Topic: Engine compartment bling

[Billablehours]

I thought I might try to add a little bling to my engine compartment so I bought a stock set of charge tube and an engine cover for $100 in order o paint them and see what it looks like.  I kept my original parts in case I ever want to go back to bone stock or  if I ever sell the car and want to have all original equipment.

Basically all I did was wash everything a few times with Dawn dish soap them wipe it all down a few times with Duplicolor wax and grease cleaner as a prep.  I also lightly sanded the charge tubes to get rid of some of the bending marks and smooth them out a little.  Painted all the parts with 6 light coats of Duplicolor caliper paint.  Before I painted the engine cover I taped over the letters with basic masking tape.  You can see thru it and then just cut around the letters with an exacto knife.  Total material cost was less than $25.  I thought about going white like the car but couldn't find white heat resistant paint as easy so I went with red. I have the red and black seats so It still matches pretty well.   

Sorry about the lousy IPhone photos.  The good thing is that if I get tired of it I will just put the old parts back on in 15 minutes or so.

[Kelu]

Looks nice

[roxer]

Looks awesome bro. Excellent job. Now you have me thinking about mine. I like black and chrome for mine.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Good job

[roxer]

Anything else you going for?

[Billablehours]

Haha.  Thinking about painting the fuse box cover but need a spare first.  Also thinking about having the stock exhaust tips powder coated silver.  Mine came in a dark grey rather than shiny.    Maybe put a vinyl silver special edition stripe on her to see what she looks like.  Silver to match the windshield surround.    As long as I can change it back to OE why not experiment.

[roxer]

Wow - just looked at this post again. Now that I will be installing DDMWorks pipes, I have a stock pair.  Are charge tubes on an 07 GXP same-same with an 08 Redline? If so, I can follow your lead and do hers in red to match the rest of the car!

[wspohn]

Very nice result for a bit of work and little money.

One suggestion - lose the ugly anonymous (but original, so I'll understand if you disagree) engine cover. Let people see that you actually have an engine under there!

I had my cam cover (never understood why people call them 'valve' covers in reference to overhead cam engines) powder coated red - that would be a project you could try with a can of paint.

Another addition might be red hoses instead of the black intake hose, but you'd have to just buy one as I doubt you can paint rubber effectively.

[roxer]

Very nice result for a bit of work and little money.

One suggestion - lose the ugly anonymous (but original, so I'll understand if you disagree) engine cover. Let people see that you actually have an engine under there!

I had my cam cover (never understood why people call them 'valve' covers in reference to overhead cam engines) powder coated red - that would be a project you could try with a can of paint.

Another addition might be red hoses instead of the black intake hose, but you'd have to just buy one as I doubt you can paint rubber effectively.

(Image removed from quote.)

Now that is what I am going for on my Sol.  I am thinking a black power coated "cam cover" with a clean chrome DDMWorks coil cover.  Black silicone for the TB and IC piping hoses.  The wife's Sky will get the engine cover and stock charge pipes painted red as I have been "warned" to leave it stock and no noise.   

Beautiful looking engine!