Weird question

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daves66valiant

daves66valiant

68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
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the engine bay on my 68 is very original and in very good shape. The only rusty area is where the master cylinder was and that’s all surface rust. All the original stickers are still in the engine bay.

I’m doing and engine swap and everything is mostly out of the car. Based on pics would you just leave it and do the swap or take the time to prep and spray.

I can do all the prep and painting myself. Problem is I’m too much of a perfectionist sometimes and will doddle around until it becomes a full restoration. I really just want to get it on the road and enjoy it while not worrying about how nice the paint is in the engine bay.

I’ve torn it down this far and wonder if I’ll kick myself for not painting now.

Thoughts?
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After washing

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^^^^^^^^^^ This above...a little rust area like what you have, turn into an timely affair. Now that I am neck deep in it, I wish I havened just touch up the rusted spot and drive the **** out of the car....
 
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drive it, don't open the hood unless you have to and it wont bother you.
 
You're already stripped to bare bones in the engine bay. Why not mask, tape & spray now? It doesn't have to be perfect, but it could look significantly better with a couple more days of work?

I know there's 1 in every crowd right LOL

JMHO & what I would do :) Opinions vary...
 
with a little elbow grease, you can make almost all of it very presentable. I would just get rid of the rust under the m. cylinder, and maybe mask it off and spot that area in and blend it. It doesn't have to be perfect, the area under the m. cylinder is somewhat covered up, anyway.
I use a witches brew of SeaFoam/ Marvel Mystery Oil to clean the rest and protect it further.
 
IMO, the paint looks good. Freshen up the bolts/hardware etc. Once you drop a fresh painted engine in, that's where your eyes are drawn to anyway.
That being said if I knew how to paint...
Good luck
 
My thought is you're not likely to have an empty engine bay to have at 'er again anytime soon, so why not paint it now?

I used stripper wheels, sandpaper and wire wheels on mine, then rattle canned it 2 coats of "Tremclad" primer and 2 coats of body color. Cheap and easy, and tell everybody that the paint runs are "stock". DMT for new firewall gaskets.

I don't lose sleep over the effort spent, but I would lose sleep over being so close and not bothering, especially with the new 408 in it. But I'm anal that way.

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If you have the ability to paint it, I would do it.
I have had a few mopars, after nice exterior paint, interior, wheels etc, and have kicked myself every time for not painting the engine compartment.

So the one in work now that was the first thing that saw color.

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If you don’t do it now you’ll always look at it and say I should have. What’s another couple days
 
Paint it now or have regrets every time you open the hood which will be every time you work on it or drive it if you’re like me.
 
A side note on your disc brake future. If you get a factory KH setup you will need the distribution block AND the proportion block, two things.
 
You know now is the perfect time to paint it. 2 ways to do it, the perfectionist way, or...... clean, mask, shoot.....

Show poodle or will you drive it like for what it is.... a CAR!?
 
I think you answered your own question in your original post.............
Take a walk on the wild side and just clean it, install the engine, then have fun with it.
 
When I had the body repainted I did not have them do the engine compartment. Within a year I regretted it, but it took many more years before I could find a shop to do it and it cost much more than it would have originally.
Do as much while the engine is out that you think you'll be satisfied with. Your next chance may be a long time coming.
 
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