Hey guys..I have been thinking of dressing up me engine bay and my interior. I have a SOM WS6 car, and on the exterior, I have gone with black decals. But I don't know how black would look under the hood and in the interior. So, please give me your opinions on the following:

1. Try to reroute all the wires under the hood so that they are not visible.
2. White face gauges that light up stock at night.
3. Custom floormats with a silver Firechicken and TRANS AM under it.
4. Have the headrests embroidered with the car number and a Firebird.
5. Silver firebird that goes on the passenger side airbag from ZBaron.
6. I'd like to paint the red pieces on the locking part of the seatbelts silver as well. Not sure how to do it though.
7. Anondized blue MBA products underhood.
8. Blue spark plug wires.
9. Blue or black strut tower brace.
10. Remove the AIR pump system (get rid of that tube along the side).
11. Replace bolts and washers with blue ones (where from?).
12. Paint select pieces of the ineterior either silver or a slightly gloss black, or a brushed aluminum interior kit (where?).
13. Get blue hood "strut" covers.
14. Get blue or carbon fiber FRCs.
15. Relocate coil packs.....how?
16. SRP pedal covers.
17. Keeping my chrome lugnuts, valve stem covers, and centercaps, but having the instide of the wheels powdercoated black with the outer ring staying chrome (2002 WS6 wheels).

Thats about it for now. Anymore ideas? I pretty much have the exterior look the way I want it. Also, can you give me some opinions on the color choices? I want to keep the engine looking stock, so the air lid, bellows, MAF, and intake all remain the stock color. Thanks for any help/opinions/criticism that you guys will give me. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

<small>[ March 19, 2002, 08:00 PM: Message edited by: quickWS6 ]</small>

 

Some of those ideas are good, I dunno how blue would look on SOM though...I would think of another color to go with like silver or stay with the black... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by BIGBOS:
<strong>Some of those ideas are good, I dunno how blue would look on SOM though...I would think of another color to go with like silver or stay with the black... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I wasn't sure either. I haven't gotten an anondized blue up next to it yet. So, you think that silver would look good under the hood with it? That would be real easy as far as bolts and washers.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> What about the polished aluminum engine cap covers from MBA then along with silver instead of blue for the rest?

 

Not bad ideas.. some look like things ive done <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> -- You should have no more than 3 colors going on.. one of them usually black.. for me its Pewter (main) Black (secondary) and red (accent).. For you I would reccomend SOM - Black - Silver.. Not only would the silver offset the the SOM but it would give it a very classy look as well <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

1. Rerouting and removing wires is a good thing.. stay away from colored tubing and stick with black.. recover and re-tape where needed.. relocate all your ground wires..

2. I have these (the 200mph ones) and they look very nice.. another alternative would be to have Mark make you up a set of Z06 style guages (black checker) combined with a TA bezel.. very nice looking and very rare

3. High quality floor mats are always a good thing.. i would think you could find a place with the right logo

4. Not a bad idea.. silver/black stitching with the car# underneath.. keep it simple and not to huge.

5. Havent seen it.. be careful about "over logoing" your car though.. less is sometimes more <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

6. Well they are plastic.. if you could remove them you could even chrome the plastic.. im not sure how paint would hold up.. If you concerned for shows make little "boots" out of black material to slide over them.. they will then dissapear

7. Stick with Silver.. Polished or brushed (i vote polished).. I feel blue and SOM will clash.. i could be wrong but SOM is already a strong color and the accent should tone it down... its the exact opposite of Pewter where the accent color needs to be a blue or red to perk up the primary color

8. Again.. go with a nice set of Black Taylor 10mm ones.. after the FRC's you wont hardley see them anyways and they are easier to keep clean

9. Silver STB or have one chromed..

10. Unless you remove the entire air pump assembley you cant cant remove just the hose.. you can shorten it but it will still run over the fender.. removing it will not make you a friend of the smog man..

11. Gee I know this one.. Buy a local "street rodder" type magazine or check the yellow pages for a fastener shop.. replace as many factory bolts and screws with stainless ones.. buff them all shiney on buffing wheel if you like. I also found colored anodized washer rings.. they come in silver so that would be my choice.

12. Again, I vote for gloss black if your going to do it.. the key here is to smooth the pieces out.. nice coat of black and heavy (multiple) coats of a UV stable polyurathane clean.. It has to be done right or you will end up doing it over again when it chips or scratches..

13. Polish you hood struts..

14. Silver FRC's with Marks new 5.7 brushed aluminum decals..

15. Very tough to do if you have AC, TCS and ABS.. if you use FRC's then its really unnecessary.. if do relocate them then ditch the FRCs and get a set of C5R valve covers.. Another option would be to use have the FRC's painted SOM and then paint your intake Silver.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

16. I have them.. i love them..

17. Wheels are a personal item.. what you propose sounds nice..

keeping the engine looking stock.. well just clean everything good.. you can also paint some parts like the TB and MAF(not the electronics).. A black replacement for the bellows like the SLP unit or the one from Baker Hose.. Oh, and replace the chesey facrory hose clamps with some better units..

Thats it for now.. wow can you tell im bored tonight .. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Dont forget your calipers.. I would normally say to paint them siver (after smoothing them out with a dremel) but then you couldnt use Marks decals since they only come in silver.. you could also paint them gloss black with silver brackets.. this would let you use the brushed silver "trans am" lettering (again from Mark)..

Hope this helps.. Here is my engine:

<img src="http://members.aol.com/steven0932/engine2.jpg" alt="" />

<img border="0" alt="[Fluffy]" title="" src="graemlins/fluffy.gif" />

 

oh man, thank you sooooo much for the individual replies. Your car is amazing. I have seen the pics and hope to have mine as classy looking as yours. Your car is awesome, with the ultimate "clean-look". Very, very nice. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

Thanks for the compliment.. to me classy is a good thing <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

Lots of colors and flashy things may get people to stop and look at your engine but details will make them STARE at your engine area.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

Paint it, plate it or polish it.. My Fiance says its like makeup.. its there but it looks natural too much and it ends up looking like Tamey Fae Baker .. lol.. at least she can relate to cars in some manner <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Let me know if you ever have any questions..

 

Steve, I've just got done with polishing my hood struts and I have a question. Can you polish the bottom end of the strut? The part that moves. I know you're not suppose to paint this part but I was wondering if you could polish it. Also what would you suggest to do to the plastic ends and the bracket that bolts to the hood? I've thought about painting them blue or silver to match the car. I'm working on some FRC's right now. When I get them cut to fit I'm planing on painting them silver with blue decals. I've also thought about blue wire loom too but I can't find a dark color like I want so that is probably out. Thanks for your suggestions.

Steve

My 2000 Silver Z28

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 00silverz28:
<strong>Steve, I've just got done with polishing my hood struts and I have a question. Can you polish the bottom end of the strut? The part that moves. I know you're not suppose to paint this part but I was wondering if you could polish it. Also what would you suggest to do to the plastic ends and the bracket that bolts to the hood? I've thought about painting them blue or silver to match the car. I'm working on some FRC's right now. When I get them cut to fit I'm planing on painting them silver with blue decals. I've also thought about blue wire loom too but I can't find a dark color like I want so that is probably out. Thanks for your suggestions.

Steve

My 2000 Silver Z28</strong>
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Polishing the struts is still on my "to do" list.. however i see no problem with polishing the lower section EXCEPT im not sure of the material they are made from.. i would guess they are steel and as such wouldnt polish.. as far as the plastic ends and the bolts (permanent).. i wouldnt worry about them (leave them black) people will be too busy staring at the polished struts to worry about the black parts <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> You could paint them but then you have the paint flaking and scratching problems.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

It all boils down to gain vs effort.. FRC's sound nice.. lets us know when you do it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> -- blue with siver (and black) is a good combo..

 

How do you go about polishing the struts?