Thoughts on painting inside of engine compartment wanted - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**Yukon Jack** · 10-04-2002, 03:12 PM

The below truck has the inside of the engine compartment painted black. I'm years away from painting my truck but will have the engine out shortly when I do an engine swap. Saw this truck at the Ark City show last weekend and the idea of making the engine compartment all black is appealing to me. I don't know what color I would do the truck later but I think this looks fine.

What do you all think about making the compartment and firewall black?

Would I be just wasting my time if I used a few coats of black spray paint on it now?

**1971Stepside** · 10-04-2002, 03:47 PM

My thought is to wait and do it right the first time. Make sure it is what you want before you do it. It's your truck ultimately...go for it if you like the look.

Slammed67 · 10-04-2002, 04:04 PM

In my opinion......

firewall: body color

core support: black

insides of fenders: body color

fenderwells: black

underside of hood: black

But if it's just temporary, might as well paint it black to see if you really like it.

Benrs86 · 10-04-2002, 04:10 PM

i agree with slam exactly, only switch underside of hood to body color. i sure wish my firewall and hood was my body color.

Spoof · 10-04-2002, 04:52 PM

I concour, except I like the hood to stay body colour as well.

Slammed67 · 10-04-2002, 05:00 PM

Yeah, I can't decide on the hood color. I think either would look good. Were they body color from the factory?

68_GMC_910 · 10-04-2002, 06:28 PM

I want flames going up my fenderwells to match the pyrotechnics on the exterior...

JD72 · 10-04-2002, 06:56 PM

Try it like you want if you don't like it do it over. Heck it's only paint, see I like it when the fenderwells are the body color. Eveyone does it there on wayunless you are going for a points type show truck.

72chevyLWB · 10-04-2002, 06:56 PM

mmmmmmmm, body color is good.

weasel29gm · 10-04-2002, 10:48 PM

Body color is cool and looks great but black would be easier to take care of. MHO

Blackhawkdc · 10-04-2002, 10:51 PM

If you've got some dress up on the engine that you'd like to show off, keep it all black, nothing too shiney either. the trucks I've seen that had the engine compartment the same color as the body (flashy colors like red) seemed to fight over the viewer's eyes for attention. I love how my truck is, I have the engine compartment painted black and it helps the engine to stand out even more. Just my 2 cents. Here's a pic of my set up also:

mikep · 10-05-2002, 12:54 AM

I'm thinking ...

inner fenders: black

body: black

interior: black

firewall: black

underside of hood: black

Paul Clark · 10-05-2002, 01:07 AM

Ain't no way you can get the same results from a spray can (on a fairly big surface) that you can from a gun. You can't control the volume of paint, the air pressure, or the fan pattern. You'll get uneven coverage and maybe (probably) stripes.
Having said that - I used spray cans, with the following exception.
I used Rust Oleum satin black (you said you liked black) on the fender wells and the firewall and the flat panels on the under side of the hood. But I used body color on the hood braces and the inner "lips" of the fenders and hood. Looks kinda cool to me.
Figured it wouldn't take much to patch the RO stuff if it got scratched or dis-colored.
If I would have had the engine out of there so I could get my big butt in the engine compartment, I would have done the black stuff with a spray gun. Should have done that with the flat panels on the underneath of the hood, but I'm cheap - I mean frugal.

greasemonkey · 10-05-2002, 09:07 AM

Not a 67-72, but I like the look of this one.

crazy longhorn · 10-05-2002, 09:56 AM

I have a tilt front end on the longhorn, & plant to drive it(no trailer queen). Its pretty hard to keep it clean under the nose with no inner fenders,so I plan to use spackle paint. i think that body color looks really good in the eng compartment,but lots of work keepin it clean

bobs409 · 10-05-2002, 02:42 PM

I did my inner fenders, inside of the radiator support, (did the outer side black so the blue won't show through grill) under hood and firewall body color this summer and so far it's been great. About every other time I wash my truck, I open the hood and wash the inner fenders and hood with a soapy sponge, then rinse. I drive mine all the time and it's holding up great!

I wasn't sure if I would like it this way but decided to give it a try. I figured I could always rattle can it semi-gloss if I didn't like it or it got scratched. The body color paint is more durable.

You do have to be more careful not to drop tools or scratch the paint as it's not something you can touch up as easily as rattle can paint.

Here's a crappy scanned in pic (no digital camara yet)

race-n-jason · 10-05-2002, 04:44 PM

TO EACH HIS OWN! An all black engine compartment can look really good. My truck is blue, but is in dire need of a new paint job. I haven't decided what color I'm gonna go with (if i don't go back with the current color). So when I was building my motor, I painted the bay black. That way if I went w/ a different color on the exterior it wouldn't look funny having a blue engine bay.

10-04-2002, 03:12 PM	#1
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,684	Thoughts on painting inside of engine compartment wanted The below truck has the inside of the engine compartment painted black. I'm years away from painting my truck but will have the engine out shortly when I do an engine swap. Saw this truck at the Ark City show last weekend and the idea of making the engine compartment all black is appealing to me. I don't know what color I would do the truck later but I think this looks fine. What do you all think about making the compartment and firewall black? Would I be just wasting my time if I used a few coats of black spray paint on it now? __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14

10-04-2002, 03:47 PM	#2
1971Stepside Almost Satisfied Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 2,932	My thought is to wait and do it right the first time. Make sure it is what you want before you do it. It's your truck ultimately...go for it if you like the look. __________________ 1971 C10 Stepside. LSx 6.0 with BTR Stage IV, Speed Engineering Headers, 4L80e transmission w/3200 Circle-D Stall. 3.73. Posi. Purchased this truck when I was 17. I started the rebuild (or take apart) in 1993. I have drug it around all over the country in pieces. Finally back on the road in 2021. "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do. Life's been good to me so far."

10-04-2002, 04:04 PM	#3
Slammed67 Progress = 0% Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 2,108	In my opinion...... firewall: body color core support: black insides of fenders: body color fenderwells: black underside of hood: black But if it's just temporary, might as well paint it black to see if you really like it. __________________ Jason - '67 GMC swb \| '57 Bel-Air 4dr hardtop \| '56 210 4dr Wagon \| 2000 GMC Sierra

10-04-2002, 04:10 PM	#4
Benrs86 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Brandon, SD, USA Posts: 1,292	i agree with slam exactly, only switch underside of hood to body color. i sure wish my firewall and hood was my body color. __________________ Brandon, SD 69 GMC 1/2 ton 2wd wide long bed with wood 3 on the tree 350 engine 4 bolt main rv cam AIM = Alphray04

10-04-2002, 04:52 PM	#5
Spoof Registered User Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Victoria,BC, Canada Posts: 1,300	I concour, except I like the hood to stay body colour as well. __________________ 71 GMC 1500 LWB

10-04-2002, 05:00 PM	#6
Slammed67 Progress = 0% Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 2,108	Yeah, I can't decide on the hood color. I think either would look good. Were they body color from the factory? __________________ Jason - '67 GMC swb \| '57 Bel-Air 4dr hardtop \| '56 210 4dr Wagon \| 2000 GMC Sierra

10-04-2002, 06:28 PM	#7
68_GMC_910 what would Neal do? Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 150	I want flames going up my fenderwells to match the pyrotechnics on the exterior... __________________ 1968 GMC 910 Long Step 250/3onTree 1969 Chevy C10 longfleet, 350/350

10-04-2002, 06:56 PM	#8
JD72 WTF Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: loganville, Ga. Posts: 118	Try it like you want if you don't like it do it over. Heck it's only paint, see I like it when the fenderwells are the body color. Eveyone does it there on wayunless you are going for a points type show truck. __________________ Some people are wise, some people are otherwise. 72 cheyenne primer factory air lowered rallyes with flat caps flowmasters 12 bolt 3.73 350/350 combo needs rockers . Cowl hood installed. 81 Malibu wagon lowered with 17's bright ass yellow and v-6. 71 225 Electra all original 455/4 81 z28

10-04-2002, 06:56 PM	#9
72chevyLWB Got 20's???? Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Aberdeen SD Posts: 1,451	mmmmmmmm, body color is good. Attached Images __________________ 99 Silverado Ex-Cab 2wd, Bagged&WhippleCharged 02 Sierra Ex-Cab 4wd 2500 HD The 72 went down the road.

10-04-2002, 10:48 PM	#10
weasel29gm SLOW BUT SURE,BUT CLOSER Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: eleanor wv usa Posts: 3,094	Body color is cool and looks great but black would be easier to take care of. MHO __________________ 69 C-10, OWNED 38YRS... 350 over 30, 350 Turbo, 3:73 Posi P/S, P/B Black with red and black int. ''LOVE THESE OLD ''TRUCKS.......

10-04-2002, 10:51 PM	#11
Blackhawkdc 440 american Horses Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Anoka, MN USA Posts: 470	If you've got some dress up on the engine that you'd like to show off, keep it all black, nothing too shiney either. the trucks I've seen that had the engine compartment the same color as the body (flashy colors like red) seemed to fight over the viewer's eyes for attention. I love how my truck is, I have the engine compartment painted black and it helps the engine to stand out even more. Just my 2 cents. Here's a pic of my set up also: Attached Images __________________ Seth Petro 1969 Chev Short Step 425hp 350, TH400, big tires, fast truck 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 1991 Saturn SL1 - gas mileage! (and free) 1977 Buick LeSabre - for sale May America bless God, and may God bless America

10-05-2002, 12:54 AM	#12
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	I'm thinking ... inner fenders: black body: black interior: black firewall: black underside of hood: black __________________ No truck :-(

10-05-2002, 01:07 AM	#13
Paul Clark Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Center Point, IA Posts: 502	Ain't no way you can get the same results from a spray can (on a fairly big surface) that you can from a gun. You can't control the volume of paint, the air pressure, or the fan pattern. You'll get uneven coverage and maybe (probably) stripes. Having said that - I used spray cans, with the following exception. I used Rust Oleum satin black (you said you liked black) on the fender wells and the firewall and the flat panels on the under side of the hood. But I used body color on the hood braces and the inner "lips" of the fenders and hood. Looks kinda cool to me. Figured it wouldn't take much to patch the RO stuff if it got scratched or dis-colored. If I would have had the engine out of there so I could get my big butt in the engine compartment, I would have done the black stuff with a spray gun. Should have done that with the flat panels on the underneath of the hood, but I'm cheap - I mean frugal.

10-05-2002, 09:07 AM	#14
greasemonkey Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pace, FL Posts: 2,155	Not a 67-72, but I like the look of this one. __________________ 1942 Master Deluxe 1969 C/10 1985 Blazer CUCV 1987 Jimmy 2004 Tahoe 2005 Silverado 1500 2005 Silverado 3500

10-05-2002, 09:56 AM	#15
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	I have a tilt front end on the longhorn, & plant to drive it(no trailer queen). Its pretty hard to keep it clean under the nose with no inner fenders,so I plan to use spackle paint. i think that body color looks really good in the eng compartment,but lots of work keepin it clean



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10-05-2002, 02:42 PM	#16
bobs409 1969 Custom 30 wrecker Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Pottsville, Pa Posts: 2,611	I did my inner fenders, inside of the radiator support, (did the outer side black so the blue won't show through grill) under hood and firewall body color this summer and so far it's been great. About every other time I wash my truck, I open the hood and wash the inner fenders and hood with a soapy sponge, then rinse. I drive mine all the time and it's holding up great! I wasn't sure if I would like it this way but decided to give it a try. I figured I could always rattle can it semi-gloss if I didn't like it or it got scratched. The body color paint is more durable. You do have to be more careful not to drop tools or scratch the paint as it's not something you can touch up as easily as rattle can paint. Here's a crappy scanned in pic (no digital camara yet) Attached Images __________________ Bob 63 Impala 283/PG/3.36 (under restoration) 66 Impala 327/PG/3.36 66 Chevelle SS 409/M22/3.55 69 Chevelle 307/PG/3.08 (future restoration) 69 C10 short stepside 454/TH350/3.73 69 Custom 30 tow truck 350/4 spd/4.10 (resto done, CRUISIN TIME!) 71 Cheyenne 20 fleetside 350/4 spd/4.10 71 Chevelle 6/PG/3.08 72 Chevelle 454/M21/4.10

10-05-2002, 04:44 PM	#17
race-n-jason -Praise the Lowered- Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Garland, Tx, USA Posts: 280	TO EACH HIS OWN! An all black engine compartment can look really good. My truck is blue, but is in dire need of a new paint job. I haven't decided what color I'm gonna go with (if i don't go back with the current color). So when I was building my motor, I painted the bay black. That way if I went w/ a different color on the exterior it wouldn't look funny having a blue engine bay. Attached Images __________________ Race-N-Jason ('71 Chevy C-10 LWB 454/TH350) ('07 Dodge Ram 2500, 5.9 Cummins/6-speed Manual)

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