Engine bay paint

[DentalDart]

I know the engine bay should be painted to match the body color.

I just picked up this car and the engine bay is sprayed T5, Copper Poly, right now. I got the car because my son wanted it (didn’t hurt that I wanted it too), but he really wants to paint it turquoise for the final color, Q4 or Q5, and the car is originally a turquoise colored car I believe. (All original inner panels are turquoise color)…

So my question - Do I respray the engine bay and engine bay seam to fender before bolting up the fenders? Or can I leave it painted this color and it won’t cause a problem? Besides it may drive me crazy knowing I left it lol…

 

[kdbunn]

Paint it. It would drive me nuts if it were me.

 

['Cuda_ragtop]

Yup^
Agree, paint now.

 

[JDMopar]

Yeah, go ahead and do it. Do the insides of the fenders and the top parts where they bolt on while you have paint mixed up. You are way ahead on prep since it's already been done and is slick. Pull the motor to do it and it will be SO much easier. If the present paint is a good job other than the wrong color, just sand it with 400, do one coat of gray epoxy sealer and then do your turquoise in single stage polyurethane enamel. If you do base/clear in an engine compartment, sometimes the clear will yellow from the heat.

Just a warning for when you are sanding, especially if your little guy is helping! Check all the spot welds inside the engine compartment for sharp burs sticking up from when the welds were made. More than once, I have ripped a hunk out of my finger when I found one hand sanding in the engine compartment! They will stick up just enough to get you and can be pretty sharp. I've started checking now before I sand in there or the trunk. Seems like they just left them from the factory or it wasn't a part of the process to remove them. They are easy to knock down with a carbide burr on a die grinder or Dremel without messing up surrounding metal. Have fun with it!

 

[DentalDart]

Yeah, go ahead and do it. Do the insides of the fenders and the top parts where they bolt on while you have paint mixed up. You are way ahead on prep since it's already been done and is slick. Pull the motor to do it and it will be SO much easier. If the present paint is a good job other than the wrong color, just sand it with 400, do one coat of gray epoxy sealer and then do your turquoise in single stage polyurethane enamel. If you do base/clear in an engine compartment, sometimes the clear will yellow from the heat.

Just a warning for when you are sanding, especially if your little guy is helping! Check all the spot welds inside the engine compartment for sharp burs sticking up from when the welds were made. More than once, I have ripped a hunk out of my finger when I found one hand sanding in the engine compartment! They will stick up just enough to get you and can be pretty sharp. I've started checking now before I sand in there or the trunk. Seems like they just left them from the factory or it wasn't a part of the process to remove them. They are easy to knock down with a carbide burr on a die grinder or Dremel without messing up surrounding metal. Have fun with it!

The paint in the engine bay is fantastic, and it’s actually a really nice color! I kind of want to keep it but my son… he doesn’t lol. I’ll take another picture of it cleaned up tomorrow.

Yes the body work is all completed, on the panels that have been done. I found a small ding in the brand new AMD fender and I found a couple dings on the trunk, so those will need fixed, not by me, by a body shop.

Right now I am just trying to mount up everything, make sure it lines up nicely before final paint. Currently I don’t have pint mixed up and I am not doing the paint.

 

[DentalDart]

Paint it. It would drive me nuts if it were me.

Yeah it would kill me too, even if it wasn’t noticeable. I find “laziness” in the body work and paint in my purple car right now and it’s so frustrating.

Yup^
Agree, paint now.

Not what I wanted to hear lol.

 

[Jeff Seighman]

I know the engine bay should be painted to match the body color.

I just picked up this car and the engine bay is sprayed T5, Copper Poly, right now. I got the car because my son wanted it (didn’t hurt that I wanted it too), but he really wants to paint it turquoise for the final color, Q4 or Q5, and the car is originally a turquoise colored car I believe. (All original inner panels are turquoise color)…

So my question - Do I respray the engine bay and engine bay seam to fender before bolting up the fenders? Or can I leave it painted this color and it won’t cause a problem? Besides it may drive me crazy knowing I left it lol…

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If you paint that Dart turquois and leave the engine bay copper, you will want to kick our own *** every time you lift that hood.

 

[DentalDart]

If you paint that Dart turquois and leave the engine bay copper, you will want to kick our own *** every time you lift that hood.

I would paint the engine bay turquoise. I’m just saying is it worth painting this edge that the fender sits on top of.

 

[Jeff Seighman]

Oop's, misunderstood!

 

[str12-340]

Paint it NOW!!! go to 66 Auto Color and order the factory paint that you want in a spray can - single stage with a hardener canister inside.

 

[Murray]

R&R motor, paint engine bay and radiator support. Then paint sheet metal and hang.

 

[Ironracer]

Paint it NOW!!! go to 66 Auto Color and order the factory paint that you want in a spray can - single stage with a hardener canister inside.

Or Napa does it , at least here, they have a pro paint shop at the main warehouse. That's how I did my 66 Satellite

 

[Oldmanmopar]

Strip the bronze and repaint it all the factory color.

 

[DentalDart]

Paint it NOW!!! go to 66 Auto Color and order the factory paint that you want in a spray can - single stage with a hardener canister inside.

Spray paint the engine bay? I’m actually being told I can spray paint the engine bay?! That’s like putting a fat kind in a candy shop and telling him to get anything he wants… lol

I’ll have a professional do it, I’d 100% mess something up.

 

[DentalDart]

R&R motor, paint engine bay and radiator support. Then paint sheet metal and hang.

What does R&R mean? I think one of the R’s means remove but not so sure on the other lol.

Paint all metal before installing? Isn’t it easier to scratch that way?

 

[Demonracer]

Doc, I kind of dig the copper color. But, then again my Demon is painted Viper copperhead orange. I say have it painted per the sons wishes. If you can swing a deal with the body shop, see if they will allow you and your son to do some of the sanding and prep work.

 

[DentalDart]

Doc, I kind of dig the copper color. But, then again my Demon is painted Viper copperhead orange. I say have it painted per the sons wishes. If you can swing a deal with the body shop, see if they will allow you and your son to do some of the sanding and prep work.

The copper is really growing on me. Did a quick spit shine on the side. My son says turquoise though, even though we are going to try and look at a turquoise one in 3 weeks lol.

 

[67Dart440GT]

What does R&R mean? I think one of the R’s means remove but not so sure on the other lol.

Paint all metal before installing? Isn’t it easier to scratch that way?

R&R = remove and replace...

Technically this should be R&I Remove and Install....

 

[DentalDart]

Bolted fenders and hood up to check fit and body lines. Had to order a ome new door hinges, so next week I can hang the doors. After that we will figure out the body work and paint situation.

Thanks for all the help from everyone, making sure if we change the color to paint the entire engine bay (even the covered up places) first.

 

[harrisonm]

Have the engine bay painted to match the car when the car is painted. If you don't, you WILL regret it. Pull the engine and transmission (and everything else in the engine bay). Talk to whoever will be painting it about painting the engine bay at the same time. That way the paint will match perfectly.

 

[str12-340]

I’m actually being told I can spray paint the engine bay?!

Believe me, Doc, if I can do it, you can do it! I sprayed the engine bay, the trunk and the inside shell before I sent it to the paint shop. Saved me a lot of money - I know since I asked what they would charge to do all that. Even with the pricey spray cans I saved about $2000, and I can guarantee you it's a better job than the factory turned out in those parts of the car. I'm sure that the metallic Plum Crazy is probably comparable to the metallic turquoise that you would be shooting as far as difficulty. You can't tell where the body shop paint and my work starts and stops. An old body man told me never to paint under the hood with base coat/ clear coat, so he painted under the hood of the Dart in my avatar with single stage and then the rest of the car in bc/cc. The clear coat can yellow over time when subjected to engine heat especially on the inner fenders near the exhaust.

 

[Phreakish]

Believe me, Doc, if I can do it, you can do it! I sprayed the engine bay, the trunk and the inside shell before I sent it to the paint shop. Saved me a lot of money - I know since I asked what they would charge to do all that. Even with the pricey spray cans I saved about $2000, and I can guarantee you it's a better job than the factory turned out in those parts of the car. I'm sure that the metallic Plum Crazy is probably comparable to the metallic turquoise that you would be shooting as far as difficulty. You can't tell where the body shop paint and my work starts and stops. An old body man told me never to paint under the hood with base coat/ clear coat, so he painted under the hood of the Dart in my avatar with single stage and then the rest of the car in bc/cc. The clear coat can yellow over time when subjected to engine heat especially on the inner fenders near the exhaust.

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Yup! No reason not to give it a go. Good paint in a can, or go buy a spray gun and practice on some junk first. It's a skill and toolset you'll appreciate having in the future. If you can paint a fence, you can paint an engine bay. It's not hard to DIY the internals. Just be sure to keep track of color codes and product used so the body shop can choose their steps wisely when finishing.

Learning to fit sheetmetal and remove dings and dents is a whole other level, and not something everyone is comfortable learning or doing. Pros know how to get it done and done proper. But all the stuff you don't see from outside is fair game IMO.

Also, strip and repaint or seal and repaint over the copper first. If you don't, normal body flex is likely to crack your paint at some point and eventually you'll be under the hood and seeing copper through cracks, chips, and rub marks. Copper will show super obvious through turquoise, so I wouldn't even entertain only painting after assembly.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

I built this car the factory autumn bronze color and then sold it because I couldn't stand looking at it anymore. It was just a bad replacement for my orange Duster. I wish I would have painted it a different color. It was a solid car and the engine compartment looked great but I just didn't like the bronze on the finished car. Just a drab color not meant for a performance car. I believe it would look good on a Chrysler New Yorker or any other boat or classic . But just not on a muscle car. I had a Demon darker brown with white stripes and I had a Duster with white stripes. Still not a stand out color.

This the way I feel about browns and greens. If they came that color then that would be the reason to paint them that color.

 

[CFD244]

I built this car the factory autumn bronze color and then sold it because I couldn't stand looking at it anymore. It was just a bad replacement for my orange Duster. I wish I would have painted it a different color. It was a solid car and the engine compartment looked great but I just didn't like the bronze on the finished car. Just a drab color not meant for a performance car. I believe it would look good on a Chrysler New Yorker or any other boat or classic . But just not on a muscle car. I had a Demon darker brown with white stripes and I had a Duster with white stripes. Still not a stand out color.

This the way I feel about browns and greens. If they came that color then that would be the reason to paint them that color.

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I like the bronze way better than the orange. Taste is a weird thing isn't it?

 

[DentalDart]

@str12-340 you did great on your engine bay! I don’t have that much confidence in my painting skills, I have seen some of my prior paint work… lol. Really it’s the prep part that needs to be perfect, this car is to pretty to get my painting on it lol. We will see what happens.