Custom engine covers

"It's a big cover up."

Years ago the engine was considered functional and nobody really paid much attention to it. Then car makers started adding plastic engine covers which helped to hide the dirty metal oily lump and suddenly the appearance of your engine bay started to matter.

It was only a matter of time before people caught on to the idea that they can be creative in their engine bays and we start to see a whole plethora of engine covers springing up. We hope this article gives you some inspiration for your own project car.

Covers on the engine look much nicer than a dirty oily lump of metal and they can be easier to keep clean.

So what are the options when it comes to engine covers if you are looking to dress up your engine bay a little.

Carbon fibre engine covers look nice. You can't beat real carbon fibre for its appearance and durability but there are some carbon fibre films around that look good from a distance.

Bear in mind that carbon fibre is a subject to a lot of variation in weave, colour and lacquer depth from one company to another. So if you are doing more than 1 part in your engine we strongly recommend that you source them all from the same supplier so they are consistent. There is nothing worse than mismatching carbon fibre parts.

Another option open to you is painting your existing engine covers. The engine covers get quite hot and are prone to get oil spilled on them so use high temperature paint. The lacquer is also prone to discolouration when it gets hot if you use the wrong sort. We have seen some imaginative painted engine covers and painted rocker covers.

For best results you should remove your rocker cover and thoroughly clean it up before painting it.

Metal and plastic engine covers are also popular options. Most are simple clip on replacements for the OEM engine covers. As with any styling project you should plan the overall look of your engine bay, other wise it will just look like you have dropped in random parts. 

You will need to add oil to your engine and it is spills of oil that cause the most discolouration on your engine bay cover. Any spills should be cleaned up immediately. A little maintenance is better than a load of refurbishing. If engine bay covers are not fitted properly they can make annoying rattling noises and can cause wear if they are rubbing against hoses and leads.

Check the online forums and project galleries and get an idea what your finished engine bay could look like.

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