Thoughts on white powdercoating

[M. Holtmeier]

So, it turns out the bodyshop doing the paintwork on my car did not heed my intructions to cover and protect my engine bay while painting the underside of my hood. The result was a thin film of overspray covering the entire engine bay. The work I put into repainting the bay, painting the engine, making and wrapping new electrical harnesses, powdercoating several pieces and replacing many parts with OEM items is lost.

They are attempting to "clean" the overspray, but I don't think it will ever be right until things are stripped back down and refinished. We'll see.

In the meantime, to occupy my mind with something else, I was thinking about changing colors on key black powdercoated pieces. This includes; intercooler, intake box, intake pipe and heat exchanger box. In the pic, the valve cover is black. I will be installing a TCD clear coated aluminum valve cover to match the head and intake.(thank god I didn't install it)

I used to see a lot of 379 Peterbilts come through the shop with nice white CAC piping. It looks really cool to me and they stay surprisingly clean even on OTR tractors. I was thinking about doing this to everything currently powdercoated black, sans anything actually bolted the long block.

Here's a pic for you to visualize, and remember what once was a nice engine bay...

[Mike W.]

Oh man, I'd be livid and I'm pretty laid back. As to the powdercoating, to each his own, but I'm not much on white in the engine compartment. I do like things a color other than black, but to me white just looks tacky. Kind of like the Mtech E30 convertibles with white wheels.

[mooseheadm5]

I believe that most whites yellow over time.

Are you posting this from jail after being charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and attempted vehicular homicide?

[Shawn D.]

Damn, what dumbasses! How in the hell could they be so clueless?

[M. Holtmeier]

The only thing I can do now is keep moving forward with the project. So far they are taking steps to make it right. It seems the powdercoated items have the most visual damage. Everything else just feels rough to the touch. I am finding it hard to sleep and eat right now. I've been going over my reciepts and all the pictures documenting the engine before I took the car to them and after.

So, nobody is feeling a satin white? I'll call my powdercoating guy and get his thoughts on the yellowing effect.

[CSBolger]

I've got some half-assed white action going on in my filthy engine bay, haha. I like it a lot, but it also ties my car together a bit more. My valve cover is the same color as the exterior, and the CAI plus the manifold braces are the same color as my wheels.

I say do it. You want it, so go for it.

[Dinan e28]

Go for it.

[M. Holtmeier]

Hehe, I don't mean to bust a Blake on you guys.

I think I might bead blast the parts and shoot a thin coat of white paint to see what they look like. Something like this will either look good or bad(tacky). If it doesn't turn out, then I'm only out an extra hour of bead blasting and a can of white paint. Well, I'd have to strip them back down anyway to have them properly powdercoated. Fingers crossed that the yellowing effect Moosehead mentioned can be held at bay.

[C.R. Krieger]

I am finding it hard to sleep and eat right now.

Sweet Jesus! Get some perspective. Did anybody in your family die? It's just a f***in' car.

[mooseheadm5]

Hehe, I don't mean to bust a Blake on you guys.

I think I might bead blast the parts and shoot a thin coat of white paint to see what they look like. Something like this will either look good or bad(tacky). If it doesn't turn out, then I'm only out an extra hour of bead blasting and a can of white paint. Well, I'd have to strip them back down anyway to have them properly powdercoated. Fingers crossed that the yellowing effect Moosehead mentioned can be held at bay.

Lol, unless you also ask for relationship and job advice, you aren't even close.

I'm sure the powder coater will know whether or not their product will yellow at higher temps. Why not call them?

[M. Holtmeier]

I'm sure the powder coater will know whether or not their product will yellow at higher temps. Why not call them?

So, nobody is feeling a satin white? I'll call my powdercoating guy and get his thoughts on the yellowing effect.

Oh, I'm on it! I just don't know where the guy hangs out on the weekends.

[M. Holtmeier]

I am finding it hard to sleep and eat right now.

Sweet Jesus! Get some perspective. Did anybody in your family die? It's just a f***in' car.

Fair enough.

I just don't see why someone has to die in my family for me to be passionate about something. I guess a span of 4 years which included months of locking the shop doors at midnight and working until the first shift came in at 6:30a.m. means nothing.

Why are you investing so much time and effort into 5erfest? I mean, it's just a f***in' car.

[C.R. Krieger]

I am finding it hard to sleep and eat right now.

Sweet Jesus! Get some perspective. Did anybody in your family die? It's just a f***in' car.

Fair enough.

I just don't see why someone has to die in my family for me to be passionate about something. I guess a span of 4 years which included months of locking the shop doors at midnight and working until the first shift came in at 6:30a.m. means nothing.

Why are you investing so much time and effort into 5erfest? I mean, it's just a f***in' car.

I'm not losing sleep over it. It's not about the cars; it's about the people. I am delighted to have my good friends come here this year. If a few things don't go as planned, we'll survive it, Kyle will give me shit over it, and we'll still be friends.

I'm also the autocross chair for Oktoberfest. Having just made a deal for over $1k in timing equipment, one guy at the planning meeting the other night asked, "What's your contingency plan if it doesn't work?" My quick answer was, "There isn't one." My real answer is, we'll put together a team of three or four people with stopwatches and time every car, taking an average of the times. It's fair and equal and in the overall scheme of things, it doesn't matter that much.

I love instructing in our schools at Road America but, a few years ago, I had to drive out there and regretfully tell my friends that I had to go home. My 13+ year-old basset was suffering through her last day of life and I had to spend it with her. I put her down the next morning. Life and life relationships are sacred. Cars are not. Your car can break your heart if you let it. I won't let it. You shouldn't either.

[M. Holtmeier]

It sure seems that a thread about changing the color on key visual engine components is allowing this car to break my heart, doesn't it? FWIW, the comment was more figurative than literal. I didn't expect anyone to analyze the opening post. What steps are you taking to dictate how moosehead should handle his perspective? That's a pretty serious statement for just a car.

If it's only about the people, then why are you seemingly so enthusiastic about cars with correctly setup suspensions, involved in teaching others how to drive thier cars, holding a chair in the Oktoberfest autocross and such a huge staple in this community. All the social connections could most certainly be obtained without even owning a car.

Admit it. You are as passionate, if not more passionate about cars than I am.

[wkohler]

I am finding it hard to sleep and eat right now.

Sweet Jesus! Get some perspective. Did anybody in your family die? It's just a f***in' car.

\

I take it you've never invested a lot of time or taken pride in anything. Sure, it's just a car, but you obviously haven't seen the work Mike put into the engine bay. It just amazed me at 5er Fest 2009. I have some great photos of it, but I wouldn't be able to find them to save my life. That's the case with most everything for me, though.

Mike,

I don't think the white would suit your car. The way you put your heat exchangers in place and such would just make the boxes stand out. I really liked the presentation of everything on your car when I saw it. Granted, it's not my car and if you're a fan of the white, it might be worth giving it a shot, but I don't think I'd do it if it were me. I also wouldn't go with a satin due to how hard it would be to keep clean. After all, you do plan to continue driving your car, right?

[Shawn D.]

C.R., your cars aren't equivalent and you apparently don't understand. Move along, this thread is not one you can relate to.

[Brad D.]

Mike, I really feel for you. I understand what it feels like to have tons of hard work blown to hell by some idiots lack of thought. I'm sure that, in time, things will be right again. I do like the idea of white charge piping and various bits. I recall that Austin's car looked great with white wheels and I don't see why your immaculate car wouldn't look great with white accents under the hood.

[alijonny]

I would do gloss underhood for ease of wipedown.

I remember hearing about guys who would do the circle track stuff painting an engine white to spot leaks faster. I have always liked that idea. If kept clean and done with some taste (you should be fine with that), I would go for it.

I have seen some interesting colors pulled under the hoods of cars. maybe get someone with photoshop skillz to do up your underhood area.

[C.R. Krieger]

C.R., your cars aren't equivalent and you apparently don't understand. Move along, this thread is not one you can relate to.

Of course I understand. Exactly the same thing happened to the outside of my year-old car when the morons at the paint shop parked it under their exhaust vent. I own one of the most desirable BMW Airheads there is. It collects compliments everywhere it goes, but I let my friend Jenny Morgan ride it - and she dropped it. For a brief moment, I considered going ballistic, but I didn't. I bought a lovely Audi 200 Quattro a few years back and my wife got the rear quarter hit within a week. Then I had to take it on my first big 'road trip' in years - before I could get it fixed. I liked Da Red Dog an awful lot, put a lot of hours into it, and it almost made me sick when it crashed - but it didn't.

Among other things, I've got the perspective of years and having things like this happen a few more times than Mike or Chris - or even you. As well, over the years, I've probably lost more people and pets that were dear to me. Not to raise a sore point, but would you give up one of your cars if you had never had to go through a divorce (because things worked out just as you originally expected)? Would you take this overspray incident if you could have your basset back in perpetuity? The bottom line is, it's not worth getting physically ill over. Do I have to retell the story of Al Holbert sitting on the hood of a Porsche on the cover of AutoWeek? Shit happens to cars. It can be fixed. The time spent worrying about it is time wasted not fixing it. I'm not saying it doesn't matter; I'm saying it doesn't matter that much.

[Seabass]

Your engine bay looks amazing from the pic. I am not a huge fan of white in general and I think in you cars case it would look "off" with the red and back contrast. I am working on an 88 right now doing some preliminary work prior to an entire repaint... i have spent hours on a single piece only to have imperfections that I see clearly and wife thinks i'm nuts. I understand your frustration. In the immortal word of Rodney King " Can't we all just get along?" Also... wanted to have my car together enough to go to 5erfest but that didn't happen... and it would have been my family's first trip to Oregon

[Dinan e28]

Here is Mike's In Seattle WA



And my engine, crinkle vs gloss. I would go gloss if you go white.

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[Nebraska_e28]

This is not news I wanted to hear....