engine bay refresh..... on a budget

[7277]

just a note for anyone considering cleaning up their engine bay and don't want to lay out the $$$$ for a shop to do it. the engine is awaiting header pipes and will add photos when the motor is cleaned up .. here are some before and afters. sorry i didn't snap any pics of the engine pulled when it was yellow...guess i got carried away when i started prepping...but it was the typical dirt, grime and junk all over the place...

budget: less then $50 for prep material and spray cans, and $29 for the engine hoist rental. i still did the prep work correctly, sanded all metal, repaired minor rust, primed, applied color and clear coats, etc....and got RRREEEAALLLL lucky on the color match!!! i used Dupli-Color brand cans, nice spray nozzle on the things...

[Bart Hoedemaker]

Looks great (Y)

[Zealous]

Any info you can give on materials and procedures you used?

[barth4567]

Great job. I think that alot of people get trapped in the idea you need to spend alot of money to do things right. Sometimes, but not always you can save yourself alot of money. I try and do alot of work by myself (and a couple of close friends) :classic: I get alot of personal satisfaction that way. Besides that my ex-wife saw to it that I will be a PWB (Poor White Boy) for a long time. Seriously it looks great in my opinion. John

[beandip]

You did a great job, it looks first class.

One thing though.

Rattle can paint in most cases will lift if you shoot regular base and clear in the future. Just giving you a heads up. So in the event that you or someone else is going to do a color change they should be made aware of this.

Gary

[7277]

thanks fellas,

i used rattle cans from the local Autozone/Advanced Auto Part stores. i used the primers, paints and clear coats all in the same brand name (Dupli-color)for compatability. i used a two-part epoxy body filler from FibreGlast-#1100 www.fibreglast.com -1800-838-8979. once the stuff cured i feathered it out and final sanded everythiing in 400g paper, then a heavy wash with wax and grease removing solvent (local body shop supply house). in the end it paid off. it won a local Z-show for custompaint (!) and street mod, and a second place in Cleveland for street-mod

beandip: thanks i know..., but no plans on reshooting in the future. as for a heads up for future owners, i don't think there will be any as the car will be my coffin!!

i posted the motor in other threads, but here's the final outcome:

Edited November 27, 2008 by 7277

[Zs-ondabrain]

Looks absolutely gorgeous!! But where is the Coil and wiring?

Dave.

[Diseazd]

You can do your air cleaner in about 4 hours ......this really makes it look great under the hood. Strip the outside and stickers off with aircraft paint stripper....take it down to bare metal. Then sand any rough spots with 320 grit. Follow it up with a smooth coat of etching primer then paint with Dupli-color orange ( a perfect match for Datsun orange ). Then buy the sticker kit from Motorsports for $ 42.00. Remember no one sees inside, so don't mess with hard to find gaskets! The result under the hood is just amazing and it's actually a fun and easy job.

[7277]

Looks absolutely gorgeous!! But where is the Coil and wiring?

Dave.

attached to the block, where the smog pump went. wrapped and routed the wires aside the radiator, then across, to the coil, then up under the thermostat....also added an overflow tank from a '77Z. sorry for the dark images. had the garage overhead lights on and used a flash...i guess the light reflects off and away, rather than back straight into the camera...pita..

i have to give credit to Al Leary (convertable yellow 'roadzster') for the coil idea.

Edited November 27, 2008 by 7277

[Zs-ondabrain]

That's what I thought but wanted to know for sure. I love the idea but was always worried about heating up the coil because of the header heat.

Here's what I'm working with, and can't do what you did. But maybe try something similar on the 260Z while it's under construction.

Dave.

[7277]

That's what I thought but wanted to know for sure. I love the idea but was always worried about heating up the coil because of the header heat.

Here's what I'm working with, and can't do what you did. But maybe try something similar on the 260Z while it's under construction.

Dave.

dave..nice motor, rad and eng bay!

as for the header heat...heat floats up, and the galvanized heat hield would block most anyway i was more concerned with vibration being on the block, but i hard-rubber mounted it. after about 1500miles and ALL kinds of driving conditions, no problems

tough call for your ig syst. lots of stuff. i guess if you really wanted to hide it you could custom some LLOOONNNGGGG wires and mount them under the dash in passenger footwell or somewhere...

[Zs-ondabrain]

dave..nice motor, rad and eng bay!

as for the header heat...heat floats up, and the galvanized heat hield would block most anyway i was more concerned with vibration being on the block, but i hard-rubber mounted it. after about 1500miles and ALL kinds of driving conditions, no problems

tough call for your ig syst. lots of stuff. i guess if you really wanted to hide it you could custom some LLOOONNNGGGG wires and mount them under the dash in passenger footwell or somewhere...

Thank you. Much blood has been spillt on that battlefield. All polished with sweat and tears. And a lot of help from Dupli-Color (Ford low gloss black and Chrystler industrial red on the block)

I figure that with a heat sheild, the coil could be rubber mounted to the block and the MSD 6A and the Tach adaptor can come inside the car or near the washer fluid bottle area, hidden or out of site.

Here's what it looks like on a good day.

Dave.

Before the triples webers,.....After the triples........No filter shot