Car Show Dilemma

Alright, i have another car show coming up on fathers day and after the last one i've decided i NEED to pop my hood...problem is...it's a DX....

here's my options...i have intake/header in there, should i paint the valve cover and do some misc hoses and shit and pop it slightly, or should i just leave it...i really am stuck and don't know what to do...people around here aren't too clever..i think when they see color they'll think fast....i can't wait until i get my new engine...

anyways, let me know waht y'all think

clean up, get some shiny bits (oil cap and stuff)


Then get a 4-way and prop your hood only slightly. Subtle, but shows the judges that you aren't hiding anything. :)

Who cares if it's a Dx, any major show will have plenty of them. Important thing is you have spot shine EVERY inch of the bay. Use a toothbrush and plenty of Simple green. Cover all hoses with pretty colored shit, get all te little bolt ons, paint the valve cover, distributor and timing belt cover. Important thing is cleanlyness and prettyness. Then just get two of your stock springs, spray paint it whatever color scheme you're going with and use those to prop open the hood.

well my budyd is going to use his Colt 45 beer bottle and i was thinking of using a 60ounce of crown royal...is that cheesy or different...i have my stock springs so i can do that too...what do you think?

Originally posted by soul180
Alright, i have another car show coming up on fathers day and after the last one i've decided i NEED to pop my hood...problem is...it's a DX....

here's my options...i have intake/header in there, should i paint the valve cover and do some misc hoses and shit and pop it slightly, or should i just leave it...i really am stuck and don't know what to do...people around here aren't too clever..i think when they see color they'll think fast....i can't wait until i get my new engine...

anyways, let me know waht y'all think

I assume you don't want to throw money into it like me becuase I come to the same situation when I am at shows. Go buy some STR parts for your ride, things you can use on the new motor like a Oil Cap and some other Honda parts that can be put on the new motor. Grab some red or whatever color looms for your motor. Get some big ones to draw attention to things and pull away from the fact that you are rolling in a DX :). I would paint the valve cover to if you got the time. Most shows judge motor in several categories one almost always being cleanliness, I cannot think of any show I ever went to when that was not a factor, so also get some engine degreaser. It should help.

awesome guys, now i have a weekend project....i'm so excited....

with paitin the valve cover, would i be able to just use a foam brush, or do i have to remove the cover? is there such thing as high temp primer? thanks for al the help, i'll post pics when i'm done.

good luck, glad we could help here at aF. I don't know about painting valve covers truthfully becuase I have never done it. I would pm civsiguy. I know he has done it, I think I know how but I don't want to give you misleading information and have you screw up your motor. Good luck with the project, I for sure want pics.

there's 3 schools of thought to this... one: a nice clean bay with a slow motor. no one cares if it's slow, no on will think it's fast... it's just purely clean and well detailed.

two: i am guilty of this one... fast. my engine bay is dirty as shit, but people would see the turbocharger and KNOW there's power in the motor.

three: build up the motor and clean it up too.


dont just be ricey and start painting shit under the hood. first off, much of the paint wont look very good due to solvent stains, chipping, and flaking a year from now. take the time to do it right. also, some simple bolt-ons, wire loom, accessories, and hose can go a long way. maybe a cam gear, power pullies, spark plug wires, strut bar, ignition system... these will add a little bit of power and also look nice. maybe a fluidyne radiator to really stand out, FAL fans that are color matched, or even the AEM lineup of billet parts to color match your fuel rail, regulator, and fuel filter to add some "pizazz". also, redoing all your fuel lines in stainless steel braided with AN fittings really sets it apart from the "wannabes"... most have that crappy fake braid. with AEM fuel parts, you can convert to AN fittings and use real SS braided lines.

use some wire loom to cover unsightly wires, but dont go too far. less is more. same goes with silicone vacuum lines. be color coordinated, but dont hurt peoples' eyes.

billet accessories... like a dipstick, billet coolant reservoir, maybe spoon sports brake and clutch master cylinder covers, any sporty radiator and oil filler caps, heat shield on the bottom of the hood, battery tie down, fuel pressure gauge... these will go a long way to getting them to perceive you're fast, and also you'll know you put quality, stylish parts under the hood.

one last thing... for engine grease and grime, i found out this stuff called "goo gone" works miracles. it's supposed to be for removing bird shit and tree sap from the exterior, but it's chemical compound dissolves oil on contact. i just used some last night and it works miracles with minimum effort.

did u use the goo gone on your valve cover? is that safe? if so let me know, i'll go pick some up

also, the kits of wire loom give oyu 10 feet of 4 different sizes...that seems like a lot, i just want accents...would 5 feet of each be ok? let me know.

Originally posted by soul180
did u use the goo gone on your valve cover? is that safe? if so let me know, i'll go pick some up

also, the kits of wire loom give oyu 10 feet of 4 different sizes...that seems like a lot, i just want accents...would 5 feet of each be ok? let me know. try to find a place that sells it by the foot, we do. It shouldn't be to hard, I have used 10 feet easily when doing a friends motor but yeah it's worth a shot. 5 feet should be enough. And drift I think he doesn't want to put actually money into the motor becuase he is doing a swap.

yeah, i just want cheap stuff to make the DX show worthy...i hopefiully will have my swap within a few months...damn bank loans keep fallin through...ah well....

thanks for all your help, i ordered the loom today, it'll be in tomorrow, and i'll be painting the valve cover and a few other thing. I'll post pics when i'm done.

here is a link to the valve cover painting. hope this helps.:D

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?postid=415407#post415407