I had this idea while driving home from work (that's where I do my best thinking). I was thinking of painting my engine block, heads & front cover a charcoal gray. I have the perfect shade in mind already. It looks almost like bare cast iron but is metallic. Leaving my aluminum intake natural and powder coating my FMS valve covers and breather the same Dark Toredor Red that I'm using on the body. There will, of course, be chrome items in the engine bay such as the export brace, monte carlo bar, mounting hardware, etc. I think that will help break up the dark colors some.

My engine as it sits now.




Edit: Those are not the valve covers I'm using

 

How about taking a block sander with fine grit to the raised letters on the valve covers and removing the black paint? Then shoot some clear on the covers. Kinda raised lettering look..... . No harm done if you dont like the look. You can still get them powder coated.

 

I'm not using the black ones above. Those are what were on there already and I just painted over them when I done the rest of the engine. The ones I have now are aluminum Ford Motorsports that have been "powder coated" silver. They look good with the black but need to have the coating redone. I think someone lied when they told me they were powder coated.

 

I'll be doing my engine grey as well. I think it is a clean, utiltarian look. I know race cars often paint the whole engine bay grey so that they can easily track down leaks and such. I wouldn't go that far, but I think the block, heads and front cover/water pump look great in grey.

 

I'd vote to do the intake whatever color you do the heads, block, pump, etc.... my thinking on these things has changed in the last year or so.

 

You know, that crossed my mind too. On one hand, nice natural aluminum looks so good in an engine compartment, but on the other hand, who are you trying to impress with it? These days I would think that the vast majority of V8's out there have some brand of aluminum intake on it. May as well do up the entire engine just for the sake of consistancy.

 

i actually did something similar with mine, i painted the lettering silver then taped it off, then painted the vlave covers with a satin black and when i pulled the tape off i had some poor mans "cobra" valve covers. i have sinced replaced them with some finned aluminum "power by ford" valce covers from an 84 mustang

 

I had thought about that too, Jay. The more I picture it....the more I like the idea.