Ok, Heres the big update.
I finally got the guts to paint the engine bay myself. Its not perfect, theres runs, a few drips some dirt and a couple tight spots that didnt cover perfect but it looks tons better and with everything bolted down its hard to notice. Im very happy with it and learned enough that the next time I paint I know I'll have a better finish.
I think last time I ordered paint I was given Y8 which is much more gold then the correct Y9. Not sure if I asked for the wrong code or not. I spent some time sanding down the last attempt then wiped it down with wax and grease remover. I covered the entire car with a sheet of 3M paintable pastic and masked off the engine bay.
I then shot 2 coats of gray epoxy primer. My primer gun must have some old paint clogged in it because it sprayed inconsistent and I ended up with some rough textured areas. After the primer dried I sanded it down with 320grit for the rough spots then scuffed the rest with a green scotch brite pad.
The next day I wiped it all down again and shot 3 medium wet coats od color.
I used single stage Urethane that I bought from
http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/ From what I have been told they are slapping there own label on PPG products.
Today I spent the day installing the motor and trans. The TTI headers went in nice and easy. Plenty of room to install the mini starter with the headers bolted up.
I still have a lot of small things to bolt up and fix but this was a huge step in getting this car going.
I gave a few more painting projects planned as well. Im going to do the hood, and the filler panel that goes between the grill and bumper and maybe the trunk floor as well.