engine dress up

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 02:47 PM

Hi guys. I'm been working on my engine bay. I had some scrap stainless steel plate and I decided to make some dress up plates. I have some free time so here it is. Let me know what you guys think about the colors. The car is black with red accents. I can re-paint some plates and covers to black or red. I'm waiting some decals and a mobil one plate to get delivered. thanks.

Radiator cap used to be OEM and I had it painted red. The cap was bad so I got this chrome cheapo for now. I might paint it red or get me another OEM cap.

I'm kinda proud of myself for making that engine cylinder plate. I wasn't sure if it looks better on red with black letters since the main color of the car is black.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 03:55 PM

The radiator support looks out of place since you painted the lid, any plans for it?

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

The radiator support looks out of place since you painted the lid, any plans for it?

what do you mean out of place? i haven't taken the radiator support out. If you are taking about the big black plastic piece on top of the radiator it is in place and it looks like it is holding it in the right place. I just took out the lid. Explain a little better please maybe im not seeing something that is been wrong in the car since i got it.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by JayTA98

what do you mean out of place? i haven't taken the radiator support out. If you are taking about the big black plastic piece on top of the radiator it is in place and it looks like it is holding it in the right place. I just took out the lid. Explain a little better please maybe im not seeing something that is been wrong in the car since i got it.

The radiator support is the part the lid sits on. You painted the lid gloss black and it looks good, but the flat black radiator support doesn't match with it now. You should paint it to match the lid in my opinion.

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

The radiator support is the part the lid sits on. You painted the lid gloss black and it looks good, but the flat black radiator support doesn't match with it now. You should paint it to match the lid in my opinion.

OH LOL excuse my ignorance. Yeah i was thinking about painting it. I wasn't sure about it because it will get scratch when I work with the car and is a big piece to paint with spray paint. Last time I tried to spray paint something that big the gloss didn't came even. I can try it. What about the other plates do you like the color combination? The ones in red will get some letters in black and the black ones will get red letters. Thanks.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by JayTA98

OH LOL excuse my ignorance. Yeah i was thinking about painting it. I wasn't sure about it because it will get scratch when I work with the car and is a big piece to paint with spray paint. Last time I tried to spray paint something that big the gloss didn't came even. I can try it. What about the other plates do you like the color combination? The ones in red will get some letters in black and the black ones will get red letters. Thanks.

I painted my rad. support gloss black to match my lid. It has held up well.

I don't personally like all the red, too much for me, but quality wise it looks good. Its not my car either, so my opinion is not that important either

Just about anything is an improvement over the stock look though

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 05:36 PM

yup thats what im feeling also that there is too much red. I might do the fuse covers black along with the AC bottle plate and intake plate. Those are easy to repaint. i appreciate your opinion.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 05:44 PM

The head plate looks really good. You could also polish up the a/c dryer and the ABS controller very easily. Subtle little details like that get my attention more than the loud/red look at me

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

The head plate looks really good. You could also polish up the a/c dryer and the ABS controller very easily. Subtle little details like that get my attention more than the loud/red look at me

I try to polish half of the A/C dryer with rubbing compound and elbow grease for like 10 mins and thats the best I got any suggestions to polish it better?

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by JayTA98

I try to polish half of the A/C dryer with rubbing compound and elbow grease for like 10 mins and thats the best I got any suggestions to polish it better?

Got a dremel?

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

Got a dremel?

yes that been my favorite tool for years. That's how I cut these plates.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by JayTA98

yes that been my favorite tool for years. That's how I cut these plates.

I am sure you have polishing wheels for it then. Use it on the a/c dryer and the ABS(if you choose).

**JayTA98** · 02-24-2011, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

I am sure you have polishing wheels for it then. Use it on the a/c dryer and the ABS(if you choose).

with the rubbing compound? sorry for all the questions but i never poilsh chrome/aluminum stuff

**Y2KPewterSS** · 02-24-2011, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by JayTA98

with the rubbing compound? sorry for all the questions but i never poilsh chrome/aluminum stuff

Yes, with the rubbing compound(Mothers or whatever you choose). I did mine by hand first, it looked better than the results you got, but I still wasn't happy with it. So, I did the dremel and compound method and got great results.

Don't worry about all the questions either.

**silverWS6** · 02-25-2011, 06:34 AM

I love red, but that's a little too much

painting the fuse covers black and polishing up the a/c thing would look good and matching the rad support would look even better

and maybe even keeping the power steering and brake fluid lids black and just lightly painting the letters on them red would look better too

**PontiacFan** · 02-25-2011, 11:24 AM

Change it all back to black, ...
Better to blend in, then to make it stick out like a sore thumb.
But that's MY opinion.

**JayTA98** · 02-25-2011, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

Yes, with the rubbing compound(Mothers or whatever you choose). I did mine by hand first, it looked better than the results you got, but I still wasn't happy with it. So, I did the dremel and compound method and got great results.

Don't worry about all the questions either.

Thanks. I changed the fuse covers, intake cover to black. I'm doing the caps black also. I'm having an issue with the black paint not looking as deep as the airlid. I think I will have to sand them down to bare materiall. I'm going to try polishing the air dryer and paint the radiator support.
Thanks for all the opinions!

**JayTA98** · 02-27-2011, 03:08 PM

well got the color tone problem fixed. the fuse covers match now. I'm trying to polish the A/C dryer but the aluminum is stained bad. I even used the dremel and it makes it shinny but it is still leaving the stains. I painted the A/C dryer cover black as well. I'm doing the radiator support soon and the cap back to black also. Once i'm done I will post an updated pic.

**third_shift|studios** · 02-28-2011, 01:34 PM

at first I didn't like the red looms, looking again, they look like blood vessels pumping

Consider painting the air deck, core support and intake a nice gloss black too keep all the blacks consistant

**JayTA98** · 03-01-2011, 12:25 PM

ok i slowly been doing a make over the red stuff this what i have so far.
From this:

To this:

I kinda like it. I looks more clean. I added the mobil one plate. I'm still deciding on what emblems to get. I might work some more on the A/C dryer to polish it and get rid of the scratches on top. I want to put a red firebird eagle sticker on top of the A/C dryer and maybe a red 98 on the small intake plate. You guys think I should put a "LS1/5.7" label on the airlid? or should I leave it clean? I wanted to put something on the fuse covers as well. I don't want to overkill it.

I wish the chrome cap covers were not so expensive. I think all the caps chrome will be nice. I also looking to change the wiper fluid reservoir to a black one. Is kinda of hard to paint it. What you guys think?