Yes, I have a car. Here's an update.

[zbugger]

Yeah, so I did make a tiny bit of progress on my car lately...... Sort of. I decided to go from painting my engine black to the stock Corporate Blue color the factory shipped my car with. Just a look I want to go with. So, here's a few shots of the beginning of the process.

I started out with the valve covers I had already painted black. I taped off everything I wanted to leave unpainted. The strip of natural finish going across the cover, and the lettering. The taping off took close to 2 hours to do, but that's only because I made it REALLY close so the thing would look well detailed.


The next step...... Yeah, paint. Kinda obvious.


And here's the finished product.




So, what do you guys think? The engine compartment will be black. The intake is a natural finish Edelbrock Performer intake. The headers will be silver thermal coated. I thought about black for them, but that's still up in the air. What do you guys think I should do with that? Oh yeah, for the rest of the engine, everything that has a machined finish is going to stay that way. I'm not painting over that. I kinda want it to look like it was painted, and then machined. And I'm also using ARP stainless hex head bolts to finish off the detailing. Now that the valve covers are done, the heads are next in line.

Oh yeah, and to finish off the engine compartment, I'm thinking about the fender struts from Twist Machine. I just don't know if I want to leave those with the finish they come with, or to make them more subtle by painting them black. Just an idea.....

[1971novaSS]

Wow, that looks really good. I would def go with ceramic headers to accent the machined look. specially having a black painded block. Where did you buy those valve covers from?

Rennskii

[zbugger]

I got the valve covers a couple years ago off a fellow member here. I had previously planned on painting the engine black, but recently changed my mind and I'm going with the stock corporate blue color. Silver finish, or black finish would look good on the headers. The black would give it more of an old school look. I'm still thinking about what to do on that note.

[mdprovee]

Looks good Allen. I like them, as if my opinion counted.

[Steve1968LS2]

Those are my favorite Chebie valve covers.. nice job!

Sure will "pop" in that black engine bay.

[Brandon Miller]

I am particularly impressed with the Lego. Valve covers look good.

[zbugger]

I am particularly impressed with the Lego. Valve covers look good.

Thanks. And the Lego addiction makes it really easy for my family to get me any gifts.

[aussiebj]

Nice job

[formula]

legos for the win!

Here's a shot of a gm corporate blue engine in a black engine bay that i happen to be all too familar with...

I love the color combo, though. Yours will look even better since you have legitimately nice engine dress-up stuff.

[trapin]

Looks good Allen. I particularly like the choice of music I see in those CD cases. A little Godsmack,
some Sepultura, Tool, Deftones, Linkin Park, and a Santana offering thrown in to make it interesting.

[zbugger]

Thanks Tony. I gotta have something to show that I'm a man as I drive my Sentra.... 4-door..... At least the music will make people think I'm nuts, if my looks don't do it. Although I've been stuck on 30 Seconds to Mars lately.

[Martin71RS]

good to finally see some progress Allen!

now quit playing with Lego and FINISH your car!!
(or at least get it back on the road)

Martin

[David Sloan]

Lookin good Bug.
keep up the good work. as for the music you might here any one of those when you come in the shop. we love to build hot rods to music.

[whytry]

I was beginning to wonder if you still had your car Allen. Those valve covers are going to look really good in an all black engine compartment.

30 Seconds to Mars, me too, but now making shift to Red Jump Suit Apparatus and a little Bullet for my Valentine.....

Keep up the good work!!

[jeffandre]

Nice work, and after all these years I thought you just got rides everywhere...

j/k, hope all is well with you. Keep up the good work, maybe all of this love will speed you up a bit.

[Bandit]

Very pro-looking paint job, nice attention to detail. They will look outstanding in the blacked-out engine bay. BTW I hope you are using a semi-flat black for the engine compartment, as I believe that will draw the eye toward the engine and all the cool aluminum parts. I think shiny coated headers would look great with your combo, just get them done right, by a good powder coater like Jet-Hot or somebody, so it lasts. Just my humble opinions.

Anyway good luck with the engine install!

[zbugger]

Thanks, guys.

Bandit, the engine compartment will be semi-gloss. Kinda like stock. Being it's such a budget build it's gonna be spray bombed. I have a bad habit of making that painting style look decent, actually. I still have to decide on header color. I can't picture silver or black.

[Norwoodx55]

I kind of like the black coated header look. A little subdued look helps with the surprise.

[camaro608]

thats not his lol looking good

[Larry Callahan]

Looks good Allen!!

Gotta love Tool and Linkin Park too!