"Shining" up engine bay?

[BlownStangGT]

Alright I am getting my car ready for the All Ford Nationals at Carlise. I know I wont win anything, but want to spruce up the engine bay a little. Its clean right now, but I want to "shine" up the black parts etc. Before I would just get a can of engine clean and hose her down, but I am a little more careful with my new baby. No more just spraying tireshine in there as I did with my old cars So what do you guys/gals use to apply by hand to spruce it up a little? I am hopfully looking for something that wont attract dust or gum up like tire shine does.

 

[EPIK]

I never really put anything on to shine it up, I just clean it up really well & try to keep the factory fresh look.... I really only use the same Meguairs quick detail pray that I use on the exterior & a rag, but then again, my engine has never really gotten very dirty yet....

One thing that I notice about the Mach 1's & Terminators that look to be different in the engine bay compared to the GT's & V6's,(other than the motor of course) is the engine bay paint also got clear coated. The GT's always look like the paint is dull & flat for some reason. I think your engine bay looks pretty clean though IMO???



I do use this stuff called "PIG SPIT" & it works great on my black shaker scoop & textured black plastics, but its not available in California, so I order it online.... It would probably work great on your black valve covers, hoses, & piping couplers etc....

Here is a link....



Pig Spit Original (Aerosol)

 

[BlownStangGT]

I never really put anything on to shine it up, I just clean it up really well & try to keep the factory fresh look.... I really only use the same Meguairs quick detail pray that I use on the exterior & a rag, but then again, my engine has never really gotten very dirty yet....

One thing that I notice about the Mach 1's & Terminators that look to be different in the engine bay compared to the GT's & V6's,(other than the motor of course) is the engine bay paint also got clear coated. The GT's always look like the paint is dull & flat for some reason. I think your engine bay looks pretty clean though IMO???



I do use this stuff called "PIG SPIT" & it works great on my black shaker scoop & textured black plastics, but its not available in California, so I order it online.... It would probably work great on your black valve covers, hoses, & piping couplers etc....

Here is a link....



Pig Spit Original (Aerosol)

Thanks! Yeah it is pretty clean, I guess its just that "dull" part that makes it look like that. Heck this morning I had the car still up on the jackstands from dropping the tank down to check the fuel pumps and I cleaned all the suspension parts underneith But I will check into that stuff!

 

[urban96]

what i usually do is wet down the engine bay

spray some simple green or degreaseer

wipe down with a rag or brush

hose off again

spray some tire shine all over

wipe it down

should leave you with a nice clean shiny engine bay

 

[BlownStangGT]

what i usually do is wet down the engine bay

spray some simple green or degreaseer

wipe down with a rag or brush

hose off again

spray some tire shine all over

wipe it down

should leave you with a nice clean shiny engine bay

Thats also what I usually do but its clean already. I jsut want to get the black parts a little more shine. But maybe its just me that it looks dull haha. I probably havnt bought any type of wax or cleaning supplies in 4+ years Guess I will go take alook at what I see. Years ago I stocked up on the stuff and havnt needed it for a while.

 

[AdRock]

Ok, I have to say it. I know what shining is but what is shinning? LOL>

 

[Crzyhrse]

I shined up my engine bay by getting rid of all the black plastic factory crap. The stock look is fine, but at car shows people want something to attract their attention.

 

[EPIK]

I shined up my engine bay by getting rid of all the black plastic factory crap. The stock look is fine, but at car shows people want something to attract their attention.

That looks really good man. How did you get the chrome shaker tubing? I really like that canton overflow tank too, I have always wanted to get that. Is it hard to keep clean & polished?

Those blue valve covers look nice too, but on a TR car, I think the Black factory ones are the only ones that look right. Im so glad that my car came with the black valve covers & not the natural aluminum finished ones like the 04's, because the aluminum ones always look dingy as hell....

 

[Crzyhrse]

That looks really good man. How did you get the chrome shaker tubing? I really like that canton overflow tank too, I have always wanted to get that. Is it hard to keep clean & polished?

Those blue valve covers look nice too, but on a TR car, I think the Black factory ones are the only ones that look right. Im so glad that my car came with the black valve covers & not the natural aluminum finished ones like the 04's, because the aluminum ones always look dingy as hell....

I bought the chrome Shaker tube from Mach1Performance about 3 years ago. They've discontinued making it as of about 1 year ago. They just take a factory tube and powdercoat it. Very expensive. You can have any chrome shop do it, but it's almost the exact same price as what I paid. If you've got the skills you can do it yourself and save a lot of money. The Canton Overflow Tank you can get to a mirror finish with the right polishing process. I've just shined mine with metal polish and the results are all right. It's easy to keep cleaned. The Ford Racing valve covers really only look good on Azure Blue, and probably Oxford White. They sell powdercoated chrome valve covers, but they cost $500. I paid $270 for my blue ones. Of course you've seen the guys powdercoating their's to their own factory color. Looks very good.

 

[EPIK]

I bought the chrome Shaker tube from Mach1Performance about 3 years ago. They've discontinued making it as of about 1 year ago. They just take a factory tube and powdercoat it. Very expensive. You can have any chrome shop do it, but it's almost the exact same price as what I paid. If you've got the skills you can do it yourself and save a lot of money. The Canton Overflow Tank you can get to a mirror finish with the right polishing process. I've just shined mine with metal polish and the results are all right. It's easy to keep cleaned. The Ford Racing valve covers really only look good on Azure Blue, and probably Oxford White. They sell powdercoated chrome valve covers, but they cost $500. I paid $270 for my blue ones. Of course you've seen the guys powdercoating their's to their own factory color. Looks very good.

Sweet!!! I think Im gonna pick up that Canton tank, polished radiator cover, & a few other polished knick knacks for my bay. As far as the valve covers go, I prefer my black ones over anything else on a Torch red car, unless there were polished aluminum ones available. Not a huge fan of chrome though.... Like you said, the blue covers would only look good on AB, OW, or black IMO...


BTW, what radiator cover is that? The only ones I see have either Steeda, or UPR logos on them, & I am trying to stay away from multiple logos under the hood....

 

[Crzyhrse]

Sweet!!! I think Im gonna pick up that Canton tank, polished radiator cover, & a few other polished knick knacks for my bay. As far as the valve covers go, I prefer my black ones over anything else on a Torch red car, unless there were polished aluminum ones available. Not a huge fan of chrome though.... Like you said, the blue covers would only look good on AB, OW, or black IMO...


BTW, what radiator cover is that? The only ones I see have either Steeda, or UPR logos on them, & I am trying to stay away from multiple logos under the hood....

The Canton decal just peels off (if they still put a decal on), unless they've changed to stamping it into the metal, so no problem there. The radiator cover is a UPR. Their was no logo on mine, but once again it's been about 3 years since I bought that too. I've been done with my engine bay for a couple years now. Anything more and I think it will be overkill. The only thing I've changed is I have a running pony radiator cap on the Overflow Tank now. Be sure to buy a radiator cap with your Canton Tank. Whatever one you have on your stocker won't fit. Unless they've changed the neck of it from 3 years ago. With the way your Mach already looks from the outside, the engine bay upgrades you do will complete the package.

 

[EPIK]

The Canton decal just peels off (if they still put a decal on), unless they've changed to stamping it into the metal, so no problem there. The radiator cover is a UPR. Their was no logo on mine, but once again it's been about 3 years since I bought that too. I've been done with my engine bay for a couple years now. Anything more and I think it will be overkill. The only thing I've changed is I have a running pony radiator cap on the Overflow Tank now. Be sure to buy a radiator cap with your Canton Tank. Whatever one you have on your stocker won't fit. Unless they've changed the neck of it from 3 years ago. With the way your Mach already looks from the outside, the engine bay upgrades you do will complete the package.

Thanks for the compliments!!! I dont mind the canton decal, I just didnt want a huge UPR, or steeda decal on the radiator cover... THe covers that UPR & steeda show on their sites have decals, but I guess I could just peel it off....

 

[BlownStangGT]

Very nice. Yea there is some stuff that over time I want to get done under my hood. I dont want to get to much polished stuff in the worries of keeping up with it and getting "to" blingey" but do want to make a suttle difference. I want to get a custom paint job on my bullet intake. Want to make it black with polished raised runners on the intake. But I did have my eye on the canton overflow, I really want one of them bad boys for sure.