Engine bay paint- Bring color out?

[SKIPPY_F7]

I've decided I need to make the engine bay look a little nicer. The engine bay paint is faded pretty bad and slightly discolored in a few spots. I'm wondering if there is a way to bring some of the color back. I tried some wax this afternoon but that did next to nothing.

And another picture for fun:

[transampimp]

All you can really do is clean it up real good with a nice degreaser, and car wash. Wax doesn't work that great because most of our cars never got a clear coated engine compartment.

[JoeliusZ28]

here's what i do:

0) (step 0 because this shouldnt be a step) COVER THE OPTI. when you think its covered, cover the freakin thing some more. saran wrap it, stuff rags around that, whatever!

1) spray the engine bay with dilluted simple green, let it soak a while. dont spray the intake/fuel rails because it will corrode those. avoid the alternator, and any other shiny metal, but dont worry about it either.

2) Spray the whole thing off with a hose

3) Buy some 303 Aerospace

4) Spay the stuff everywhere, liberally. Dont wipe it down. close the hood and let it soak into everything overnight if possible.

5) come back the next day and wipe any reamaining/excess aerospace off

6) enjoy your beautiful and also revitalized engine bay You might need to polish some metal here and there for a final touch but its doubtful.

here's a very old and very crappy picture... but here's what i was able to do with mine the first time i did it... and it probably looked worse than yours at the time.

[1BADAIR]

its not paint. its sealer that is body color. I was gonna spray some clear over mine but about 8 very good painters said not to.

I was gonna scuff it, color and clear while the engine is out but I can't afford the 250 my buddy wants to paint it

[meissen]

You can afford thousands of dollars worth of parts and what not but not $250 to make the engine bay look new?

[1BADAIR]

thousands of dollars? hehe this car is built CHEAP

[meissen]

Alright, I'll let ya say that

[1BADAIR]

it still might happen. I would have to remove the fascia and discharge the A/c though

[SS4Matt]

really all you can do is clean it, there will not be a nice shine no matter what, like larry said, these cars are not painted under there with base/clear.

i chopped and replaced some panels under my hood so i went ahead and had mine all repainted before i reassembled it. i also had my intake, valve covers and brake booster painted gloss black for some more shine/cleanliness

*edit* the stock nasty looking fuel rails and all that are no longer on the car, and the coil wires are hidden. i have some pretty red anodized aeromotive rails, and the black nylon braided hose with all black hose ends. i wish i had a camera to take some update shots!