Engine compartments are as personal and individual as the people who dress them. This means there is a world of ideas out there for your restomod project. Your objective should be not only tasteful execution between the shock towers, but function as well. Not only does it need to look good, it should run just as well when it's time to slam the hood.
We're bringing you a smorgasbord of engine detailing ideas and tricks designed to make the most of not only your budget, but your individual talents as well. This is an opportunity to make the most of what you have.
Dress Code
When you raise the hood, you want to be proud of your efforts. Bolting on snazzy parts doesn't hold much water if they clash or are just downright tacky. Aesthetics is about grouping together the right combination of parts and workmanship. For example, stock painted valve covers with an aftermarket air cleaner look ridiculous. A stock air cleaner with aftermarket valve covers looks absurd, too. A long fuel hose routed from the pump to the carburetor looks sloppy. Chrome can look downright cheesy if it's installed where it doesn't belong. Admit it. Some of us install too much of it. Rusty bolt heads or exhaust manifolds detract from an otherwise sharp engine compartment. Bright yellow spark-plug wires mated to a stock distributor cap and wire holders don't cut it either. Our message here is compatibility. Ask yourself, does it match?
One area we often see overlooked is the area of accessories and components. Enthusiasts fit otherwise grand engine bays with doo-doo components-remanufactured power-steering pumps, alternators, air-conditioning compressors, water pumps, and more. There's nothing wrong with remanufactured parts unless you install them as-is from the rebuilder. Let's look at what can be done to make your "reman" components look better.
Form And Function
Form and function speak well when they get together in your engine bay. This is why the Shelby Mustang engine bay worked so well 35 years ago. Cast-aluminum Cobra valve covers not only looked sharp, they kept oil and rocker-arm noise inside. The open-element Hi-Po air cleaner allowed greater quantities of air with the awesome look of a racer. The dual-point Autolite ignition was clean and functional, providing a consistent spark through 6,500 rpm. Beneath the air cleaner was a 715-cfm Holley carburetor designed for high-performance driving. A large alternator pulley kept the dynamo revs down while yielding a racy look.
Do you see our point? Form and function. Shelby's people had it mastered a long time ago. This is what you want to achieve with your engine room. When we think about carburetion for a bitchin' restomod, thoughts turn to Holley, Edelbrock, and Carter performance carburetors. But did you know the Autolite 4100 four-barrel carburetor from Pony Carburetors outperforms these carburetors in nearly every arena? The 4100 is a fiercely reliable carburetor that needs virtually no maintenance throughout its service life.
When Ford engineers went to the drawing board approaching 50 years ago to design the 2100 two-barrel and 4100 four-barrel Autolite carburetors, they over-engineered them in every respect. Fuel leakage is virtually impossible, because these carburetors are one solid casting with integral fuel bowls. The accelerator pump is fully adjustable. Remove the air horn and adjust the floats even with the engine running. Choke adjustment is a cakewalk. The greatest advantage behind the 2100 and 4100 is simplicity.
Check out the photos and captions as well as the tips and tricks detailed in the sidebars below.
This is the Autolite 4100...
This is the Autolite 4100 from Pony Carburetors. Each 4100 is tested prior to shipment. Marry one of these to an Autolite/Motorcraft distributor from Coger’s Distributor Dynamics and you’ll experience winning performance from a good-looking mill with blueprinted fuel and ignition components.
Pony Carburetors weaves in...
Pony Carburetors weaves in a groovy performance improvement—downsized primary venturis for improved low-end torque. For normal driving, tapered venturis (arrows—a Pony Carburetors exclusive) provide outstanding driveability.
Punch the throttle, and all...
Punch the throttle, and all four bores come alive. Call this “right sizing.”
The Autolite 4100 is a perfect...
The Autolite 4100 is a perfect fit for stock and aftermarket manifolds, including the Edelbrock Performer RPM and Weiand Stealth. When you use an aftermarket high-rise manifold, leave out the spacer.
This is a remanufactured power-steering...
This is a remanufactured power-steering pump from NAPA Auto Parts. It arrived with an ugly “NOTICE” decal and a “REMAN” stamp. Yuck! We removed the decal with a razor blade...
...then chased the goop with...
...then chased the goop with Goo Gone.
Next, liberal doses of lacquer...
Next, liberal doses of lacquer thinner with a rag...
...and a toothbrush in a well-ventilated...
...and a toothbrush in a well-ventilated area. This removes the black “reman” paint.
Next, we spray the masked...
Next, we spray the masked pump housing with Rust-Oleum self-etching primer. Wet-sand the surface with 400-grit and prime again. Wet-sand the surface again with 600-1,000-grit, and paint using satin black. On cast-aluminum brackets, use a satin clear for an authentic look.
Although you cannot see a...
Although you cannot see a starter, we suggest taking your remanufactured starter and detailing it like this one. Rebuilders tend to paint them all black. The cast-aluminum nose should be natural, as should all of the hardware.
Cast-aluminum components like...
Cast-aluminum components like timing covers look sharp as they are out of the box. This timing cover from California Pony Cars goes right on as-is for a striking look against the painted engine block. Complement it with fresh hardware from AMK Products.
Ford DuraSpark ignition modules...
Ford DuraSpark ignition modules mounted like this look awful. Whenever you use a DuraSpark ignition, hide the module or position it like the factory would have during the ’70s and ’80s.
Enthusiasts like aftermarket...
Enthusiasts like aftermarket ignition modules. And they like to display them. But this is where function needs to be invisible. This HyFire module from Mallory needs to be less obvious, as does the coil. Clean, compact installation just plain looks better.
We can appreciate the need...
We can appreciate the need for accessory power. Just be clean about it. This is a sloppy installation with anti-chafe to excess. Terminal blocks help eliminate this problem.
Having a dry ignition is important....
Having a dry ignition is important. However, this distributor boot needs another look. It’s just sloppy.
See what we mean about neatness?...
See what we mean about neatness? This Boss 302 ignition package looks neat and orderly with 90-degree-angle spark-plug boots and the ignition coil mounted close by.
What makes this a quality...
What makes this a quality installation is execution. That’s a Flex-a-lite cooling fan, which is an outstanding fan. Instead of the chubby Flex-a-lite fan spacer, the owner used a stock spacer, which looks nicer. Note the use of a fan shroud and a groovy coolant-recovery reservoir.
Talk about sharp. Instead...
Talk about sharp. Instead of the stock throttle linkage, this guy elected to use an adjustable throttle rod with Heim joints. Nice work.
Few of us give master cylinders...
Few of us give master cylinders thought until it’s time to brake. Opt for a factory-style master cylinder (ideally, a dual braking system for safety) for your engine bay. Those cheesy aftermarket master cylinders from some auto parts retailers with cheap, plastic caps look horrible.
Go easy on the RTV (silicone...
Go easy on the RTV (silicone engine sealer) when you’re building an engine. A thin film of the stuff will seal the deal and not squeeze out between an engine’s components. Your objective should be clean assembly.