PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

This my project that I spent ~3years on... gah. but there is a lot of little stuff that
still annoyed me, so I pulled engine back out and am redoing pretty much everything...

I have a list of things I want to change. but a second, third, etc pair of eyes would
be great. So, what are the things that you first see, that "distract" you.... I am
going for a real clean bay, and want it simple...

any cool ideas you have would be great.

My current list:

Paint/Powercoat
-Tensioner bolt
-Waterpump/bolts
-Thermostat/bolts
-Radiator ends?
-Powersteering Pulley
-Heads
-Valve covers
-PCM cover
-Wiper Arms
-Brake Master
-Brake Lines
-Brake Res
-Throttlebody
-IAC
-Coolant crossover
-Throttle cable retainer
-Fuel Rail
-Head light brackets
-Hood shock pins

New
-Radiator Hoses
-Hose Clamps
-Overflow fittings
-Turn One Pump
-PS cooler w/AN fittings
-Oil cooler
-PCM cover
-PS/Rad/Overflow caps
-Fuel Rail Fitting
-Clutch Res
-Heat Resistant Sleeve for wiring



Plug heater outlet/inlet on waterpump
Relocate FPR
Relocate LL/PV
Rebundle PCM wiring
Relocate coils (DOWN by oil pan)


Im thinking about keeping the FRCs... but im not sure.

Also, I will be installing my PS and oil coolers in the front, where most people
put their intercoolers. Since I already hacked up my bumper.

I also do not like how the panel around the MF107R looks... but Idk what I should do with it,,,,


Im looking for honest opinions, constructive of course.... the car is torn apart,
and now is the time to make changes.

The heads will also be milled while it is apart.

BOBS99SS

iTrader: (2)

ooks good man, im just not a fan of the flat black engine bay, and i would for sure cover up the pcm, but nice work

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

I forgot I am also debating reprinting the bay gloss black.

LPE 403

iTrader: (6)

Good call on repainting the bay gloss Trevor. You'll have to be sure all the imperfections are gone (if any) as the gloss will highlight the little things.

For durability dont paint pieces that can be powder coated. Obviously some things can be painted but where brake lines, reservoirs etc are involved, paint will come off....QUICK....if any fluid, sweating, etc will be present. You have a local powder coater in town that's really reasonable....call them.

Instead of a Turn One pump....opt for the pulley only.

And yes, lose the FRCs....its not a corvette Plus you really wont need them if you're relocating the coils, right?

Heat resistant sleeving for wires? Hmmmmm.....where have I seen that?

lethal bird

iTrader: (12)

If it was me i wouldnt change a thing.

19xtreme99

iTrader: (2)

paint the oil dip stick handle

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

Thanks Brent, I meant Paint/Powercoat, most is being powdercoated, but the waterpump and some otherthings cant be.

I plan on upgrading my whole steering system, and as far as the pump, I dont want any original 100k mile parts left, so I might as well go with turn one...?

Idk, I dont NEED them, and no its not a corvette, but I think they work visually... and also it gives people who are idiots, (most people) a hint that work was done, even if they just think its an LS7 crate...

and not all of us have a $$$$$$$ intake on top of our motor...


I dont understand the last part... :/



Thanks, Im just trying to reach a vision I have for myself

thanks for the idea.

19xtreme99

iTrader: (2)

some sort of threaded cap/nut for the shock bolts?

definitely go gloss black for the bay

have the intake "tube" hydro coated carbon fiber - shave the text off first

paint the catch can to match the engine bay (gloss black)

either back-to-black the cowl trim or paint it a satin black

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

Yea, some sort of cap for the bolt/nuts would be nice, they were hand painted black...

Stil not sure on the bay, this is a daily driver...

I'm not a fan of hydrocoating... But they make a carbon fiber version $$$ I'm considering switching to.

I like the gunmetal accents, I want to keep that theme going.

And yes the wiper cowl does need to be blacker.



Thanks

LPE 403

iTrader: (6)

Got it....didnt know you had that many miles on the stock pump.

Maybe fill in and paint them then? Hydro would be a great option....

.....and ouch.

What kind of wire sleeving are you referring too? Plug or harness?

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

Ill take the Corvette covers if I can afford to get katechs carbon fiber valve covers...h.

But for now I don't mind them, and don't wanna waste time on them.


I didn't mean that as an insult, its true. And I am jealous of your intake.




If you look in the pictures by the starter... Orange hose, thats heat resistant. I need black instead.

LPE 403

iTrader: (6)

Never took it that way...must be my typical response on the home site

beyonddisturbed

iTrader: (5)

looks good but is missing a *pop* imo. Some more accents to go with the red and/or some chrome pieces would look good contrasting with the black

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

My only accent Colors are gunmetal and Quicksilver. I'm trying to figure out how to work them in. But rule.1 is no.chrome.

LPE 403

iTrader: (6)

Terrible rule

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Fine with me.. You and I can keep the blingin' gloss black engine bays everyone loves

OP please lose the FRC's..

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

We all have our own visions...

Im not looking for passive attempts to persuade me to join the 'other side'...

just ideas,


and damn, another vote against the FRCs :/ I guess Ill siphon more pennies to the Carbon Fiber Valve cover fund.

LPE 403

iTrader: (6)

Pretty sure someone makes an "insert" that will cover up the Corvette. Cant recall where or who.....might be easier for you to come up with something.

Maybe laser etch your own verbage? For example....PUNISHER TA

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

painting the bay gloss black will help you out a lot, but in the pics you have such a clean engine bay, but as someone who has also done a swap like this, the little things never stop.

on to my honest opinions
keep the ls7 frc's and here is why they way you have your engine bay currently laid out moving you coil packs is gong to clutter up your clean look unless you move them all the way up to the radiator and build a panel to cover the gap between radiator support and and the wheel well (place where the battery sat on pass side and the fuze panels on the driver side)

im personally a fan of black and red, so the covers work for me but if you want to switch to carbonfiber it would give you a cleaner look overall.

paint the block (mine is balck) it will make all the other things you do in the engine bay POP the heads will sthand out especially if you go with the carbon frc's

consider painting the intake manifold or coating it.

i prefer a more traditional style intake but i understand if you dont, there was a company back in the early 2000 that made a huge intake that still had a lid forf bodies was stealth force composites or something to that affect (its what i run) its different enough to add to the overall custom thing you got going

napa sells brake lines that are black (satin) swap those out for some of the ones you have or you can go polished

go to a plumbing store and spend the money to get rid of you brass fittings (i can only see one but im assuming you have a few more) for some nickel ones or even stainless

Gates makes a hose clamp that works the same way as heat shrink, all you need is a heat gun and they look so clean.

or you can replace all of your rubber hoses with steelbraided line

change out that fuel line fitting to something that more matches your car (all of my AN fittings are black)

wouldnt bother painting the radiator core just clean it up real nice maybe some back to black could help.

powder coat the brackets that you can (headlignt stuff all that, you could have a cover for your ecm made than powder coated as well.

some stainless hard ware could look nice but for a daily i think the all black look works better, i would honestly just paint them with a rattle can of high temp paint, then put them back on (just be easy not to scratch) and if they get messed up its always an easy fix)

lokar makes a stainless oil dipstick cant remember the part number off my head but it says for LS1's so it should work for this application but do your research if you go that way because the LS7 pan is different

and last if you have headers on your car get them coated!!!! it is one of my biggest regrets with mine (stainless headers that blued and browned and look like **** compared to the rest of the bay)

all in all you have a great looking engine bay from what i can see, but there are a lot of little things you can do to change things up and make it yours and you already on a great path and i enjoyed the build thread you did on this project cause it gave me some ideas to


found a pic of the intake and the company is still around though its not for sale by any of our sponsors pic below is not my car but you get an idea (and the logo is just a sticker i didnt put mine on)

PUNISHER TA

iTrader: (13)

Im not arguing that it wouldnt be 'better' but if its worth all the work... Im sure Ill end up doing it... but im not excited about paint/bondo all over again...



Im moving the coils down to the oil pan. you will no be able to see any of the wires... should be slick.

I would love to switch to Carbon Fiber Intake/Valve Covers but its ~$1500

http://store.katechengines.com/carbo..._p/sbcf112.htm


I was planning on painting the bare parts of the block black, but I wasnt planning on removing the fancy orange from gm... maybe I will though, I have no use for the random orange on the block...



For now I really like the OEM texture of the Intake... when I can afford to switch to a FAST 102, I will sand it smooth and have it painted.


Im not sure but Im guessing your talking about the 'intake plumbing' from the filter, I really like the piece from halltech. It moves the MAF to a spot where is gets a much smoother reading, I think it looks clean and ive not seen any other F-bodies run one...



Ill check out the black lines. I dont do polished anything. Im just not a fan,

I was planning on powdercoating them, but I ordered the wrong ones (the line from the radiator is supposed to go to the bottom) so I have to re order them anyway.




I forgot about that stuff, That would be sweet.

I would love to run SS lines to my radiator, but right now its a money thing... I would need a aluminum radiator first... which is not in the cards right now...



Haha, I always hated that fitting, the fitting I need was on backorder forever, so I hate to order a red one, and then there are like 3 reducers/couplers/etc to get it to hook up... but it got the fuel there... so I will definitely track down a black one now (the rest of my fittings are black also)



Ill give that a try first as it would obviously save time/effort



I already dissasembled the headlights(not easy) and will be getting all that powdercoated. I think Im going to make my own ECM cover(as much as I hate covers) or maybe ill finish relocating it inside....

Again, no stainless/polished/chome. I had a bunch of bolts/nuts/washers powdercoated. but yea the paint worked fine(strut bolts)



I actually run an LS1 style oil pan. I was looking for a billet dipstick tube, but all I could find is some flex thing. which I wont leave polished, I would need to be able to paint/powdercoat it.




I dont think they look that bad, but ill have to see if my local powdercoater can do ceramic coating.




Thank you very much, and thank you for taking time to respond.