Engine Bay paint

[Cbridgewater]

Couple of questions:

I want to try to paint my engine bay, but do not know how far to paint to. Do I paint up into the windshield channel?

Also, if the rest of the body is going to be bc/cc, does the engine bay need to be as well? Or can it be single stage?

[7E-Bodies]

As I've been told, the single stage won't come close to matching the BCCC. I'm a few months behind you on doing this phase, but I plan to use BCCC on the engine bay as well.

[Cbridgewater]

 I'm many months away as well, just trying to start wrapping my head around everything.

[JS29]

As I've been told, the single stage won't come close to matching the BCCC. I'm a few months behind you on doing this phase, but I plan to use BCCC on the engine bay as well.

[tparker]

the engine bay doesn't HAVE to be a two stage paint. But, you may see differences between the two. Not to mention clear coat is supposed to had strength to the paint. So it would be more durable when you drop a wrench or something. Another factor to consider is where is the transition line going to be?

As for how far, I painted well into the transmission tunnel and as low as I could get. The window area should receive treatment. I don't know what others do, but I slathered a lot of POR-15 and top coated it. My window area was rotted through and I had to fabricate parts of it. It's not stock for sure, but then neither is the metal I replaced it with. LOL. This area is subject to corrosion and is a common area of rot. I would treat it or paint it and definitely not leave it bare metal. The trim hides the color, so I wasn't concerned with painting it.

Just my thoughts.

[7E-Bodies]

 

[Rich G.]

I go all the way down to the bottom lip on the lower firewall and up to the window channel. I'd use the same paint your using on the rest of the car so there is no chance of the color being off. I think it would be alright to paint the bottom of the car with different paint because you wouldn't see it if it was a shade off but the engine bay is so close to the fender that if it was off you'd see it.

[7E-Bodies]

@Rich G. I concur.

[tparker]

OR, you could build the engine so awesome as to distract whoever is looking in the engine bay so they won't even notice the difference. LOL

[Topcat]

OR, you could build the engine so awesome as to distract whoever is looking in the engine bay so they won't even notice the difference. LOL

Just put a Hemi in and it'll hide anything.     

[jimynick]

There's a couple of schools of thought here. While an engine bay painted in clear will give you a mirror shine, none of the original E bodies had such a shine- and I looked at quite few back in the day. Clear also increases the film build, and that causes more chipping rather then less. Then there's the question of clear durability in a hot, petroleum laced atmosphere. I'm sure we've all seen cars where the clear is boiling off and while that's primarily due to ultraviolet, why take the chance, unless it's of course, one of the trailer queens that'll never get driven a 100 miles a year? I'm in the process of prepping and painting my old heap and I'd already painted the interior and engine bay in single stage and that's where it'll stay. Fortunately for me, the car is black and black is black. Please spare me the lectures on metallics and pearl blacks; I know. If your colour is a high metallic one, you may benefit from BC/CC as they won't oxidize like single stage, but at the end of the day, it's your car and your choice and I wish you good luck in it! 

[JS29]

  Back in toughs days black was black. Du Pont 99A it was universal, all makes and modals. 

[jimynick]

Thank you and I agree totally. The only caveat I'd have is with characterizing them as the "tough days". in my opinion, they were the reasonable days. You know, before every weenie and his brother decided they should tell us how to do it, without ever having done it themselves?! It never really affected me though, They can talk and I'll do it the way I know it needs to be done. Same same. I know you know what i mean, too. Thanks man! 

[torredcuda]

There's a couple of schools of thought here. While an engine bay painted in clear will give you a mirror shine, none of the original E bodies had such a shine- and I looked at quite few back in the day. Clear also increases the film build, and that causes more chipping rather then less. Then there's the question of clear durability in a hot, petroleum laced atmosphere. I'm sure we've all seen cars where the clear is boiling off and while that's primarily due to ultraviolet, why take the chance, unless it's of course, one of the trailer queens that'll never get driven a 100 miles a year? I'm in the process of prepping and painting my old heap and I'd already painted the interior and engine bay in single stage and that's where it'll stay. Fortunately for me, the car is black and black is black. Please spare me the lectures on metallics and pearl blacks; I know. If your colour is a high metallic one, you may benefit from BC/CC as they won't oxidize like single stage, but at the end of the day, it's your car and your choice and I wish you good luck in it! 

I have to disagree that todays clears are not more prone to cracking, boiling etc. than single stage, done correctly it is just as durableand maybe even more than single stage. That said, I did my engine bay, jambs and trunk in single stage, it`s not a perfect show car and most people would not even notice the difference.  I did it single stage because it is less expensive and easier, less time consuming due to less coats. It just depends what level you want the finished car to be - driver or show quality.

[JS29]

@torredcuda  some colors in single stage vs base/ clear are night and day. if you get a light scratch in the clear, you can buff it and it's gone. if it's deep, it's easier to repair.  @jimynick  back in the day metallic colors such as silver, light blue's were a nightmare to match.  And yes I do know what you mean. Having success matching some colors was tough to accomplish.