LSA Motor leave it bare or paint it

[nickburns31]

Hey gents... Its been on my mind recently whether or not to paint the motor before I throw it on the subframe. The aluminum never seems to hold up over the years even in storage. Has anyone stripped down the motor and painted up the aluminum parts with tremendous luck?

Thanks in advance! Also what brand did you use? Rattle or Paint gun....

[raustinss]

Powder coat?

[slimjim]

I used Eastwoods 2k ceramic engine paint, first their primer, then black. The reviews seem good for the product however after 2 years my engine is yet to run to put it to the true test. It's certainly not the best option but it is a cheaper DIY option.

[joeko23]

I’m also really undecided about what to do with my LSA. 80% of it is covered by wires and hoses etc but it def looks more high end to paint the engine. I don’t know if I have the balls to take mine apart to paint it. What if I don’t put everything back together how it’s supposed to be? If I do decide to paint it though I think I’m going to use VHT engine paint. They have a fire red metallic that looks super nice at least on pics and YouTube videos.

Depending what color your engine bay is going to be, I was thinking just to paint the valve covers, supercharger lid and I plan to use the ZL-1 engine cover so paint that as well. That’s basically all the parts you can see.

[shelteredchevelle]

maybe blingy, but solid.

[65 drop top]

It really depends on the look you’re after. Leaving it as is gives it a more mechanical, modern look. Painting the engine is more of a show car look. Either way can look great. If you decide to paint, don’t use rattle can, and aluminum needs a specific primer. Another option would be a clear ceramic coat over the bare aluminum.

[nickburns31]

Appreciate the opinions! Power coating would definitely be the way to go but since this motor is basically a crate motor I really do not want to tear it down that far. ... I like the 2K options and totally a good self etching primer..... I just hate the way the aluminum corrodes over time...

[billohio]

I thought I used some high heat clear in the pass. Maybe was even a satin or matte. Might have got it at Eastwood but cant remember for sure. My buddy said it needs to match the body color of the car! I am debating on painted the under hood of my camaro body color but it is a lot more work getting smooth. Might be over kill doing the block the same color. I like the black block above also
My engine is a 2014 and does have some fuzzy places, mainly the timing cover

[Pro Touring Store]

I've used regular engine spray paint; as long as the surfaces are cleaned well, it shouldn't be an issue. Or check out Don Hardy's instagram or facebook; he powdercoat/cerakote's a lot of his engines and parts. They look AMAZING.

[CarlC]

The modern aluminum block does not need to be coated like the older iron blocks since they don't rust. It's one less thing for GM to do.

However, there are advantages to painting. Cleaning and finding leaks is much easier. As mentioned above, the high temp engine paints work pretty well.

[raustinss]

The aluminum still tarnishes and looks like crap if you dont do something of some sort

[Motown 454]

I two part epoxied mine in clear. Only thing with clear is you better remember to remove the paint where you install your grounds.

[whitepark]

Don Hardy powder coated LS3

[Smee78]

I'm in the paint it crowd, even if you only give it a silver-ish color it will help keep it from getting all pitted and nasty.

[grease]

Don Hardy powder coated LS3

Whitepark, looks great! What accessory system are you running?

[65 drop top]

Whitepark, looks great! What accessory system are you running?

You can see it’s etched Tru Trac on the ac compresser, which is made by Billet Specialties.