Engine dress-up help
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,225
Likes: 4,312
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi V5869,
You're absolutely right about the search and the $$$.
What I should have added is that stock is relatively cheap IF you have a VERY complete car in fairly good condition.
I guess what I type is not always what my mind is thinking.
Regards,
Alan
You're absolutely right about the search and the $$$.
What I should have added is that stock is relatively cheap IF you have a VERY complete car in fairly good condition.
I guess what I type is not always what my mind is thinking.
Regards,
Alan
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,980
Likes: 6,207
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
Miles, I did mine without taking the engine out. It looked very haphazard before, which yours does to me as well. Please dont take that wrong, it's just constuctive criticizm. I bascially took everything off the engine and painted it, then covered the engine and did the compartment. Lots of aluminum foil was wrapped around lines a wires, and lots of taping and covering of the larger pieces. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,950
Likes: 3,316
From: Omaha NE
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I hid the lines for the headlight doors under the brake booster. Took out the washer bottle & all lines. Filled & smoothed the firewall. I wanted to keep the stock look but also add some bling......
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 445
Likes: 2
From: Thomastown Mississippi
If you take your time, you can paint and clean up the engine bay without removing the motor. For painting, those small wooden handle foam brushes at wal mart work great. Just spray the brush from a spray can and paint those hard to reach areas. I cleaned my engine bay up with the motor in. I'm not finished, but it looks a lot better than when I bought the car. The sky's the limit on dressing up these old V8's. Tons of chrome and polished aluminum parts available. To me, this is one of the most fun parts of owning one of these old cars, dressing up the engine. Good luck, and have fun with it.
KC
KC
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
From: Rockwood TN
Dress-up
well, Im thinkin of replacing all my vacuum lines, radiator hoses and the like, (big job I know 
) durring my christmas break, and asking for the stuff to do it for chirstams, anything else you see that would help make the engine pop out a little more (aside from a 502)
edit* Oh and if anyone knows where to find a stock 74 L-48 vacuum hose diagram, Im sure Ive got a few that are misplaced, that would be great!
Miles
) durring my christmas break, and asking for the stuff to do it for chirstams, anything else you see that would help make the engine pop out a little more (aside from a 502)edit* Oh and if anyone knows where to find a stock 74 L-48 vacuum hose diagram, Im sure Ive got a few that are misplaced, that would be great!
Miles
Just my 2 cents worth.
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Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 143
Likes: 9
Wires
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Buy another set of plug wires with 90 degree plug boots and run the wires underneath the manifolds/headers up the back along the bell-housing to the distributor cap. That yellow octopus has to go. It looks like it attacked your engine with the 8 tentacles grabbing the engine. Underneath the wires are out of sight and out of mind.. Works for all engines with the distributor in the back....
.
Buy another set of plug wires with 90 degree plug boots and run the wires underneath the manifolds/headers up the back along the bell-housing to the distributor cap. That yellow octopus has to go. It looks like it attacked your engine with the 8 tentacles grabbing the engine. Underneath the wires are out of sight and out of mind.. Works for all engines with the distributor in the back....
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