Well guys, I'm finally to a point where I can do some cosmetic crap to the engine bay. Silly, but hey, I've got money burning a hole in my pocket...

This is a current pic of my engine bay, more or less:

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/522/medium/P4050010.JPG

The only differences are that there's an ARC intake box in place of the cone filter, and there's an oil filter relocation kit on the passenger's side.

I've come up with a few possible schemes and I'm curious which you guys might pick. I really think I'd be happy with any of them.

No matter what, the intercooler piping will be black, and the ARC box and a new coolant tank from Circuit Sports will be chrome/polished/silver/whatever, which will more or less match the Koyo radiator.

1. Black valve cover and strut bar, blue coil cover and strut bar brackets, blue or black couplers. Very understated, and pretty close to what it is now.

2. Blue valve cover and strut bar brackets, silver coil cover and strut bar, blue couplers. A little flashier.

3. Polished/almost chrome valve cover and strut bar, black strut bar brackets, blue coil cover and couplers. BLING BLING bishes!

Opinions welcome. I'm NOT considering other colors, period. It will be some combination of black, silver, and candy blue.

I would shy away from polished or chromed components because it's harder to keep them looking clean.

I like option #2, personally. Have you considered ceramic coating the IC piping instead of powdercoating?

And what do you think about powdercoating some of the otehr stuff like the PS reservoir? I would recommend doing the pulleys as well since it makes a world of difference in looks.

-Andy

Actually, the IC piping is going to get painted... the hot side is already done in satin black 500 degree engine paint, and I'm happy with it, so to cut down on costs I'm just going to spray the cold pipe too.

That's a good point about the "almost chrome" color being upkeep-intensive, I honestly hadn't thought about it. I'll still do the ARC box and the coolant tank in that color, but that's because they're bare aluminum and I'd rather wipe them down than have to fight oxidation.

I don't know on the pulleys. I've got the Kougaku water pump pulley, which is anodized blue, and it probably won't match the blue I have in mind for the VC. I guess I might have to have all but the crank pulley done, or black out the WP pulley to match the others. I hadn't planned on doing the pulleys, I've got a pretty good price for the VC/strut bar/tank and box, and adding to that will start to nickel-and-dime me to death.

Actually, the IC piping is going to get painted... the hot side is already done in satin black 500 degree engine paint, and I'm happy with it, so to cut down on costs I'm just going to spray the cold pipe too.
Understood. I was mainly suggesting that to cut down on the piping soaking up the engine bay heat. The black satin will help a little bit, but obviously not as much as ceramic.

That's a good point about the "almost chrome" color being upkeep-intensive, I honestly hadn't thought about it. I'll still do the ARC box and the coolant tank in that color, but that's because they're bare aluminum and I'd rather wipe them down than have to fight oxidation.
I've had reasonable luck using a Rustoleum clear on bare aluminum, but it doesn't hold up well against fluids other than water. I like the aluminum color though, and wonder if there isn't a powdercoat color that matches it exactly. Do they make clear powdercoat?

I don't know on the pulleys. I've got the Kougaku water pump pulley, which is anodized blue, and it probably won't match the blue I have in mind for the VC. I guess I might have to have all but the crank pulley done, or black out the WP pulley to match the others. I hadn't planned on doing the pulleys, I've got a pretty good price for the VC/strut bar/tank and box, and adding to that will start to nickel-and-dime me to death.
I remember you having the underdriven WP pulley, and was thinking you'd do all of them at once. As for the crank pulley, it's going to be a little more work but I think it's worth it.

Most of my comments were along the lines of not being quite as money-conscious as you mentioned in the last post since you "had money burning a hole in your pocket" in the first post. :)

-Andy

True, I guess I contradicted myself on the cash issue. Let's say I have some money for the work but I'm still cheap at heart.

There IS clear powdercoating from what I've been told. There's also an "almost chrome" color that looks a lot like a polished finish, and there's a "cast aluminum" color that looks much like its name.

polish the fuel rail and injector caps maybe?

or pc the fuel rail, and polish the injector caps or vice versa!!

Fuel rail already black. Injector caps already silver :D

spray the ic pipes black.
blue vc polished letters, black plug cover polished letters
full black fstb or full blue ( i think u can go either way here or u could polish it)
pull the intake mani off, paint it black toss it back on
blue couplings
polished intake box and coolant res

then detail the ball out of the engine bay and i think she'd look really good.

stratton.

Hmmm, black coil cover. Interesting. I thought about it, maybe I will.

Already pulled the intake manifold to paint it silver, it's going to stay that way. I've always thought they kind of look weird any other color (except polished) anyway; you can see more of the block on an S13 than a B-chassis, so I think it flows better with the whole thing being silver.