How bad is it if I use Rustoleum in the engine bay? I'm not one to be cheap but I look at it this way- The car is going to be white. I detailed cars for 15 years. White looks virtually the same no matter how much polishing you do to it. I can't see spending money where it's not going to be noticed. I'm more of a "if it doesn't make it go faster, stop quicker, or turn better you don't need it" type of guy.

If some people have painted their whole cars with it, how bad can an engine bay be? I do have a small touch up paint gun so I could shoot it with "normal" paint if I have to. I guess I'm looking at it as, if I can save ~$100 to have a body shop paint it, I can put that $100 into the engine.

What ever floats your boat. If you don't care do it. Rat Rods have a following too. I personally think the engine bay should be the same as the body paint. But if you keep the hood down , what the hell. Why are you painting it in the first place if you don't care about the quality of the paint job?

The car is red now and there is some rust thats need to be cut out. I don't want a white car with a red engine bay. I can't stand rat rods! I got to thinking about this last night and I think I may go with paint gun. That way I can "test" colors. I want to do something to the white to make it stand out a bit. (pearl, met, candy, etc.)

It only cost me $40.00 to paint my engine bay. $35.00 for the paint and $5.00 for supplies. But I painted it myself I didn't take it someplace. If your not building it to look good then why build it?

Nothing wrong with a Rustoleum paint job. It is a good way for someone to trade off their sweat equity for cheap paint that looks respectable enough for a daily driver. Under the hood or any areas that were rust repaired, can be coated by whatever means you have, spray or brush, to protect from further rust damage. You don't need a lot of skills or equipment to get surprizingly good results. Paint is like most everything else..."you get what you pay for"...but this allows the average guy with limited abilities (skill, equipment, facilities & cash) to better their car, save it from rusting further and put the money available into making the car safe & reliable. Go for it, post pics!

I have mine painted with the textured Rustoleum. The benefit is that whenever you get scratched, brake/clutch fluid leaks, etc., it is very easy to dress the area back up. Not to mention that the black hides dirt and grime very well.

Hi,

I was planning on painting using rustoleum however I am not sure which one I could use? I still have the old paint on the car which I was going to sand down but not to the bare metal.

Is the Rustoleum Protective Enamel the one to use . ? or is there another rustoleum paint I should be goiong with. ? Thanks.

I don't have a problem with Rustoleum. It's just an industrial enamel. But I wouldn't use a rattle can. They can be too inconsistent when you have to spray at diferent angles. You can buy Rustoleum in 1/2 pint, quart, and gallon cans and use a touch up or regular spary gun.

Spray cans are fine if you take your time. My entire suspension system and engine bay were rattle-canned. My IMSA spoiler and stripe down the center of the car are Duplicolor's engine paint from a rattle can. It's all about preparation.

That may all be true but I'd rather use my HVLP gun. Constant pressure no matter what angle you spray from.

....and if you did NOT have a compressor or HLVP gun? I have neither, so I do what I can with what I have.

I see that the PO has a gun, so the argument of HLVP or spray can is moot. He is simply asking about the Rustoleum product.

Cool:smoke: