Engine Bay Opinions

[1969sschevelle]

Done be too hard on me LOL and I know its not the best pic but looking for ideas on ways to clean up (de-bling) engine bay even more
I want to get rid of the chrome rad support but not sure to just go plain black or black chrome I also have a cowl vent cover that is aluminum and looks too blingy, I was thinking about getting that coated in blue to match firewall paint and make it blend in and almost disappear. also was thinking about ditching chrome booster/mc was thinking about hydroboost anyway. I had one of those chessy rad chrome radiator hoses on there and ditched them. BTW car is a 69 Chevelle speedway blue
Any opinions? I will try to upload better pic soon.

[BuddyP]

A dark metallic gray/silver may not look bad either. To keep costs down you could have your current chromed items blasted (to etch the chrome) and painted or powdercoated. One thing I'd consider would be to pull your inner fenderwells and have the top side of them painted blue to match the car. I think if you did that and had your chrome items painted a dark metallic gray would look fairly sharp. If you're going to really pull it apart then I'd say paint the engine block a silver or dark silver so that the orange doesn't jump out at you.

[LUV2XLR8]

they make translucent paint to make your chrome look any color you want.... so maybe blue to match the car... or black like u said... can pick it up at autozone or advance... made by VHT and duplicolor

[1969sschevelle]

they make translucent paint to make your chrome look any color you want.... so maybe blue to match the car... or black like u said... can pick it up at autozone or advance... made by VHT and duplicolor

I thought about the stuff, I might have to try it out.

[DirtShark]

I agree with Buddy, a trip to the powdercoater could do wonders for your engine compartment. You would not have to buy new items, just use what you already have. I went the understated route (this is not a B&W pic), so hopefully this pic helps show what a little de blinging can due. Looks like it would not take much to get the look you want. Good luck with it and post up some pics when your done.

[1969sschevelle]

Wow that is impressive, almost too much black but I like it!
I want to keep the chrome valve cover and air cleaner, I had the chevrolet script in the valve covers powder coated in same blue as the car.
Are the fenderwells flat black?

[DirtShark]

Thank you, that is the great thing about this site ton of information to help you in the direction YOU want the car to go in. And yes the inner fenders are flat. I am sure your engine bay will look great with a few touches, already looks pretty clean now.

[astroracer]

I think, if you were to repaint the block and water pump like mentioned above it would mute down the chrome. The orange is all I really see when I look in there.
Just a look see comparo.... I bought the 509 for the van, assembled, in this condition.

I liked the color it just wouldn't go well with the paint scheme I am planning. After it was gone through I repainted the block with Rustoleum Hammertone medium silver.

Makes for a friendlier match and doesn't jump out and poke you in the eye like the orange does.
Mark

[1969sschevelle]

That is a good point about the silver, I think its the same color I painted the intake when I redid that last year. The engine was black and when I restored the car 5 years ago I was dead set on having the engine orange, now I kind of regret it, not sure I want to pull engine this winter just to repaint it. I am definitely re-doing the rad support panel, and the cowl vent panel.

(http://www.ss396.com/mm5/merchant.mv...ILLEPANELCOVER)

[NOPANTS-68]

Ditching the chrome master/booster will help a bunch. It distracts your focus away from the engine. I think some black, textured, angled roof valve covers and a 14 inch domed, spun aluminum air cleaner lid would do wonders. We are talking about minimal bucks with a huge impact.

Take some style from Bret's SBC pic above. It's a perfect execution of a theme carried out to the Nth degree.

Here's my old BBC. I'm a huge fan of angry looking engines.

[Daren]

I'd hate to tell you to semigloss that firewall. Perhaps you can body color the inner fenders?

[1969sschevelle]

I thought blue inner fenders would be too much, look like cars from the 90's that painted everything the same color, I do like the idea of repainting them in a flat black though, I am not sure I'd want to repaint the firewall at this point unless I did pull the motor.
I am definitely in favor of ditching the chrome booster, esp if I go to hydroboost, that is probably my next planned upgrade over the winter.
I do like the idea of black valve covers but I have some money in the chromes I have, I had the chevrolet writing in them powdercoated blue to match the body color.

[1969sschevelle]

I thought blue inner fenders would be too much, look like cars from the 90's that painted everything the same color, I do like the idea of repainting them in a flat black though, I am not sure I'd want to repaint the firewall at this point unless I did pull the motor.
I am definitely in favor of ditching the chrome booster, esp if I go to hydroboost, that is probably my next planned upgrade over the winter.
I do like the idea of black valve covers but I have some money in the chromes I have, I had the chevrolet writing in them powdercoated blue to match the body color.

[Daren]

I thought blue inner fenders would be too much, look like cars from the 90's that painted everything the same color, I do like the idea of repainting them in a flat black though, I am not sure I'd want to repaint the firewall at this point unless I did pull the motor.
I am definitely in favor of ditching the chrome booster, esp if I go to hydroboost, that is probably my next planned upgrade over the winter.
I do like the idea of black valve covers but I have some money in the chromes I have, I had the chevrolet writing in them powdercoated blue to match the body color.

I feel as if the inner fenders need to match the firewall. Not a big fan of a monochromatic look myself but if the inner fender are semigloss then so should the firewall. This is where aesthetics come into conflict with methods of thought with me.

Aesthetically speaking, as in what is pleasing to the eye, I like a semigloss/satin/flat appearance to the firewall and inner fenders with a mean looking engine (I.E no gloss/polished engine components). I do recognize, however, that any chump can paint a car with the engine in place and then just semigloss the hell outa the engine bay. A body colored firewall and inner fenders is telling of a build that was thought through.

Make sense? My two scents: semigloss the hell out of it. Aesthetics over logic IMHO.

Chrome booster definitely needs to go bye bye.

[Jdinjax]

A possible temporary option to see how items like the radiator support and small items look painted satin/flat black is to shoot them with spray can plasti-dip. The stuff goes on very evenly and is very durable. My radiator support and closeout panel is covered with it. It was originally going to be temporary. But it has held up than I expected, so I left it.

Best part is if you don't like it, just peel it off. Be sure to apply enough coats so it's thick enough to "peel" off if you so choose to. Three medium coats seem to do the trick.

Be sure to post some updated pics on what you decide to do.

[1969sschevelle]

I feel as if the inner fenders need to match the firewall. Not a big fan of a monochromatic look myself but if the inner fender are semigloss then so should the firewall. This is where aesthetics come into conflict with methods of thought with me.

Aesthetically speaking, as in what is pleasing to the eye, I like a semigloss/satin/flat appearance to the firewall and inner fenders with a mean looking engine (I.E no gloss/polished engine components). I do recognize, however, that any chump can paint a car with the engine in place and then just semigloss the hell outa the engine bay. A body colored firewall and inner fenders is telling of a build that was thought through.

Make sense? My two scents: semigloss the hell out of it. Aesthetics over logic IMHO.

Chrome booster definitely needs to go bye bye.

I have a hard enough time deciding on colors not alone finishes too! LOL
I like the blue firewall, just not sure about the monochromatic look either, plus I really dont think i have the time or budget to pull engine and repaint entire firewall and fenders, I am leaning towards doing hydroboost and getting rid of the chrome master/booster and possible replacing pulley system with a stock serpentine, I should be able to resell the chrome parts and almost breaking even on both swaps I am going to try to check out some pick-a-parts this weekend, same thing with the cowl vent cover, I can sell that and go stock as well and on the rad support cover I am thinking powdercoating black to math the rad support and frame which are already powdercoated black

[LUV2XLR8]

all black does look bad ass... this pic is awesome....

I agree with Buddy, a trip to the powdercoater could do wonders for your engine compartment. You would not have to buy new items, just use what you already have. I went the understated route (this is not a B&W pic), so hopefully this pic helps show what a little de blinging can due. Looks like it would not take much to get the look you want. Good luck with it and post up some pics when your done.

[TMIproducts]

This is my engine bay a year or two ago. I've changed it up a little bit since then. What I did was pretty much black everything. I'm not a fan of chrome. What I wanted was when you open the hood the engine itself really pops out at yah. It's iron block and heads, just painted silver. Since this picture I added a Undercover Innovations radiator support cover in black, air filter lid(instead of the chrome one). Like on your car...I'd never run a chrome booster and master because I don't think that's something you want to advertise and show off. That's just my taste and opinion though.

I also don't run inner fender wells. For one, tire clearance issues. And two, I think it looks awesome! I think it's cool to open the hood and see all the steering and it really cleans up the engine compartment.


Not the best picture since I was playing with lighting here....

[TMIproducts]

I agree with Buddy, a trip to the powdercoater could do wonders for your engine compartment. You would not have to buy new items, just use what you already have. I went the understated route (this is not a B&W pic), so hopefully this pic helps show what a little de blinging can due. Looks like it would not take much to get the look you want. Good luck with it and post up some pics when your done.

This is an absolutely AWESOME picture and even more awesome engine compartment. It's not my desktop background.

[DirtShark]

Ditching the chrome master/booster will help a bunch. It distracts your focus away from the engine. I think some black, textured, angled roof valve covers and a 14 inch domed, spun aluminum air cleaner lid would do wonders. We are talking about minimal bucks with a huge impact.

Take some style from Bret's SBC pic above. It's a perfect execution of a theme carried out to the Nth degree.

Here's my old BBC. I'm a huge fan of angry looking engines.

Clean and super sano, less is more. Nice work Dave...nice camera skills as well.