Painting the engine
Thread Starter
TheCorvetteBen
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,987
Likes: 144
From: Van Alstyne, TX
Painting the engine
I read a couple of weeks back a post about painting the engine while still in the car. Taping everything off,covering it in plastic and getting just the top repainted so the engine looks a little more decent. Now my questions is that in my 75, i have a later year corvette engine, that is now painted blue. Should i go with the original engine color, or go with the orange that come on the 75's?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 8,001
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From: Omaha NE
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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I'd go orange. I did mine in the car with a brush! Drive your Vette and then park it and let it sit for about 45 minutes. The paint will blend in without showing any brush marks. I did mine with Dupli-color engine enamel...........
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
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oh man chavy orange looks way better than the blue, IMO
i did the EXACT paint job your talking about, (painting w/o removing from the engine bay) and it all looks better 10 fold, just find some heat resistant primer and paint and go to town
before
after
this is a 74 L48
Miles
i did the EXACT paint job your talking about, (painting w/o removing from the engine bay) and it all looks better 10 fold, just find some heat resistant primer and paint and go to town
before
after
this is a 74 L48
Miles
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,623
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From: Boise Idaho
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '15, '17
I read a couple of weeks back a post about painting the engine while still in the car. Taping everything off,covering it in plastic and getting just the top repainted so the engine looks a little more decent. Now my questions is that in my 75, i have a later year corvette engine, that is now painted blue. Should i go with the original engine color, or go with the orange that come on the 75's?
Just get your paint, tape, and masking material and have some laquer thinner to remove overspray. You should be able to do a nice job in a few hours. Might want to pull the valve covers to give you better access to the intake manifold and that way you can do a better job on the covers as well.
If you are running stock exhaust manifolds you may want to use the dressing to give them the freshly cast look.
I've done a lot of enigines/engine bays without the engine out and you can really make them look nice. I've mostly used rattle can and brush for hard to reach areas. I might have to try using a brush more sometime as Sevnt6 did.
Having a nicely detailed engine can pay off. I sold a '69 Camaro and the guy popped the hood and said "I'll take it" Didn't even drive it first!
Last edited by TMU; Jul 1, 2007 at 09:10 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,623
Likes: 22
From: Boise Idaho
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '15, '17
Well the more stuff you remove the better, however, that depends on how ambitious you are. You can spray around stuff and then use the thinner for any overspray. Be sure you have something over all the surfaces you don't want contaminated i.e. fenders, windshield ec.
Make sure the surface is clean before painting too.
If you have any rough surfaces, say on your inner fenderwells, you might want to sand a little first if you're going to paint them.
Have some gloss Black and semi-flat Black on hand for the fan shroud, brake vacuum canister ec. as well as your primary engine color. Might want to pick up some cast Gray for the altenator if you want to hit it too.
You might as well get high heat paint for the block ec but I've used regular enamel plenty too.
Painting the engine/compartment is pretty forgiving. If something goes wrong you can usually just wipe it off with thinner and start over.
If you've got colored ignition wires you can wipe them with the thinner to remove grease.
Just do it in sections and be carefull not to put your hand in wet paint or that's a redo. (something I've done time or two
)
Make sure the surface is clean before painting too.
If you have any rough surfaces, say on your inner fenderwells, you might want to sand a little first if you're going to paint them.
Have some gloss Black and semi-flat Black on hand for the fan shroud, brake vacuum canister ec. as well as your primary engine color. Might want to pick up some cast Gray for the altenator if you want to hit it too.
You might as well get high heat paint for the block ec but I've used regular enamel plenty too.
Painting the engine/compartment is pretty forgiving. If something goes wrong you can usually just wipe it off with thinner and start over.
If you've got colored ignition wires you can wipe them with the thinner to remove grease.
Just do it in sections and be carefull not to put your hand in wet paint or that's a redo. (something I've done time or two
)
Last edited by TMU; Jul 1, 2007 at 11:55 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Omaha NE
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Just make sure it's super clean & dry before you paint. I like to use lacquer thinner and brake cleaner. And remember that you only need to paint what you can see from above unless you're an NCRS type...
My oil pan looks like crap but from above...........
My oil pan looks like crap but from above...........
Last edited by SEVNT6; Jul 2, 2007 at 12:31 AM.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Thread Starter
TheCorvetteBen
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,987
Likes: 144
From: Van Alstyne, TX
I am thinking about starting to paint the top of my engine the next day that i have off.
As you can see from the pic, there is alot of rust and dirt that i will have to clean off. Im planning on just the top of the engine. Do you think a brake cleaner will clean all that off?
Oh and SEVENT6, where did you get that chrome distributor cover? it looks like it even threads your spark plug wires under neath the exhaust manifold
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,623
Likes: 22
From: Boise Idaho
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '15, '17
Looks like its wire brush or sandpaper for the intake. Might want to put on some "Rust Mort" or similar rust inhibitor before painting. Primer can help fill in some imperfections for a better surface to some extent.
I'd check the exhaust manifold dressing it can be had for less than $20 and makes the exhaust look near new.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MANIF...QQcmdZViewItem
I'd check the exhaust manifold dressing it can be had for less than $20 and makes the exhaust look near new.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MANIF...QQcmdZViewItem
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Ardsley Pa
Heres when I did my latest one (pontiac) 1st picture is just the primer coat.
Le Mans Master
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From: Omaha NE
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Boise Idaho
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '15, '17
That's just the factory cover & all of the original shielding. The plug wires on these things were covered up almost all of the way to the plug! I never did strip all of the factory paint off the intake but I did sand it by hand with 150-250 grit paper. I then used lacquer thinner to get her clean & dry.........
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Omaha NE
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I bought mine new & I'm the only one who's ever put plugs in it..........