i want to get my engine compartment looking better. I want to either paint or POR15 the fenders, radiator core support, and possibly the m/c and firewall. Which do you guys suggest, paint or POR15? I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to painting. Also, how hard is it to paint the firewall w/ the motor still in the car(I don't plan on taking the front clip off either) Any help would be appreciated. I see so many nice looking engine compartments on this site, and i want to do something about mine. thanks-eric

I just painted the floorpans in my 82 GMC Jimmy with POR15. I had a rust problem that you probably don't have. If you do it like they tell you to (and I did) it is a four step process-cleaning, using Metal Ready, a coat of POR15 silver, and finally a coat of POR15 black. This gave me a great finished product and think my rust problems are gone for good. Be aware that the final coat of POR black is real shiny. POR's Floorboard kit also comes with a can of Chassie Black. I didn't use this since my finished coat would be covered up by insulation and mat. This Chassie Black likely is less shiny. You might not want your firewall being real shiny. Others on this forum have much more experience with POR than I do and might have different ideas.

I have nothing against POR-15, I have used it in the past. But why would you want to use it on your engine compartment sheet metal??

POR seems to work good at what it was designed to do, which is to seal off RUST. It is not something I would use on a non rusty surface nor is it ideal for anyplace that you might want to be cosmetically pretty.

Spray on a good quality paint. POR-15 makes a product called chassis coat black which is good for this job. Ive even seen this done with Krylon spray paint #1613 semi flat black and it looked pretty good. (the area was prepped well)

Painting the inner fenders is best done with them removed from the car. (not hard to do) The fire wall will be next to impossible to do well with the engine in the car. I suppose if you remove the brake booster, wiper motor, and distributor and cover everything else real good you might get it looking better.

Good luck

I would think paint would look better. I have used por15 on areas that are hidden or don't get direct sun. Ex. frame, suspension, master cylinder, inner wheel well and rear end.

so it looks like i will be using paint. What kind of paint should i get and how should i prep everything(inner fender and core support)Do i need primer too? Like i said before, i'm a real novice w/ paint.

Eric,

I have detailed paint my engine compartment several times in the past with the motor still in the car. Sure its not ideal, but for a quick cleanup, it can be done...

First, you need to get any and all grease,wax, etc off of the surfaces... Several cleanings (degreaser, soap, hose, etc) followed by good paint prep (sanding/filling on inner fenders and radiator support, final prep wipe- I often use laquer thinner on a rag). I would remove everything you can: hoses (if you are thinking of replacement, nows the time), plug wires, distributor cap, coil, air cleaner, battery, move wiring out of the way (if possible). Mask everything well, especially the outside of the car. In the past I have actually applied wax to the car (but not rubbed it off) to help keep overspray off the painted surfaces and glass/trim.

Apply some primer with better adheasion and then a few light coats of semi-flat black... light coats will be better than thick heavy coats...

I'd just use spray cans for this job...

Honestly, the areas that the paint won't reach are areas where most people will never see anyway...

I have done this with engines too, but usually I paint the engines first, then the next day, mask the engine as good as you can...

It makes a huge difference with a minimal effort... And stay away from the POR stuff unless you are trying to get rid of rust...

thanks, sounds like a plan. Thanks for the help graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by Clark:
I have nothing against POR-15, I have used it in the past. But why would you want to use it on your engine compartment sheet metal??

POR seems to work good at what it was designed to do, which is to seal off RUST. It is not something I would use on a non rusty surface nor is it ideal for anyplace that you might want to be cosmetically pretty.


Good luck I have a different opinion on this. I believe it's better to remove all rust before applying it to corroded parts, but it's also an excellent product to use on new parts as a rust preventative.

I've tried applying it over rust, taking care to knock all the loose rust and scale off as they suggest, and I just didn't like the end result. I've had much more success by removing all rust by media blasting or scotchbrite discs or with a wire wheel in my die grinder. Then treat and paint as directed.

On new parts, I've found it to be very effective in preventing corrosion. My inner fenders and battery tray were treated with Por over five years ago, and they still look as good as they did the day after they were painted. The passenger's inner fender was pitted and corroded beneath the battery tray, but it was still in one piece with no holes. It was cleaned up with a gold scotchbrite disc until I found shiny metal. It was prepped and painted per their instructions. The battery tray was a reproduction, so I stripped it down to bare metal and painted per their directions. Like I said, to this day, both parts look as good as they did when they were first painted.

Por does have its place, but its uses should be limited to frame and suspension components, underhood areas, interior sheetmetal like floor pans, and the inside surfaces of exterior sheetmetal in areas that are prone to corrosion.

To answer his question, I'd use Por in the rust prone areas around the battery and radiator support, and other parts like the radiator cover and air cleaner can be painted with a Krylon paint called Rust Tough. It comes in flat and glossy black, as well as semi-flat, semi-glossy, and satin. The Rust Tough has held up very well, but I'd never use it near the battery or around the brake master cylinder. (Heck, even Por has a tough time standing up to brake fluid.)

I agree, POR15 has its place, but I don't know if I would hesitate to use it on a firewall. A firewall doesn't see much light unless you plan on having the hood up or off for long periods of time.

I used POR 15 which I sprayed while the motor was out. I'd cleaned and followed the instructions to the letter. I did coat it with Chassis coat since I was worried about the UV problem. I shot at 25psi and it put out a very nice satin coating. I've spilled gas, and everything on this stuff and it holds up fabulous! Looks like the day I shot it 3 years ago, and this thing is driven constantly!