i just painted my engine cover and to my surprise it came out really good. and it needs more lol. any ideas on any other diy stuff. you guys think i should get those sleeves some are plastic some are foam if so where is the best place. should i paint fuse boxes. i have a hybrid sri. should i paint that as well or is that tacky. any info or tips id appreciate. ive searched and i see alot of cool ideas but id like to here from you guys if possibe.

 

That's all personal preference stuff.

Doesn't really matter what we think, it's your car, and you are the one that's going to have to look at all that crap whenever you're under the hood.

All of that 'dress up' crap is completely useless, there's absolutely no point in putting it on IMO. It's just more stuff you have to take off should you have to work in the area, or that many more parts that you have to handle carefully lest you damage the paint.

 

dude you are a smart guy. i see you help out alot aroound here. and bealive me i get the fact that you have to straighten out noobs, we do it on my other forum. but why are you so hostile bro. i understand its personal preference bro! i see a ton of members who are on cardomain that have maxima.org stickers with done up engine bays. so obviously people like it. i tend to think it looks good and dont mind the extra effort. go smoke a joint bro damn lol.! i have 2 other cars i want to make this car nice for my son something we do togeher as he grows up by the time hes older it will be so pretty. i dont want to beat on it i want to build it nice all around. so please anyone who can throw me some ideas hit me up.

 

my friend did battery cover,fuse box,and some caps for stuff. he has a cobalt and he beats on it we're always working/fixing something on it.um jus get a can of the same color of the car and start taking stuff off and spraying it.scuff it up first. what ever you wanna see painted jus do it.its fun and something to do.

 

yeah ill sand all the stuff first, thanks bro for the post. do you now where i can get the foam that zippys around the hoses and other stuff.

 

you mean just like zip ties?im having a brain fart

 

would like to see a pic or 2 to see whats best

 

engine bay dress up is a slippery slope. theres a thin line between dressed up and riced out. i'll say this, if you're engine isn't clean enough to eat off and you have red/yellow/blue wiring loom/spray paint/etc. everywhere you are trippin.

really, unless you have a mevi or 3.5 with a cover there isn't much hope anyway.

i think a well detailed engine > a dressed up engine anyday

 

sorry im a jerkoff. it looks like foam that gets ziptied around parts that are cold...... i think.
yes please bro i appreciate it. if possible can you tell me where to get some stuff as well thanks bro.

 

i agree my engine is pretty damn cleam bro. im kind of **** abot stuff like that my whole car is pretty clean for its age. i got it off my aunt who babied it put 10,000 a year max just painted it all leather looks good heated seat still work and i clean it alot.dont get me wrong it dosent look like yours but like i said for the year it looks great. i opened the hood and my brother was like did you get a new battery cause i cleaned the **** out of it.

 

yeh i cant get the pic of my bros cobalt engine but jus take a pressure washer and make it clean>wasted paint
only thing i can think about painting it valve cover and fuse box that would/might look good,but again the whole personal preference thing
airbox? too much?

 

thanks bro. yeah i kinda dont mind the ricey look. im gonna try to walk the line between tasteful and tacky. lol i get what you guys mean though about personal preferance some people will like it some wont.

 

like i said jus start pullin stuff off and spray haha

 

ill fiqure something out. im getting headers soon im just trying to see whats out there.that will help alot. new gauges coming. i m also thinking about makeing the autoshifter appear manual. and wireing a switch for the overdrive.which has nothing to do with the engine bay lol. ill see if its worth the hassle. so many ideas. lol yeah i wouldnt do the air box lol. i dont even have it in anymore.

 

as said before detail it well. Get rid of any rust that u can see (any brackets, etc). polish the valve covers, a/c lines, etc. Adding a strut bar is a nice addition and makes it look more 'dressed' imo. Those are a few things i can think of. Color match all of the caps as well. B/c i know some are yellow (like the washer fluid) and some are black. It all depends on what color you want to use i guess. I wouldnt go painting anything you see though. unless, of course, u want to.

 

this thread reminds me somehow of...
a video i saw

 

Even though me and pmohr might not like each ther, I will have to go with him on this.

Get some silicone hoses, polish the alum., ect..

 

i thought about hoses. definitly getting a strur bar. thing is, i like doing things myself. but i guess i can order a bunch of billet stuff for all the caps. i dont want to go to crazy with this engine thats why i originally was gonna go with wire loom. 130,.000 miles i eventually gonna throw something else in it.maybe a 3.5 im not sure. all in all the new polished headers and all the small stuff will make a diffrence. basiclly was just trying to get some info from you guys. appreciate it though. the friggin car is in above mint conditon i have friends that have 03,'s and up that arent in as good as shape as mine. i got lucky man. like i said my engine bay is clean. appreciate it. an old lady was driving it friggin thing is immaculate. for the year i havent seen one as nice that aint worked on. maybe its a strech to say its nicer then my boys o3 but it aint beat on like his lol. thanks for the help.

 

your a class act my man. ohh im sorry bro. from my very first post ive been nothing but respectful. i get the fact that seniority plays a huge part in these forums. i heard nothing but good things about this place. i gotta say thers been a couple of punks. for the most part i like it in here and want to stay . but make no mistake i refuse to be ragged on. im a grown *** man who fought for this country and i dont need little wise asses who have stakes in a friggin forum cause they have nothing else in there life to run there mouth.im on every bodybuilding site on this net i use the same screen name for all of them. i will show nothing but respect act like a friggin grown up or dont waste a post guy. im all for getting flamed for saying stupid **** im not above nothing. but its the comments that are undeserved and childish that get my blood going.ESPECIALLY since theres no way you would say that to my face. have i said something to offend you. bottom line im rebuilding this car i got money if anyone wants to do business or help me out from time to time i appreciate it. thank you.

 

Ironworks, Welcome to the forum. There is a lot of good information here. The best thing you can use is the "Search" feature if you don't want to get flamed. Although if you don't mind a good gang raping just keep asking ?'s that have already been answered. If you don't like the feedback positive/negative then don't ask. I really don't think that the IFBB applies here. For those who don't know what IFBB is it stands for: "Intl Federation of Body Builders" This is a strickly CAR FORUM.

 

lol thank you. ill keep that in mind. i dont mind feedback if i say somthing stupid. belive me bro you should here what we put people through. its i just feel certin people have smart undertones when its not been nessasary. i hate when a question is asked a million times i truly do. but sometimes i prefer feedback from people who maybe done similar things. if i ask how to change my tail light then please flame away, all in all i thank you for the semi flame lol thats how its done my friend.

 

What color is your car? With a goood color like black or dark blue, chrome/polished stuff on the motor will looks perfect (if you have nice hoses and its not all rusted and stuff). A strut bar is a huge upgrade for some people, I believe you can make one, but it will be hard if you dont have the right toools and supplies.

Also welcome to the forum, I think I got the same flame welcome too, but its worth it, I'm still here, and lovin' it. You'll get used to to stupid comments or replies, hopefully. Since your new, I'm sure many members is taking it easy, and not flaming you as they would like. It says everywhere to "Search", of course many people cant find the right thread, or keywords, and some people dont even bother to search. Alot of newbie's or new members dont seach and get flamed for it.

 

You could always polish/paint the IM

Then again I'm of the mindset that detailed engine > dressing engine, but to each their own.

Just don't spend a lot of $ on it (like those who pay $50+ for Nismo oil caps, battery tie-downs, etc ). You'll definitely regret it.

 

all right i like a dressed up engine just dont do a crazy color loom like i did the first time, it looks tacky

IMO my new engine bay looks a lot better

 

definitely huh?

i've put nismo caps on 3 cars and don't regret any of them. as far as i'm concerned oem/factory tuner upgrades > *. but i guess i'm the only person on earth who values good looks as well as quality...

 

But are they really 'upgrades'? They both fill a hole in the valve cover

 

cosmetically (which is what we are talking about right?) yes, i would say that they are definitely a step up from the stock parts.

 

thanks man. yeah my buddie whio was in airborne with me LOVES this site. and its members like you that make me understand why. the car is burgandy with black leather interior. i was going for a black and red mix. but im up for suggestions. again thanks for the welcome.

 

OMFG DUDE...... your car is the one i liked alot when i was doing the search. i like the loom bro where did you get the thicker of the 2 maybe ill switch it up a litlle but i think it looks good. the black looks tight as well.
i agree asthetics means alot to me as well its the little things that seperate a good car and a great one.

 

An alternative to those hose sleeves, are fiberglass sleeves. while they are pricey, they are available in many colors, and provide temperature,puncture,and abrasion resistance and strength to the hoses. They range in size from 1/8" to 3". They are spiral woven tubes available in 1' and longer tubes(to infinite lengths) Nasa incorporates them in their satellites to shield wiring, and many electonics manufacturers us them in place of normal insulation on wires.
TIP: Steam clean entire engine bay. Cleans dirt from wiring harness, install sleeving of choice onto all exposed wire bundles. You can remove the intake manifolds and clean, paint, powder coat, polish them, whatever you prefer. Replace battery terminals, and leads. You can use 4 gauge amplifier wire, available in blue, red, whatever color! Pop off those junk vac hoses, and replace with silicone. Try www.hosetechniques.com they have several colors, even car specific kits precut! Clean radiator and other hoses. If your washer fluid bottle looks bad, clean it and paint it as well! Use a strip of tape when painting, on a section to allow for fluid level readings. Any thing in the engine compartment can be painted if you use the correct paints and primers. Installing LED's or neons can dramatically illuminate the engine bay, from below, beside or abve mounted on the hood! Try Strobes if thats the look your going for.

 

jesus christ you summed it up i appreciate it. thats the stuff i want to do. i might be a litlle hesitent on this engine but for the new one absoulutley. i dont dare make a post asking what engines to throw in untill i search more. i just came from a funeral and dont need to hear that b.s lol. i never thought about leds though that will probably come last but will look great. again thanks for the input.

 

Agreed. They don't perform any differently from a regular one and are what...3-4x more expensive? Just for a name?

For someone with a 10+year old car, putting expensive engine dressing stuff (things that no one really sees unless you leave your hood open all the time) is kinda wasteful IMO.

 

and the same couldn't be said for pumping hundreds/thousands worth of performance parts into a 10 yr. old fwd sedan?

it's not about name brands, it's about using the highest quality components available regardless of what application we're discussing. if you are going to do it do it right. maybe you're the kind of person that would rather just not do it at all, but then you really gotta ask yourself what do you know about doing it.

i guess i just don't see the point in telling someone "what's important to you is stupid, do what i like".

 

I think it would look good in a red teddy.
Step #1 is to scrub the bay clean. Then go from there and decide what you want to accentuate. Don't just follow what other people do, make it unique.

 

the black loom can be found at lowes, but the color is i got from autozone

 

A nismo oil cap isn't going to last you any longer than the normal stock ones, they don't perform any different. You're basically paying top dollar for no reason other than it's "unique".

Anyway, it's the OP's car, I just offered my opinion, like he asked for.

 

i take it you don't have a sense of humor, or you're a 42 year old geek living in mom's basement. either way, lighten up and take a joke. and sure, i'll say it to your face. or, if you prefer, we can even go to a restaurant and get a table together and discuss this ridiculous thread over a beer. in no way though did i flame you. i was making fun of your infatuation with the word "bro". i thought you might enjoy the video.

i thought it was hilarious though lol. "why do you have a big black *****?"..."xbox..."

/bro

 

first off ure all shot
second id put a front strut bar in, for watever reason it just made the engine bay look nicer
after that i can only think to clean as much as u can and get rid of any rust
thats bout all i got
i got a black max so im not really into the color hoses or chromin everythin
i like black with hints of metal(nothin that pops too much)
but def gl with it and post some pics wen ure done

 

Wtf...Why is this a thread.

Do you have your hood open enough to even notice any of that? Only time my hoods open is when I'm working on it... and most that crap gets taken off when I'm working on it so why even have it on. I mean its your car, you can do what you want. But uh. have fun spray painting your engine bay. Make sure to post pictures of the failure.

 

He like to park in the sonic parking lot and pop the hood like his looser Honda friends and talk about the Buick they just smoked. I hope he really doesn't go to shows and think that thing looks good.