Engine bay beautification - rattle cans?

[73vertproject]

I know that engine bay paint has been discussed in other threads, but what I specifically would like to know is what type of paint to use if I confine it to rattle cans. I've never painted with a compressor, and really don't want to start now. I just want to make the engine bay look sharp in case someone looks under the hood, and to protect the metal.

If I ever get the block out, how should I start? Push her out of the garage and drag out the power sprayer and go to town with a couple cans of engine degreaser, or just start scrubbing by hand with a brush and some hot soapy water? When I get to the painting, should I apply a primer first? What brand and color, etc. of rattle can paint would you suggest? I know it's not the best paint, but again, I'm not going to enter any serious car shows.

Doc

 

[Tnfastbk]

I know that engine bay paint has been discussed in other threads, but what I specifically would like to know is what type of paint to use if I confine it to rattle cans. I've never painted with a compressor, and really don't want to start now. I just want to make the engine bay look sharp in case someone looks under the hood, and to protect the metal.

If I ever get the block out, how should I start? Push her out of the garage and drag out the power sprayer and go to town with a couple cans of engine degreaser, or just start scrubbing by hand with a brush and some hot soapy water? When I get to the painting, should I apply a primer first? What brand and color, etc. of rattle can paint would you suggest? I know it's not the best paint, but again, I'm not going to enter any serious car shows.

Doc

Presure wash and degrease it to start with and buy a good quality under the hood paint, ie eastwood or such and primer (ETCHING)

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-underhood-black-paint.html

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

TN is right.. first of all you have to wash it in order to see the actual thing... In my COTM thread or in my garagge, i have a lot of pic about the process of my engine bay.. i did kinda that job, only that i removed all the old ´paint and with the fenders, radiator and all stuff that´s actually atached to the aprons off... i removed all the paint, cure every spot of rust here and there.. then protected the engine very very well and sprayed epoxy primer... then, i went with a 40% semigloss PPG black...

All my engine work took me a month... not an afternoon kinda deal But the important thing is to do things just once...

Why dont you show us your engine bay and maybe we all can discuss what´s the best thing to do??

I wanna help!!!

 

[Qcode351mach]

I know that engine bay paint has been discussed in other threads, but what I specifically would like to know is what type of paint to use if I confine it to rattle cans. I've never painted with a compressor, and really don't want to start now. I just want to make the engine bay look sharp in case someone looks under the hood, and to protect the metal.

If I ever get the block out, how should I start? Push her out of the garage and drag out the power sprayer and go to town with a couple cans of engine degreaser, or just start scrubbing by hand with a brush and some hot soapy water? When I get to the painting, should I apply a primer first? What brand and color, etc. of rattle can paint would you suggest? I know it's not the best paint, but again, I'm not going to enter any serious car shows.

Doc

Presure wash and degrease it to start with and buy a good quality under the hood paint, ie eastwood or such and primer (ETCHING)

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-underhood-black-paint.html

Agree with Tn.. presure wash but use simple green INDUSTRIAL cleaner(purple color at home depot) With a scrub brush..Then any rust areas should be wire wheeled & then spot primed....Scuff all areas to be painted with a 3m scuff pad RED first...I have used rustolum flat black or semi flat black( walmart 2.99 a can) With fantastic results. Apply 1 nice coat let dry...come back & Scuff with 3m fine or grey pad & then apply your finish coat I did my trans am this way. ...Or you could do what I did on my 71 Camaro for a step up & use sem rust control paint http://semproducts.com/Catalog.asp?prod=154with a foam brush..That's right a foam brush (look at my post under the cowl pics all done with a foam brush) I think a better option is a smooth foam roller for the sem It takes a devolped feel to use the foam brushes & get it smooth with out lap marks.

Look at the video of the camaro..all the lower arms & subframe was done with the sem using a foam roller & foam brush


Rusto paint during



Done with rusto as described in post

 

[73vertproject]

I forgot to post pics of the engine bay with my original post. Here ya go, Damian:







Some great ideas and examples so far, guys. Thanks!

Doc

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

Its not that bad Doc!!... If i were you i´ll start by taking off everithing atached to the aprons, cowl etc and then. hydrowash everithing...

When i did mine (having an I6 is an advantage because the engine is thinner) i started with the engine bay much more ugly than yours... there were several layers of paint including the noise reductor kinda a rubber paint thats awfull to take off... What i did was aplying paint remover and take that off with the hydro washer machine untill i started to see the bare metal...

You guys have a lot of better products than i have here in uruguay so, in that matter, everyone can help you more than i can, but the procedure should be basically the same... Take old layers, prepair the metal, then prime and then, finish with a semigloss or mate PU paint.

You are really close to take the block off... if you do that, things are gonna be much easier... in fact, did you see mi 70 coupé? yesterday i publised a picture of mu garage in which you can see that car with in an engine bay process... the paint is almost all off... i have to take the engine and trans in this car because of a badly repaired accident... but that didn´t stop me from remove old paint and treat the rust with phosphoric acid...

Well.. you can start by unataching everything... then it´s really easy and fun to do!! You dont need to be a professional painter... you can start practicing the spray gun use by painting the smaller parts such as export braces, and the other parts that needs to be on black and you are going to do outside the car..

Well.. im gonna try to post some pics of my after, during and before of my engine bay and of course i´m at your services here! Love to be helpful

This is after the first clean...



This is during the hydrowash process



This is primming... notice the engine is not so protected after all I painted the block and the head later with a good brush...

Now some parts painted apart...



This is the putting all back together...



Well.. you saw the yesterday picture in my COTM thread... i cant add it here cause is not in this computer... But the big stuff is posted now here...

My car looks nice but for a propper restoration you MUST take the engine and all the cables, the steering column etc off so you can do it fine even where nobody can look...

Hope it helps!

 

[73vertproject]

Wow, Damian, those are some great pics - I can see that I shouldn't be complaining, since you're car was in a lot worse shape than mine is in. Thanks for the tips! As soon as I get that block yanked out, I'll get started on the engine bay.

Doc

 

[whitesoc]

Scott

Just looking at some of your videos.....man I wish you were my neighbour!!!

Ken

 

[mach71351c]

I know that engine bay paint has been discussed in other threads, but what I specifically would like to know is what type of paint to use if I confine it to rattle cans. I've never painted with a compressor, and really don't want to start now. I just want to make the engine bay look sharp in case someone looks under the hood, and to protect the metal.

If I ever get the block out, how should I start? Push her out of the garage and drag out the power sprayer and go to town with a couple cans of engine degreaser, or just start scrubbing by hand with a brush and some hot soapy water? When I get to the painting, should I apply a primer first? What brand and color, etc. of rattle can paint would you suggest? I know it's not the best paint, but again, I'm not going to enter any serious car shows.

Doc

Doc you want to use simple green or dawn dish soap not engine degrease r. Then sand with red 3m scuff pad. Go to home depot and get a 2" Black&Decker wire cup brush (FINE) do not use cores. Use a electric drill not cordless,cordless to slow and wire brush rusty spots and lower sub frame. After sanding give engine bay another light wash and dry.Well at Home Depot get some 3m blue masken tape and some 2 mill plastic to cover hole car.Then cut out engine bay and tape fenders windshield grill.Anything in engine bay you don't want to get paint on wrap in aluminum foil. Ok now for the paint use satin black Rustolum for the rite sheen flat black turns gray and gloss will show the imperfections. When done take 3m electrical tape and re wrap wire harness for clean look. Mike

 

[Tnfastbk]

Doc you want to use simple green or dawn dish soap not engine degrease r. Then sand with red 3m scuff pad. Go to home depot and get a 2" Black&Decker wire cup brush (FINE) do not use cores. Use a electric drill not cordless,cordless to slow and wire brush rusty spots and lower sub frame. After sanding give engine bay another light wash and dry.Well at Home Depot get some 3m blue masken tape and some 2 mill plastic to cover hole car.Then cut out engine bay and tape fenders windshield grill.Anything in engine bay you don't want to get paint on wrap in aluminum foil. Ok now for the paint use satin black Rustolum for the rite sheen flat black turns gray and gloss will show the imperfections. When done take 3m electrical tape and re wrap wire harness for clean look. Mike

:goodpost: Mike

 

[Tnfastbk]

Doc here is a shot of mine done with chasis black (about 25 a gallon)with matrix satin on the firewall.

 

[david020278]

I sand blast my engine bay replace the aprons and make the rest with a wire brush. This work was a nightmare, but i am happy with the result. I recoment to pull the engine for this work.

 

[Qcode351mach]

Scott

Just looking at some of your videos.....man I wish you were my neighbour!!!

Ken

Thanks Ken...Your not the only one !

 

[Don65Stang]

Doc here is a shot of mine done with chasis black (about 25 a gallon)with matrix satin on the firewall.

Showoff. ::goodjob:: But all those engine bays in this thread look pretty sweet!

 

[73vertproject]

Thanks, everyone! Can't wait for the weather to warm up a bit - supposed to be close to zero again this weekend. I shoulda bought the 'vert in the Spring rather than in the Fall.

Doc

 

[72fastback]

I used duplicolor semi gloss on mine and it did a pretty good job it was semi gloss. I just wire brushed the loose paint and went right on top of the old one.