18 replies to this topic

[Tomf]

Ok i want to make my engine look better but i am on a budget.

so far i have brought an alloy rocker cover and that looks great, i have also degreased it all and i have put a red bull can over the coil.


Does anyone know of anything else i can do to make the engine to look better?????

[miniboo]

clean it and paint it

[Tomf]

i have cleaned it but to paint it wont i have to take the engine out. and i dont have the equiptment to do that.

[STFC_Chris]

No need to take the engine out at all. I cleaned and painted mine while it was still in the car. Take the grill off, alternater, coil and any other bits that might get in the way. Clean them up while they are off and give them a lick of paint.

Use Gunk or someother degreaser on the engine to get rid of as much oil and grease as possible. Then give it a few coats of high temperature paint and put it all back together. Take your time though, make it look neat. You'll regret it if you rush and make a mess.

This is all I did, took me three or four nights before I got it taxed and on the road. May not be concours standard but looks a whole lot better than it did. Best of all, it only cost me a can of red engine paint and a bottle of degreaser.

Before


After

Edited by STFC_Chris, 10 July 2006 - 11:53 AM.

[superted87]

new hoses, alloy t bars, braided servo hoses, dashpot cover, new leads maybe white or contrasting.

anything shiny on top of that.

[edjohnson]

Remove the Red Bull can and get a real coil cover, or a new coil!!

[1984mini25]

I striped mine of all the axillaries, degreased it with white sprit and painted the whole thing with hammerite while it was still fittesd in the car.

one thing that does make a big differance is tyiding up the wireing and re-rapping it up in fresh tape (cjoice of colours)

before:
[attachment=17998:attachment]

after: but still not finished yet.
[attachment=17999:attachment]

[Tomf]

Is hammerite heat resistant

[miniboo]

heat resistant enough

[1984mini25]

Well mine has been like that now for the last 6months and it hasn't shifted,
Does take a good day between coats to dry, and stinks for the first few trips but after that it's fine.

Have even painted my front callipers with the same tin of yellow, as I only used half of a 250ml tin.
Seams fine there too.

Edited by 1984mini25, 11 July 2006 - 08:14 PM.

[superted87]

yes it is heat resistant. be warned though it is not a barrier for heat and is not engine paint really. It is best for ancilliaries but the best engine paint will be in a can that says engine paint. Hammerite has been used to good effect widely on mini blocks but i used a small can i bought at a motor show and it was tough engine paint that was quality stuff and has kept its colour in the heat.

ted

[Tomf]

What do you do just paint over everything including rust then do a top coat colour of my choice.i have never used it so i dont know how it works.

[1984mini25]

Hammerite has been used to good effect widely on mini blocks but i used a small can i bought at a motor show and it was tough engine paint that was quality stuff and has kept its colour in the heat.

Mine only really lost is brightness (might be a good thing) because I can’t be arssed to clean it.

So do you just chose the colour i want the engine to be and get this colour in the hammerite and paint it straight on the engine.

Degrease it of all the muck, wire brush any lose paint rust off by hand and just paint over the top,

You might find Wilkinson’s will have everything you need and about the cheapest.
They also do some great little paint/wire brushes for a quid, and the hammerite is only a fiver as it’s on special.
there is also a wide range of colours to chose from, green, yellow, blue, red, black, etc.
www.hammerite.com

Edited by 1984mini25, 11 July 2006 - 08:26 PM.

[Tomf]

So do you just chose the colour i want the engine to be and get this colour in the hammerite and paint it straight on the engine.

[miniboo]

clean the gunk off.

clean/wire brush the rust off.

paint with nice bright colour.

dont rush it