Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Does anybody know of some cheap ways to spruce up an engine bay i was think some value cover and an air filter. Any inputs appreciated my just an unemployed high school kid so i dont have much money :waah:

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

I know how that feels! Save up some money and you can get new valve covers and air cleaner that look cool if you like. If it doesn't run right though fix that first....also you can get under there and try to clean it with de-greaser and paint the brackets and stuff the same color..that looks pretty nice.....you can also paint the engine block if you want.....and if you don't mine being patient you can move wires around and hide them to make it look more organized...

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

It runs pretty good but needs a better battery (this one wont crank when it gets cold) I am some what mechanically inclined i can change oil plugs and wires and basics and turn a wrench. But not like these guys on here can remove the engine to spruce it up so thats why i was saying easy. If i were to put on new value covers would i need to mess with gaskets or anything or just move the plug wires and take the covers off? Ill try and get some pics of the very dirty engine. Thanks i know that was a lot

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

wash it and keep it clean

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

You don't have to change the gaskets but I would recommend it when you change the valve covers...

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Rattle can go a long ways. I am doing a budget build and just rattle canned the whole engine bay. Of course, I degreased it all first.
I think it looks alright for what it is.

http://www.tustindesignco.com/Misc/C10/engine6.jpg

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

I can't really just spray paint it all since i have NO way of removing the engine

Also i always though changing a head gasket was hard because we had a '79 lincoln continental hella of a car lol that had a blown head gasket and we sold it because of it :smoke:

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

You don't have to remove the engine to paint the engine compartment....I had a thread on it a while back......might take a little while to get all of the hard to reach places but it can be done.....http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=432050

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

You dont have to but If doing while in don't you have to remove a lot of stuff (which i would screw up or forget about something)

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Heres my dirty engine bay camera really makes it look dirty

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

There are a lot of things that can be done on the cheap as others have mentioned, Small things go a long way in overall appearance.

Re-loom your under hood wire harness, Replace rusty or oversized hose clamps with the proper size. Clean/paint rusty screws and nuts, Rattle can anything that looks bad, Use news paper and masking tape to reduce over spray.

A nice clean/detailed engine bay can look just as good without a bunch of money or chrome bling, Add the bling after everything else is done.

When I judge shows 50% of my vote is based on the engine bay, That's where one's creativity out shines fancy wheels/tires and paint.


On Edit;

You have a camera, Take many pics of things before you take them off or apart for detailing....

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

clean clean clean. scrub scrub scrub.

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

paint paint paint

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

let me be a bit more specific and hopefully more helpful than my previous post.
assuming the picture you took is how it looks right now:
take off the air cleaner and snorkel. set it somewhere and clean it. if you have a place to wash pets or something like a laundry room sink, use that.
get every bit of dirt off of the air filter housing, and the snorkel.
if it looks like it has quite a bit of missing paint, scuff it up and repaint it.
once the air filer looks like brand new, put it back on the truck.
then find something else, and clean it.....

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

I would recommend using semi gloss instead of a gloss black or flat black . IMO just looks better. I use Purple Power and some engine cleaner. Think my engine turned out ok. And it was still in the vehicle. New wire loom and cleaned up hoses just makes everything look better.
Attachment 669598

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

So, Is it hard to change a gasket or not?

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Yes, for someone that is not mechanically inclined, it will be a more difficult job.

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

But i dont have to replace it to take the valve covers off?

And im not totally clueless mechanically but i can't do what a lot of people on this site do and to an engine swap. I have never replaced a head gasket before but im sure i could probably figure it out with the help of the book

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

we talking valve cover gasket or the head gasket ?

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

valve cover gasket did i say head gasket i meant valve cover

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

I thought you meant head gasket.

The valve cover gasket is fairly simple. Sometimes you can re-use the gasket, but I would just recommend replacing it since you have the valve cover off. The valve cover gaskets aren't expensive.

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

^^ x2 just dont tighten bolts to tight

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Very good advice. Satin black looks great and stay nice much longer than flat or gloss.

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Sorry i was thinking of head gasket because they are cheap but hard. so valve gasket isn't that hard to replace? Thanks for all the help

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

your application may differ from the one in the video but it shows the basics.

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

get a gallon of simple green, a bucket of hot soapy water, a nice variety of scrub brushes and just start cleaning...
concentrate on details, nooks and crannys. Pick an area and start cleaning.
Just get it super clean an you will feel better about it, then you can assess what needs to be painted or chrome plated.... (:

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

anybody of any pics of factory valve covers? Im think of just painting the ones on my 305

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

they don't look to bad but I prefer chrome this is a friends car

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

i prefer aluminum, they are the least likely to leak

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

Thanks thats pretty much what i was going for stock but a little nicer looking covers. I don't want to do too much to this truck just keep a pretty much stock truck

Re: Cheap/Easy ways to make engine bay look better?
 

These are pretty nice aluminum valve covers. They are edelbrock elite series and don't cost a whole lot compared to others.


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