Engine Bay Paint Prep Advice Needed

[snicker]

I am putting in a new engine and want to clean my engine bay up first. It was originally yellow, painted orange and now I want to paint it black. I took a power washer to it just to see what would come loose. Below are pictures of what it currently looks like.

I am going to be painting below the curve black and keep the top area orange.

What advise do you guys have on how I should tackle prepping the engine bay for paint? Should I sand it down? Prime it?

[11thsfgrp]

Personally, I would mask the car off then media blast the area, prime then paint it the same color as the body. Just my  Good luck....

[Long Island RT]

I'd have to agree - There's nothing that stands out more when you see a mopar with an open hood with a chebby paint job.  If your going thru the process of re-painting - you might as well do it right.

If you blast it - it's not much more work to do the whole thing.

Believe me - you'll be glad you did it in the long run.   

[BronzeOnSteelies]

I did it the labor intensive way but it worked.

Sanded, wire brushed, and cleaned up everything.

Masked off the master cylinder, brake lines etc.

Sprayed self-etching primer and body color (with the gloss reduced) out of rattle cans. Used black on the K-member, etc.

It turned out great.

[6d9 charger]

media blast or black beauty , than por 15 than top coat any color or leave por 15 , thats what i did ..well worth it .

[Fitz73Chrgr]

Take your master cylinder, ect out, or just mask it off.  Use a wire wheels or a composite wheel to grind the rust off, sand down the rest of all the paint.  Wash it very well, then wipe down this degreaser.  Spray epoxy primer then top coat it. 

Of course, with those other layers of aftermarket paint, you might be better off media blasting the whole thing.

[Charger-Bodie]

Take it apart,blast it (sand ,media, baking soda ,whatever) Epoxy prime it,fixany damage ,and then seal it and paint it........And please reconsider painting it to match the outside like its supposed to be!!

[69bronzeT5]

Unless your building a General Lee, then paint the engine compartment the body colour.

[1969chargerrtse]

That's weird?  An original yellow 69 charger like mine, painted orange like mine. Please don't paint it black, you will hurt the value of the car.  Take the time like I did and rip everything out, then detail it or replace it, and it will look great!

[snicker]

It's already a General Lee replica that I'm restoring and putting a new engine in. I just think the black engine bay with the hemi-orange motor will pop much better then making EVERYTHING orange.

This isn't a 69 restored to original factory condition, FYI.

[1969chargerrtse]

I'm not a GL guy so I would say if GL's had black bays, then black it is.    I've seen black bays before and I don't care for the look at all, but if GL's were done that way?  I've never seen a GL bay shot on T.V?

[Yeahmate]

Here's a few pict's of a little tickle up under my hood,
after everything was stripped, spent a day with 600 wet and dry paper and scourer pads, wiped down the bare metal bits with diluted phosphoric acid and grease and wax remover. Light hit of etch primer, and then some cheap acrylic paint and presto.

[Hemidog]

One thing I really like about mopars is their body colored engine bays!   

[1969chargerrtse]

Here's a few pict's of a little tickle up under my hood,
after everything was stripped, spent a day with 600 wet and dry paper and scourer pads, wiped down the bare metal bits with diluted phosphoric acid and grease and wax remover. Light hit of etch primer, and then some cheap acrylic paint and presto

Not into the black thing, but you did a nice job. 

[mopar_nut_440_6]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

[Charger-Bodie]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

Sorry to bust your balls bud , but you better recheck your info....Epoxy primer sticks better to bare steel than it does to etch primer.....BY FAR!!

[bill440rt]

Take it apart,blast it (sand ,media, baking soda ,whatever) Epoxy prime it,fixany damage ,and then seal it and paint it........And please reconsider painting it to match the outside like its supposed to be!!

100%

For some reason, I've never had any luck having paint stick over the original paint in an engine compartment. Unless, I stripped it to bare metal.
Mopars always look better in body color under the hood. 

[mopar_nut_440_6]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

Sorry to bust your balls bud , but you better recheck your info....Epoxy primer sticks better to bare steel than it does to etch primer.....BY FAR!!

Hmmm... good to know. I was just told by the owner of a bodyshop to use an etching primer on my car prior to using the two part primer which I assumed was epoxy. Perhaps he did not mean epoxy primer. I better double check what I have here.

Thanks for the info.

[Charger-Bodie]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

Sorry to bust your balls bud , but you better recheck your info....Epoxy primer sticks better to bare steel than it does to etch primer.....BY FAR!!

Hmmm... good to know. I was just told by the owner of a bodyshop to use an etching primer on my car prior to using the two part primer which I assumed was epoxy. Perhaps he did not mean epoxy primer. I better double check what I have here.

Thanks for the info.

Not that it makes me king or anything,but I too am a body shop owner........But, just to clarify I'm talking about epoxy primer sealer (aka dp40 etc..) If you are talking about primer surfacer, over a few small break-throughs of bare steel than self etch is OK.  My point is that alot of people think self etch and epoxy primer (sealer) are great products for corrosion resistance....They are !! ....The problem is that some people tend to think : "Hmm Ill use both and be doing and extra good job"  When infact the 2 products used together are a weaker product than the epoxy primer (sealer) all by itself applied over properly prepared bare steel.Self etch has its place but for the most part it is an archaic product that epoxy primer to the place of in MOST of its roles.

[mopar73]

I'd have to agree - There's nothing that stands out more when you see a mopar with an open hood with a chebby paint job.  If your going thru the process of re-painting - you might as well do it right.

If you blast it - it's not much more work to do the whole thing.

Believe me - you'll be glad you did it in the long run.   

 

[green69rt]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

Sorry to bust your balls bud , but you better recheck your info....Epoxy primer sticks better to bare steel than it does to etch primer.....BY FAR!!

Hmmm... good to know. I was just told by the owner of a bodyshop to use an etching primer on my car prior to using the two part primer which I assumed was epoxy. Perhaps he did not mean epoxy primer. I better double check what I have here.

Thanks for the info.

Not that it makes me king or anything,but I too am a body shop owner........But, just to clarify I'm talking about epoxy primer sealer (aka dp40 etc..) If you are talking about primer surfacer, over a few small break-throughs of bare steel than self etch is OK.  My point is that alot of people think self etch and epoxy primer (sealer) are great products for corrosion resistance....They are !! ....The problem is that some people tend to think : "Hmm Ill use both and be doing and extra good job"  When infact the 2 products used together are a weaker product than the epoxy primer (sealer) all by itself applied over properly prepared bare steel.Self etch has its place but for the most part it is an archaic product that epoxy primer to the place of in MOST of its roles.

Got is a little late on this thread.  So you don't recommend using both,  what about self etching then finish coat?   I'm working the trunk and underside of my car and thought to use that combo in that place but epoxy primer and finish coats on the outside sheet metal.

[Charger-Bodie]

Personally I would paint the engine compartment orange but do what ever you feel comfortable and definitely take the time to do it right. You will be happy you did. If you decide to media blast it then make sure to use an etching primer prior to an epoxy primer as epoxy primer is not supposed to be applied directly to bare metal.

Cheers,

Sorry to bust your balls bud , but you better recheck your info....Epoxy primer sticks better to bare steel than it does to etch primer.....BY FAR!!

Hmmm... good to know. I was just told by the owner of a bodyshop to use an etching primer on my car prior to using the two part primer which I assumed was epoxy. Perhaps he did not mean epoxy primer. I better double check what I have here.

Thanks for the info.

Not that it makes me king or anything,but I too am a body shop owner........But, just to clarify I'm talking about epoxy primer sealer (aka dp40 etc..) If you are talking about primer surfacer, over a few small break-throughs of bare steel than self etch is OK.  My point is that alot of people think self etch and epoxy primer (sealer) are great products for corrosion resistance....They are !! ....The problem is that some people tend to think : "Hmm Ill use both and be doing and extra good job"  When infact the 2 products used together are a weaker product than the epoxy primer (sealer) all by itself applied over properly prepared bare steel.Self etch has its place but for the most part it is an archaic product that epoxy primer to the place of in MOST of its roles.

Got is a little late on this thread.  So you don't recommend using both,  what about self etching then finish coat?   I'm working the trunk and underside of my car and thought to use that combo in that place but epoxy primer and finish coats on the outside sheet metal.

Top coating directly over self etch is also not advised. The main thing Id use self etch for is bare steel thats going to sit bare for a while(IE floor pans etc), Just shoot it on those areas. Then when you ready to paint, you can scuff the self etch (it scuffs very easy) THEN Seal it with epoxy or a 2k sealer and paint . The nice thing about doing it this way is, If you use epoxy say on the underside , then scuff it down later and seal it again for paint you get alot more build up. This build up will fill in some of the charicter of the steel. The other thing is that epoxy scuff fairly hard ,and in the nooks and crannys that can be a pain.

[tan top]

That's weird?  An original yellow 69 charger like mine, painted orange like mine. Please don't paint it black, you will hurt the value of the car.  Take the time like I did and rip everything out, then detail it or replace it, and it will look great!

yeah thats what i thought    theres a   69 daytona originaly Y2 painted orange also ..back in the day   ...