How to TRANSFORM your Classic Car’s engine bay for less than $200!

[@DMUSA536]

Looks good. FYI: put a plastic bag over the carb an distributor and coil.

[@James-mb2gq]

That's what I've always been taught.

[@masonhammond7353]

I was screaming this😂 hurts to watch

[@Dtrain1949]

I prefer my rockers and pushrods completely painted, not partially painted.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

HAha!!! We weren't restoring those. You've heard of roller tip rockers? We were trying to get "painted tip" rockers......!!!!!!

[@oleredcustoms]

​@gearheadgarageinc would you be willing to sell the old script valve covers? I'd be interested.

[@xmo552]

@@oleredcustoms They're everywhere.

[@AdCab77]

@@gearheadgarageinc😂

[@springman1740]

Looks awesome. A little elbow grease and paint transformed that engine bay. Sweet.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Made a huge difference!

[@purepony]

Great video thanks for posting, it actually shows the typical engine that you would find on an old car like this. I don’t know why a lot of of these Barrett Jackson self proclaimed Nostradamus old car experts are hating, this is something simple that anyone can do to improve a daily driver. This isn’t a show car restoration and he mentioned that a few times

[@landondc4739]

I use foil for masking. Works fantastic in all those difficult to mask areas.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

That's always a great trick for wrapping hoses, lines and such!

[@FischerRestoration]

Good job! Back in the seventies I would spend several days cleaning and masking everything off before painting each component. It's amazing what a little effort and spray paint can achieve.. next the underside of the hood will complete the "package"

[@b0z0__0.]

Great vid, thank you! It was very realistic and honest so I appreciate it. Again, thank you for all the effort you put into your channel!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks for watching!

[@louisgalindo2392]

Next time you need to cover the carburetor and alternator with shop towels and plastic grocery bags with a rubber band

[@kennethlee1031]

Use cloth type "friction tape".. not glossy elec tape.. Also, wire loom is very cheap and easy to access wires or add more.. and, alum foil is great to "mask" overspray

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Absolutely. We used the cloth Tessa Tape in a bunch of places. Stays better, and looks way more correct!

[@xmo552]

@@gearheadgarageinc I've seen that stuff. Where do you get it?

[@andrewwasson6153]

That looks awesome when it was all done. A 327 just keeps going and going. Before buying my current project, I was looking at a 64 Chevelle. It was a 2 door post and I wanted a no post so I let it go… I should have jumped on it. They’re such a cool old classic. That black paint you used in the engine compartment is really nice too. I used to get that from one of our suppliers when I was in the automotive business. The low gloss sheen is just perfect for an engine compartment. It really lets the engine shine. Oh, also, I use black, split, nylon braid and anchor points to zip tie my harnesses. It makes all the difference because like the mat black engine compartment, they let the engine take the forefront.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Fun project, reasonable size. Added power steering & disc brakes. He already wants a bigger engine - but doesn't know why! 327's are awesome!

[@TimboStang71]

What a great video and a great dad. I bought my 71 mustang at 19 years old and still own it at age 40. Getting my 14 year old son working on her with me lately, been stuck in garage due to life 😆. So gotta re clean up everything. Love those rubber tie downs ya used for fuel lines. The inner fender wells look amazing too! Great job

[@duanemckamey9655]

Anything is better than nothing. Good brake job. Some guys are closet jealous. A hater does what a hater does. 16 year olds gotta start at ground level and “work” their way up. Good work.

[@HowToDrawCarsForKIDS]

Came out amazing!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks!

[@rur13223]

Nice going. Good dad. Great explanation. 👌🏻

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks!

[@toddingram2314]

Great job!! It's really cool to see Jackson getting some sweat equity in his new ride! I can't believe he's already gonna be driving - awesome!!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

He's excited and really enjoys working on it. Next steps are paint & interior!

[@darryl916]

Glad I came across your video. I have a ‘74 nova I plan on rebuilding and these are great tips

[@MrNoiceGuy13]

I would have taped a plastic bag over the carburetor and maybe the distributor. That way you can really get it cleaned with sprayer

[@larryblack1944]

Looks good. Maybe a future project would be to paint the underside of the hood and the outside of the car. It would all look new then.

[@JB-by8zk]

Nice work 👍🏼!!! My son has a 1972 Pontiac LeMans Sport, I told him we need to this to his car , I’ll use you tips ! Thanks!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Cool! Have fun!

[@johnkenley4687]

This channel is a gold mine

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thank you!

[@buzzwaldron6195]

I'd prolly put the $200 or so into adding 1500 RPMS and 100 - 200 HP...

[@seanmakesthings]

it would be sick to see a more in depth video on how you tucked the wiring, great video though, the bay looks great

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks, I'll try to do a wiring tuck video for a future episode!

[@jballoregon]

Looks a 1000% times better...great job

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks!

[@misterslideways]

Really like your videos. Cool to see a personable hot rod shop in Nor Cal too!

[@gruntelk]

Love your videos, straight and to the point

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thank you!

[@stevenavarro6797]

Really made a difference. Cool video

[@gearheadgarageinc]

thanks!

[@ferider8728]

That looks really good.. nicely done.. great tips thank u

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks for watching

[@ferider8728]

Sir. My truck runs great , but in drive "D" at a red light, the idel is very loud.. I've got an edelbrock carburetor 5.7l gmc 1989 .. do u think that's my air flow or the hot idel?.. also does the same thing in Reverse.

[@wilsonle61]

We call this a "Craigslist Engine Rebuild" .

[@gearheadgarageinc]

hahaha!

[@michaeldavis3430]

Great video! Just reminded me of a magazine article I read about 147.24 years ago. 😁 I like to leave the old valve covers on when painting engines though. That way I don't have to worry about junk falling in, but that's just me. Anywho, great job!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

I wanted to clean those up and reuse them.....then found one of them had some crappy repair welds

[@jamesharris2615]

Good job guys!👍🏿

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thank you!

[@Betweenthepixles]

Pro tip use oven cleaner yellow can from Walmart beats that stuff

[@diesel1586]

Nice job, I think I might attempt it

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Go for it!

[@lennyb2238]

Nice job, well done

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks!

[@xavierortiz2690]

Big Thumbs Up, you did an Awesome job!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Appreciate that!

[@knitesgarage7971]

Great video

[@Cris_carman]

gotta add the corvette exhaust manifolds

[@CutlassVibes]

Turned out great!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks! My son is stoked!

[@Geoduck.]

What a great car!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

My son is stoked to have it!

[@victor_beltran]

& just like that you gain +30 hp lol Clean work!

[@donaldcurtis9229]

😮😮 very nice

[@jamescereda2628]

Great video! I need to do a brake job on mine. I see you have a after market master cylinder, I want to upgrade mine, but I want to keep my 4 wheel drum brakes. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks, Jim, from Napa California

[@j1a9m7e2s]

Get some ceramic spray paint on the exhaust manifolds and they come up sharp. Nice job!!

[@williamdespot5424]

I JUST WATCHED 2 OF YOUR VIDEOS FOR THE 1ST TIME.THEYRE GREAT.THE NARRATION IS SRAIGHT AND TO THE POINT AND EASY TO FOLLOW.MY QUESTION IS WHY DIDNT YOU SPEND A FEW MORE BUCKS AND BUY A CHROME WATER PUMP AND ALSO CHANGE THE FAN SHROUD LIKE YOU DID ON ANOTHER CHEVY ?MAYBE U WERE KEEPING IT UNDER THE $200.THRESHOLD .THANX

[@gearheadgarageinc]

I was going to....! We stayed with a stock style pump, but since then, I installed an aluminum radiator and matching shroud that I inherited from another project :)

[@bignip2000]

Is that carburetor electric or manual? Which would you prefer for an HEI vacuum distributor on a 85 305sbc?

[@Firebird696]

Nice job 👍

[@gearheadgarageinc]

It's quite a transformation. Thanks for watching!

[@GlennManchester]

Yeah that fuel line is pretty special

[@craigdave3266]

They need to make some for LS motors

[@TUCKANDROLLE]

Great car for a kid , very cool . What’s with the black chevelle in the background ?

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks! You've got a good eye - that's a '70 Chevelle, being worked on for a customer. He had picked it up recently, and now he's diving in on a bunch of work :)

[@michaelpilo3564]

I gasped for air when he sprayed the hose at the carburetor lol

[@joshuacampbell9990]

To the naysayers all I have to say is yes, it can be done far better. But to make it look spectacular the car will have to go through lengthy restoration. From the looks of it, they’re going for a nice driver and this looks FAR better than grungy. I’ve done the same with several of my cars that I wanted to look nice but didn’t want to spend a bunch of time in. The dime store valve cover trick is something I never could understand why people never think about. I’ve even made the junkiest of junk Specter valve covers seal by giving them a good scuff before putting gaskets on.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Exactly! This is just a very basic entry/level under hood cleanup to demonstrate what can be done for very little $ - and it's a perfect canvas to do so since it's my teen son's car

[@Born_Stellar]

lol it looks infinitely better than my 84 C10. You ain't gonna clean rust off, time for the spray cans.

[@ThePeninsulaRailfan]

Mine is a 81 with a cluster of smog junk

[@TheVitusGarageAutoblog]

Cool video

[@ilovenature509]

Nice 🔥🔥🔥

[@arnoldrodriguez3803]

Very nice!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Thanks!

[@Stoked778]

I admit to being a nerd for this but I like to get one of those blue kiddy pools and catch all the crap that washes off then pour it in a bucket and let it evaporate.

[@davidkeeton6716]

Just pull it out in the yard so it doesn't screw up the driveway. You guys whine so much. You know, the world got by just fine before you guys came along at the end of the game. We've been doing this since the early 50s guys, it was all still here with breathable air and drinkable water when you got here.

[@Stoked778]

@@davidkeeton6716 cool, don’t screw up the driveway is what you care about. I’ll keep trying to keep it out of the storm drain, you do you.

[@orlandodemery3093]

Man I wish u was around mines right now to hook me up

[@TheREALOC1972]

Could have done it for less if you would have skipped the Chrome Valve covers and gotten new valve cover and Timing chain gaskets and can of silver engine paint then you could have painted the Timing cover and Valve covers Silver and then it would have all new gaskets too once you put the new water pump on. I understand the love for shiny chrome valve covers though.

[@bns70]

Just found your channel and watched a few videos. I like your approach. One question: What did you do about the pre-existing overspray on the balancer/damper and pulleys? Taking the pulleys off and hitting them with some semi-gloss black is easy enough, but did you just mask off the engine with tape or cardboard and paint the balancer the way you did everything else or did you pull the balancer too? I'm curious because I'm in the middle of a (or kinda stalled-out on) similar project on my old Mustang.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

I pulled the pulleys off, but left the balancer in place. I put a couple pieces of poster board between balancer and the timing chain cover, cleaned & hazed away. Since it didn't leak, I wasn't trying to go in too deep! Good luck with your project!!

[@TransAmDrifter]

I'd wrap that carb with a plastic bag.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Definitely a good idea! Normally, I would have too!!!!

[@gmonynegro595]

Normally?

[@GlennManchester]

What you got there a 283 ??

[@BryMed86]

Lets keep water out of the carburetor by spraying water directly over around and splashing into it😂😂😂😂😂

[@REGULATORS_408]

This is what people do on Craigslist and claim that they have a rebuilt engine but with no paperwork on the rebuilt😂

[@scottboettcher]

Looks amazing!! But, did it start? JK...

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Absolutley!

[@classified70]

Leaving carb exposed and not putting a bag on it before you degrease and apply water is not too smart bro!

[@gearheadgarageinc]

I know! But, the kid plays water polo and had practice, so we were jamming on it......that's why I did the spraying. Do as I say, not as I do....? lol

[@Limon-yt8iz]

I can do that with 20 bucks the hell

[@Petewasrobbed]

Be sure not to ever cover that carberator.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

I know! But, the kid plays water polo and had practice, so we were jamming on it......that's why I did the spraying. Do as I say, not as I do....? lol Water injection - burns carbon and adds HP?

[@jacobpickens4731]

😂

[@buckjank]

Look at all the "powernation" comments. Oh my gooooooood you got paint in the engine. Its junk now. You ruined it😂😂😂. To anyone who read this far. These old cast iron blocks with cast iron heads were built to be beat on. They just need oil not even clean oil. You can over heat them, rev them, abuse thw hell out of them. Now if you have a modern block made of junk Chinese metal good luck.

[@RichardG1970impala]

At least cover the damn carburetor lmao

[@jimstansbury6013]

A good steam cleaner would do the job without polluting the environment Cheap aftermarket valve covers is money wasted in my opinion. You putting lipstick on a pig. 😢

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Lipstick on a pig indeed! Stock covers had a crappy repair/weld, so we replaced. The engine looks presentable for now......my 16yo son will wanna upgrade ASAP for sure 🤑

[@1971_Chevelle_SS]

I believe a can of degreaser isn’t much different than a steam cleaner environmentally, it’s needing fossil fuels and a large amount of water. Also, steam cleaners are a fairly expensive tool that few homeowners have access to.

[@209Stretch]

Bones don’t turn to oil

[@jayha7071]

You have to move 250 tons of dirt to make one electric battery, all done with fossil fuels. Somehow thats environmentally friendly

[@corydunaway]

We have a global warmer here

[@gmonynegro595]

Engine compartment looks half assed, dirty control arms, rusted frame.

[@gearheadgarageinc]

Sure does. What else can a guy do for his 16yo old son, in a weekend, when he wants to drive? I'll actually take that as a compliment!

[@gmonynegro595]

@@gearheadgarageinc Pull the engine and do it right.

[@209Stretch]

Haters always got some BS to say instead of just being happy the other person is happy.

[@donaldcurtis9229]

Looks better than it did

[@donaldcurtis9229]

​@@gearheadgarageinclooks better than it did

[@RMINTZELL]

Very nice job!