM

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.
Posted By: Todd

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 04:18 PM

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
Posted By: Lefty

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 05:19 PM

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



Posted By: 74RALLYE

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 06:04 PM

"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.
Posted By: dirtybee

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 06:08 PM

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





Posted By: RoyceFlo73

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 07:32 PM

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.
Posted By: Scott Carl

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 10:12 PM

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?
Posted By: Dougsmopars

Re: Cleaning up the engine bay - 04/24/10 11:17 PM

Yes paint it body color like the factory did. They look the best that way. Bedliner looks wicked hack.
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