Engine Bay Treatment

Empi makes a kit with 3 pieces of metal.  62-3020 Louvered stainless $80, 62-3030 w/o louvers $80 and 62-50 aluminum $109.  They don't look bad and are easy to clean. Plus reduce fire risk.

How about mirrored panels and LED rope lighting!

Or maybe wood paneling circa 1973?

Or crushed red velvet with little Pom-Pom balls hanging from the edge of the hood?

All jokes aside: I’ve always been a fan of the bed liner spray in type material.  Back in my day the cool guys had the beds of their trucks sprayed stuff called xylatone or something with a similar name.

Another thing I think looks really good is having the engine compartment painted the same color as the body.  When it’s prepped well and painted to match it brings it all together.

@TheMayoMachine You has me at crushed red velvet and poms poms. Be still my heart. 

 Some pics of what others have done would be great!

Bill

I like the idea of a clean up and painting the body color. Easy to keep clean, doesn't add any unnecessary weight and is in keeping with the car's "feel".

@TheMayoMachine- I remember that stuff! It was available in a 2 tone grey and people called it trunk spatter.

@ALB-That’s the stuff!  It was a pre-cursor to all the spray on bed liners like Rhino-lining, etc.

Xylatone had a dark base with lighter colored “specks” that gave it texture.  It was supposed to give a bit of protection but it’s nothing compared to the more modern products.

Matching the engine bay to the exterior color really brings the look of the car together in my opinion.  Although, I grew up wrenching on big bodied American cars with big motors and a LOT more space under the hood to paint than my VS...

i used that bed liner brush on stuff(brand?)  looks great ,tuffer than nails,,  tuff on the nostrils and brain cells, dont be smoking..:}

Mango’s FYI project...  https://www.speedsterowners.com/topic/my-diy-firewall

 And an old picture of my unskilled attempt to recreate it back in 2013/2014... can’t find my old thread.

Robert M posted:

The engine will be out of my car soon and while it is out I wish to clean up/enhance the engine bay. What have others done or what would you do if you were to clean up the engine compartment?

I could simply paint it or put the bed liner spray in there or....????

And diamond tuck leather anything is out of the question.

I did a quick engine turned set of three aluminum panels. I think I sprayed some kind of flat varnish on them too. Came out not to bad for a first try. And also one pic of various parts of the ultra rare Soob Frankenmotor with Weber carb instead of FI. Ford ignition and timing belt thingies not yet installed. 

Lfepardo posted:

Mango’s FYI project...  https://www.speedsterowners.com/topic/my-diy-firewall

 And an old picture of my unskilled attempt to recreate it back in 2013/2014... can’t find my old thread.

 

Luis,

What are you talking about. That looks very clean! Got me interested in doing the same thing to mine over the Holidays.

Brian

The UPOL Raptor liner is tintable and has been used to coat entire Jeeps and such. Check it out on YouTube. I was thinking about using the aluminum sheeting and either painting it or coating it with the tinted Raptor product. They also sell aluminum sheeting with patterns (spaced lines might look good (?)) . No one mentioned cork and glass grapes from the 70’s yet, so I’ll throw that out there. Oh yah, fire hazard!

I've used black aluminum panels that are used on enclosed trailers …..looks great

IMHO, painted body color looks best.  Just a little more work.

I definitely like the engine turned look on David's.  Maybe combine it with a ridge roller like one that Ed has and has used on his 550 build. 

TheMayoMachine posted:

 

...All jokes aside: I’ve always been a fan of the bed liner spray in type material.  Back in my day the cool guys had the beds of their trucks sprayed stuff called xylatone or something with a similar name.

Another thing I think looks really good is having the engine compartment painted the same color as the body.  When it’s prepped well and painted to match it brings it all together.

I think it was called zolotone.

found the pictures... three aliminum panels, not nearly as clean as Mangos... 

i did roll on a couple layers of truck liner- high temperature insulating paint on the fire wall before aplying the alumonum panels. 

I have this insulation foam pad glued all over the inside for sounddeadening. I have no clue who makes it as there are no identifying marks.  But it makes it pretty dark and all black and gives the cabin some sound covering.

Ray, you are missing some plumbing . 

Marty Grzynkowicz posted:

Ray, you are missing some plumbing . 

 

Now that is a thing of beauty. What is the round, silver, circular thing lower left?  Looks like the coolant filler is upper left. 

That's where the Dilithium crystals go...

David, that was a second coolant filler.  Henry and Kevin over engineered it.  It was not not really needed.  If you put too much coolant in it, it spits it out when the engine gets hot.  So it just used for expansion.   Water to Air inter-cooled never over heats.  

IAM-RAY: WOW is an understatement, super sanitary.

If I remember correctly, Chip Foose said a car is the jewel box, the motor is the jewel.