Cost to professionally refresh engine bay?

[racebird1]

The problem with doing the engine bay is if you are like me the bug has a way of getting you. I went from not going to do it at all because who sees it but you to, to doing a complete rebuild. I gutted everything to the bare block. I sand blasted and POR15 the rusted areas then sanded and painted it out side on my drive way Also sprayed the interior at the same time. Put plastic down to protect the driveway. I did not get much dirt at all. I am painting some brackets and the engine to the original color. I have all and I mean every plated part in there at a plating shop getting replated in the proper yellow and clear zinc plating. That includes all the hardware. The cost add up quickly. Basecoat clearcoat about $200 for materials, POR15 $40.00 Engine paint materials $100, Plating $250 and don't forget Labor, Labor, AND more Labor. Remember I wasn't even going to do this. The next thing will I be able to figure out where everything goes.

[five&dime]

Haha^ That's exactly what happened with me.

Well worth the time and money IMO. Now the bay looks as good if not better than the car. I imagine if I was ever to sell her, the engine bay refresh would net me an extra 15%+ on the sale.

Edited December 11, 2008 by five&dime

[John Coffey]

Bob at Vintage Motors (http://www.vintageride.net) does engine bay refreshes all the time. Typically the price is $1,000 to $1,500 if you drive the car in and drive the car home.

[TexasRider260Z]

Dave:

That is nice and what I want my engine bay to look like too !

I am most likely going to go back up with mostly new parts on the top of engine anyway cam, triple carbs, wires, plugs, alternator, battery, cables, ignition etc but I have a question?

If I pull the engine, radiator, carbs, manifold and exhaust can I leave the rest - harness, braking, lights, etc etc like 510 did or maybe a bit more left in, or is all of that going to have to come out too? My paint in the bay (red color) looks OK but the engine grime and the fender black etc looks bad.

Thanks.

[five&dime]

You can leave the brake lines in. I would just unclip them to see if you can pull them away from the firewall a bit so you can paint behind them. Then mask them. You can most likely pull the wiring harness loose and just lay it on the engine crossmember as I did. I just put it all in a bag and taped it up. If you pull the engine, radiator, carbs and all other loose bits, you can leave everything else in and mask it

[Zs-ondabrain]

If you can pull the motor, you'll have a lot more room to work with. I personally Left the block and head in, when I did my engine bay refresh. I loosened the brake and fuel lines then wrapped them with tin foil, as it stays in place and holds it's shape. Paper can be loose and absorb some paint, onto the lines or whatever is being painted. Just depends on what you use.

I started off with stripping the motor of everything but the front cover and head. Then I taped off the aluminum parts, (head, front cover and valve cover) then sprayed Oven Cleaner on the block. This helps remove the baked on grease from years gone by. Then I used engine degrease on everything else to sort of preprep for the rest of the cleaning. Then I used good ol' fashion dish soap (Dawn) with a green Scotchbrite Pad to srub all the other crap loose.

I used an air gun to get the water out of all the crack and corners, don't need any suprises later on. Grease and wax remover on everything. But before I piant, I used Red Scotchbrite on the brake and fuel lines to brine a little luster back to them. The powdery residue comes right off and they get a "Brushed" look. Then I wrap them in the tin foil. I shot everything with Duplicolor Black Sandable Primer.

I used tape on the backside of all the holes (inside the wheel wells) and paper rolled up in the threaded holes. Then gave it a once over with the scotchbrite, blew it all off, then painted it with Duplicolor Ford Semigloss Black. Do Not remove the tin foil till everything is dry and the flakes from the foil won't contaminate the new paint.

To get the Fresh Casting Look back on the Aluminum parts. I just used a steel wirewheel on my bench grinder. Just degrease it, dry it then wire wheel it lightly to bring back the shine and texture. The fluid resevoirs were cleaned with brake cleaner. Just hold it with a pair of needle nose plyers, Spray it with the brake cleaner w/ the stray attached, letting the old fluid and cleaner run off into a coffee can, this will leave no finger prints. Let it air dry by hanging them somewhere. It won't take long because of the evap time on brake cleaner.

All in all, it only took a day to remove everything, degrease, scrub and clean, wrap parts, prime and paint. Then another day cleaning, small part painting and reinstalling everything. I wrapped the whole car in plastic up to the cowl, taped off the fenders then wrapped in plastic, covered the crossmember, Bagged the harness up to the firewall and taped off the radiator holes.

It doesn't take long and the end result is envious of most, as most wish theirs looked like this. Hope that helps a little. Most will want to use something other than spraypaint but most of my pet projects are on a strict budget. But as you can tell, a tight budget doesn't mean it has to look like it was done by a "tight" wad, ya know? I spent less than $100 on the engine bay refresh.

Dave.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Zs-ondabrain

[Duffman]

As others have said, Dave, nice engine bay! Nice to know that you can have nice results with little cost and even leaving the engine in. I had my car painted and didn't get the engine bay done. It is in need! You have inspired me!!

[Zs-ondabrain]

That's what I do. Now get to work.!!

[TexasRider260Z]

That is a heck of a job - again!

And yes that helps - a lot.

I am going to HAVE to have my 260 lookinig good and running good as ALL my buddies are giving me the rash about the Jap Trap, POS, Junk etc. You KNOW I am going to have to go up wheel to wheel on the way to lunch one Friday with their new Jags and Mercedes and the like in my 35 year old Jap sports car. It does not have to wim but does have to give a good showing!:rambo: