Engine Compartment Paint

[Grancoupe]

I'm about to shoot the engine compartment satin black and have a concern. I thought i read somewhere that the chasis black from Eastwood was not that hard and damages easily. The compartment is still in primer and am considering using the black that POR51 offers.I can always use the Eastwood paint on something else. Anyone have any experience with Eastwoods paint?

[Cuda Cody]

This might be a dumb question, but why not use a 2 part single stage high quality PPG black paint?

[73EStroker]

Hey GC!

If you want a small touch of originality for paint, the engine compartment should be body colour. Mind you you don't have to be as careful with scratching the paint when using the Satin Black you say you are using.

[EvilTwinATX]

definately go body color! Unless of course your painting your car black... Mopars are supposed to be body color! 

If you are thinking about POR15 Chassis black or the Rust Proofing Coating?

[Cuda Cody]

I guessed your car was black.... my vote is for body color too.

[Grancoupe]

Aiming at going Black. Redoing to car a litlle at a time. 73Estroker hit the nail on the head about touching up the compartment. Satin Black is nice and neutral. Sorry guys but this one is going to be far from factory original...So the whole thing about color match and all really dosen't really apply here.

Really looking for the simplicity of shooting single stage

[Ravage]

Getting ready for paint myself ,and I planned on keeping the engine bay black mostly for maintenance reasons.My car isn't going to be a trailer queen and I don't want to wipe down the bay every time I go to a show.Also don't want to yank to motor this year  Still on the wall a bit but I will likely use POR15 ,my neighbor painted his chassis with it and it lays down real nice ,no brush strokes after it sets up and it's very durrable.However you choose though ,much luck to you 

[EvilTwinATX]

Well... heck... do it! Just post pics of rthe results! It probably would look good and be easy to touch up like you said. Makes sense. When I coated my floorpans with POR15 I thought about it but didnt use the chassis coat, it turned out nice. I can post pics and part #'s tonight if you want.

Also, I picked up a cheapie spray gun ($6 bucks) from harbor freight and used it..then just threw it away.

[Ravage]

Also, I picked up a cheapie spray gun ($6 bucks) from harbor freight and used it..then just threw it away.

That would definately be worth it for not having runs in the hard to reach spaces and saved time.Did you cut it down with a reducer or just shoot it straight up?

[matt63]

That would definately be worth it for not having runs in the hard to reach spaces and saved time.Did you cut it down with a reducer or just shoot it straight up?

I bought a cheap HVLP gun from these guys.  It works great although it was more like $60 or $70.  Good guns are more like $300.  IMHO black engine bays make Mopars look like they were done by Chebbie guys.  Painting it body color using a single stage paint may be a good compromise unless it's purely a track car.
 

[Ravage]

IMHO black engine bays make Mopars look like they were done by Chebbie guys. 
 

That hurts man ,you cut me deep. 

 

[EvilTwinATX]

The instructions say that you are supposed to reduce it but you dont have to.... I didnt. I bought it from a local powder coating shop that carries the full line or POR15 products and they told me I dont have to reduce it... it came out fine.

The gun I used was a detail spray gun, not a HVLP gun... and I got during one of their sidewalk sales...so it was about $19.00 normally. Be careful when you use the guns....too much air pressure can make a mess...it may better to try an HVLP if you can find one.

[Grancoupe]

A little tiip for those with no experience with spray guns. The first time I used it I really took the time to clean the whole thing down. Thinking I completed the task correctly I packed it up for the next time. Well the next time cane when I decided to shoot a second coat of the high build primer I've been using on the compartment and the gun was spitting and starving and all kinds of stuff. Messed up a few places in the compartment too. No biggie, I'll just block it out. Well there's a little hole in the top of the cover! As the paint gets drawn out something has to take its place... It took about a half hour of laying with all the settings before I finally tried shooting without the cover and all of a sudden it started working beautifully. Looking coser at the cover and I noticed the hole was bunged up. Pushed a needle thrugh it a wah lah. A good working spray gun.Nobody is norn knowing this stuff. I guess that's what makes hte ones with experience stand out...

[torredcuda]

IMHO black engine bays make Mopars look like they were done by Chebbie guys.  Painting it body color using a single stage paint may be a good compromise unless it's purely a track car.
 

  And you`ll have to hear that from a lot of guys if you go anything but body color.They are your cars so do what you like just keep that in mind.A good single stage is great for jambs,floor pans and underhood and is easy enough to touch up if you need to.My car is no trailer queen(has rubber on the lower quarters 99% of the time) and I`ve had the engine in and out at least three times and after 8+ years the engine bay still looks respectable.

[matt63]

That hurts man ,you cut me deep. 

 

No offense intended!