Upper Intake;
As the upper intake was originally powder coated I thought about taking somewhere and having it redone, but the surface was intact, just dingy. I tried compound and wax but that didn't do it.
I ended up glass beading it. Not enough to really remove the powder coat, just enough to scuff up the surface and remove any grime. I basically just held the gun about 6" from the part. I used corks and plugs to seal all the opening.
You probably could sand it, but the "pebbled" type finish would make it difficult to get in the low spots.
If sanding I think I would use a maroon scotch bright with Pre, or some other pre-paint solvent.
Anyway, a coat of Eastwood 2K epoxy primer and I was ready for topcoat.
Again, after some experimentation, I found a very good match for the OEM finish. It's a tough color to match as it's a slightly dark silver but with almost no metal flake. What flake there is, is very tiny.
Anyhow, "Rust-Oleum Silver Engine Enamel" was a really good match.
I think it turned out pretty nice. I thought about smoothing some of the rough spots and lumps in the casting, but then thought that's how it was to begin with so I resisted the urge.
I'll soon be running out of things to do and will have to tackle the engine compartment before long… Not sure why I'm avoiding it. Guess I need to just jump right in.
Hope this helps someone else.
robj
