Looks.....
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
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Looks.....
ok, im completly satisfied with how my truck performs....but...my engine is kinda ugly lol. i know this is kinda stupid to say, but right now, i could care less about more power, i just want it to look good so i can take it to the rod run in gatlinburg, tn this spring. so, what are your opinions on making it look better? i found out that turbonetics makes a ram air thing for carbs, but it doesnt come with the intake pipe, just the "scoop".
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Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 2
From: CT
Gunk sells a pretty good engine cleaner. You spray it on, brush the heavy deposits of grease and grime and hose it off well. Then run the engine to dry. Be sure to cover the carb, dizzy, wires, alt etc.... before you start. Then spend some time under the hood with a good degreaser like simple green etc... and shop towels cleaning everything up. With some time and elbow grease it can be looking pretty good. You can paint and detail some of the bolt on brackets, valve covers, aircleaner. You can also paint the front of the engine, intake and what you can reach and get at of the rest. Just be sure to mask off everything very well. Maybe some new cast aluminum or chrome valve covers and a new aircleaner. Get a nice set of plug wires and a good wire loom set to tidy them up. You can then clean up the wiring and enclose it in that black plastic loom stuff or just retape them neatly. With some time and little money it can look pretty sharp under hood.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,574
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From: Golden, CO
On trucks of this vintage, stock and clean is unique. It doesn't matter what decade or era you look at over the last 30 years, whatever was on the shelf, people bought to spruce up their ride. About the third one you see is less unique than the first...Kind of like a Chevy small block in a hot-rod resto; dime a dozen.
How crafty are you? Can you cut and weld, or at least cut and rivet? Unique doesn't come from a catalog, it comes from peoples minds. Some of the coolest things I've seen someone made to address a specific need or desire they had. It may not be that common or universal of an idea among any group, which makes it unique.
Post up a pic of this Ram Air thing, or at least a link to a pic. Just how much money do you have to throw around on this project?
How crafty are you? Can you cut and weld, or at least cut and rivet? Unique doesn't come from a catalog, it comes from peoples minds. Some of the coolest things I've seen someone made to address a specific need or desire they had. It may not be that common or universal of an idea among any group, which makes it unique.
Post up a pic of this Ram Air thing, or at least a link to a pic. Just how much money do you have to throw around on this project?
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Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,624
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From: CT
Unique?
www.ramairbox.com
Hyp is right. You don't want that cheezy Cal Custom look from Caldors. What parts are on the 390 now? All stock?
www.ramairbox.com
Hyp is right. You don't want that cheezy Cal Custom look from Caldors. What parts are on the 390 now? All stock?
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im in an autobody class for the next 3 semesters, and i know how to weld, but nothing spectacular. and as for money i have to use, im 17, senior in highschool with a scholarship to college and i dont have a girlfriend lol.....so pretty much any and all that i make every week at work
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,144
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From: Sedro-Woolley, WA
I'd find a stock style radiator hose, matching color plug wires and straighten them out with a good bracket setup, paint the vac booster and master cylinder and chrome plate the lid(I'm a Harley guy and love excessive chrome) and clean up and paint any area that you are dissatisfied with.
Organized, neat and efficient runs of wiring, vac hoses, fuel lines, brake lines, etc. pay big dividends in appearance.
Organized, neat and efficient runs of wiring, vac hoses, fuel lines, brake lines, etc. pay big dividends in appearance.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,144
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From: Sedro-Woolley, WA
Originally Posted by Pud12343
haha....i like ALOT of chrome too, but where would i get the chrome plated lid?
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,447
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From: Littleton, CO
Spend a little time to clean up the engine bay itself prior to turning to th emotor. Then clean up the motor. A fresh coat of BLUE will help alot. Get a nice set of wire looms and wrangle those under control. There are several aticles about under-hood detailing that can be done without removing the engine. If it's clean, it will look much better than trying to shine up a mess with chrome. Take a peak at my Christmas gallery pix, nice and tidy, only one piece of crome...
Just my $.02's --Mike
Just my $.02's --Mike
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Madison, SD
Good old Easy Off oven cleaner does a nice clean up job on fenderwells and firewalls, too!!! Just spray it on, let it soak for a couple hours, and blow it off with a pressure washer....Don't forget to cover the distributor and carb with something before taking the pressure washer too it. A touch up gun is great for putting some fresh paint on things under the hood, but if you don't have one or can't borrow one even a good rattle can job will make things look much better.
Other then that, some convoluted tubing to cover the electrical wires goes a long ways in making things look more sanitary....
The more you scrub, the better it looks!!!!
Other then that, some convoluted tubing to cover the electrical wires goes a long ways in making things look more sanitary....
The more you scrub, the better it looks!!!!