Engine compartment detailing/paint...?

[Squid4life]

I have the motor out and want to detail the engine compartment. What are you guys using for detail paint? Do you paint the plastic inner fenders? I have half a gollan of POR-15 left I was thinking about painting the metal engine compartment pieces with, but was curious about what most of you do with the plastic inner fenders. Any ideas would be helpful, and approximate price would be great as well.

Squid

 

[v6turbojunkie]

Clean the plastic fenders really well and then rub them down with some scotch-brite to lightly etch so the paint sticks. Rewash the fender to remove any dust and spray 2 or 3 thin coats of paint. Don't get the paint too thick, I did and it will eventually start to look bad as these fenders have some flex to them. I would think por-15 should work ok.

 

[Squid4life]

I appreciate the reply, and the idea! Any other tricks or tips out there?

Squid

 

[QuickWrench]

YIKES!

Don't paint the inner fenders with POR-15, they'll look like sheit. Use a product from Eastwood...most likely Underhood Black. Don't cheap out on the paints you use...you'll be sorry. Better yet, give them a call and ask. The whole goal should be for those inners to look like the original moldings, and NOT to look like they've been shot with some paint.

g'luck

 

[Blown&Injected]

Krylon Fussion is made just for plastic. They have it in satin black - a very good match. There is lots of cleaning to do before paint - get in all them corners

 

[dwall]

I like the NO painting option

Thorough cleaning and polishing with fine soft scrubbee. Follow that with I think its Mothers Back to Black. This treatment works for most black plastic...you might just try only the Back to Black if all the dirt and grease etc. is gone.

dwall

 

[VinsGN]

I would not use POR-15 on the plastic fenders.

If you’re handy with a spray gun I would go to your local auto paint supply and purchase a pint of semi-black single stage bumper paint and flex agent. You will get the proper sheen and look with the flexibility need for the plastic.

The prep work would be the same as mentioned above.

 

[Blown&Injected]

Thorough cleaning and polishing with fine soft scrubbee. Follow that with I think its Mothers Back to Black. This treatment works for most black plastic...you might just try only the Back to Black if all the dirt and grease etc. is gone.

dwall

Gotta say that by the time I got the fenders paint-ready-clean, they looked so good I thought real hard about painting them Hardly made any difference at all using the satin black Fussion spray paint.

 

[Squid4life]

Everyone has great points. I am going to clean the hell out of it today after work, see how it looks and go from there.

Anyone remove their inner fenders before? How the hell do you get the last bolt, nearest the firewall on the drivers side? I can't get to it from below or above....

Squid

 

[Gbody5]

I went over mine on my 85 442, inside and outside, with a rag soaked in paint thinner, kerosene will work too, did this a couple of times to get all the grease and grime off, then washed them real good a couple of times with dishwashing soap and simple green. Almost like new, no need to paint, very black again.

 

[Blown&Injected]

just what I did except instead of Simple Green, I used alcohol.

 

[gbsean]

try an all purpose detailers dressing and spray down engine compartment. let it soak and then hose it off. Repeat a couple of times it will look great

 

[Phatman]

I went over mine on my 85 442, inside and outside, with a rag soaked in paint thinner, kerosene will work too, did this a couple of times to get all the grease and grime off, then washed them real good a couple of times with dishwashing soap and simple green. Almost like new, no need to paint, very black again.

I'm a cheap skate, I use burnt tranny fluid to clean most crap with. Seems to be a good way to get rid of it, works great as a cleaner, cleans up with soap and water and leaves parts with that fresh look for a while. Works great in wheel wells, road crap won't stick to it...

 

[Squid4life]

If only it didn't stink so bad!!!

Squid

 

[Phatman]

You must be using that Ford stuff....