Under-bonnet scenery

[Asimo]

Many moderns hide their engines under a bit of stylised metal-look plastic, as if the maker was embarrassed by the shoddy tangle of tubes, wires, clips, but couldn't be arsed to actually DO anything about it

 

Really old cars didn't "style" their engines with covers, they proudly displayed the important bits. 

 

A proper engine bay should be a pleasure to behold and doddle to work in. 

 

 

Nominations please for the best and worst under-bonnet layouts please.

 

To start the ball rolling, of shite I have owned, my favourite is the SaaB 99 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Triumphslant4saab99.jpg

 

My Transit Connect (petrol) looks pretty untidy and as if accessability is poor but I havn't had it long enough to find out.

[overrun]

I would rather see a nice engine, no shameful hiding.

However, plastic covers over engine and battery etc do wonders to keep a moder looking clean and tidy under there.

 

The occasional wipe over and then under there is as presentable as the rest of it.

[eddyramrod]

It's hard to get something easier to work on, IMHO, than a RWD A-series, such as the A40 Farina.  It's a small simple engine in a roomy bay; ideal.  For beauty, you can fit twin carbs and all kinds of dressup stuff.  Of course for natural beauty this Detroit V8 lover nominates a RWD twink, such as a Fiat 131 or the XK-powered XJ6.

[HillmanImp]

GT6 or Herald/Vitesse for the 'lift up bonnet, sit on wheel while you work' design wins for me.

[overrun]

SW22 MR2 Turbo with the sail panels removed, whilst standing on the space saver.

Not the best access in the world, but it suddenly feels that way.

 

Got no complaints with the CVH in my mk3 Escort.

[fordperv]

I love the space you get to work on Pinto engined cars, you can literally climb in the bay with the engine

 

I presume it's even more roomy to work with a crossflow

[saucedoctor]

I always think that post - 88 Honda engines look a right dogs dinner.

 

Here's the engine, sans cover, of my old S350CDi. What a mess! No wonder they covered it up.

 

[bigroverfan]

escort/orion cvh.

so easy to work on, look nice too with some polishing and painting a few bits.

my rover 200 wedge, easy to work on and pristine.

[bigroverfan]

forgot to add mk2 scirocco, loads of room to work and looks good with a bit of work. that is until i put a 2.8 vr6 in, then there wasnt so much room. fuckin quick though.

[Spiny Norman]

It's another area where good old fashioned inline 4/6 with RWD is a definite advantage,

The old Royale I had was great in that way. An engine bay that can house a V8 is always going to be generously proportioned and even a 3 litre straight 6 had plenty of room round about it, and everything was easily at hand. Not pretty, especially with the grubby air filter housing and cam cover but even a numpty like me could do basic stuff on it,

[plasticvandan]

Morris Minor,HG change in an hour,dont even need to disconnect the zorst,just pull the fannymolds away

[tooSavvy]

my Savvy - having clockworxx lifted from a '05 Twingo - has the same 'upturned washing up bowl' on top of the engine.

 

I junked the air inlet pipe, for a pukka cold feed, and it exposed the front of the block, which now looks like a dry weetabix. 

 

 

 

My plug leads, therfore, are 1 to 4 from the flywheel. 

 

 

TS

[willswitchengage]

I think Rover 2.0 diesel gets the prize for biggest and ugliest engine cover:

 

[HMC]

Ever since the Jag bonnet flipped off in the autumn....

 

 

Theres been no 'under bonnet' scenery as such.....

 

 

As theres no bonnet!

 

I should be picking the replacement bonnet up soon I hope as I havent taken it out since it happened!

 

The XK engine was designed to look impressive at the behest of William Lyons. Doubt he'd have been impressed with the in need of a polish cam covers, nor the pie foil acting as a heat shield for the air intake trunking! Soz Bill, needs must

 

 

[Pillock]

VW Beetle. Pull up a deckchair and do all your work sat down.

[tooSavvy]

VW Beetle. Pull up a deckchair and do all your work sat down.

... buy an IMP and do twice as much!!

 

TS

[Lacquer Peel]

[michael1703]

I haven't got a picture but my mk10 jag engine is pretty nice to look at and easy to work on, front hinged bonnet and there's so much room you can climb in and straddle the engine, taking the carbs off is the most hateful/skin destroying/excruciating job though.

 

Triple su carbs that are on sprung studs, the nuts undo so far and then hit the carb body, but the spring shoots the nut off and putting it back on means you have to compress the springs and try and wriggle the nuts in

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

GT6 or Herald/Vitesse for the 'lift up bonnet, sit on wheel while you work' design wins for me.

 

... and not to forget the ultra accessible gearbox too. 

 

[Mr Livered]

Is it true that it's possible to change the clutch whilst sitting in the drivers seat? Or another one for the myths thread?

[Junkman]

I mustard mitt that I always liked the old J-tin engine bays, what with everything neatly painted in kitschy colours and anodised fittings.

On the other side of the scale, having pretty much exclusively dealt with yanks for a quarter or so century, I was always fascinated with their total lack of neat and tidiness.

They have an air of plumber's aesthetics like their old steam locos do, too.

[spike60]

A fairly cluttered 1992 Corvette bay, a lot of the stuff is air con which never worked. The good news was in over 5 years i had little cause to dig in there.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Is it true that it's possible to change the clutch whilst sitting in the drivers seat? Or another one for the myths thread?

 

I reckon you probably could if you tried, although the passenger seat would be a little easier! It was a wonderful car to work on, which is fortunate considering how often it needed working on!

 

Much is made of removing the gearbox through the cabin, but to be honest it's easier just to pull the whole engine out sometimes - you can disconnect the propshaft in the cabin, remove the bonnet and you barely need to lift the engine to slide it out. 

[NorthernMonkey]

I've always thought the 2.5/2.7 honda lumps in the 8 series Rovers were an impressive looking installation. Not the easiest bay to work in admittedly....

....not mine unfortunately. That one is currently keeping 455g of Heinz's finest fresh on a Tesco shelf somewhere hence the lifting of the above from the interweb

[chaseracer]

The Blingo's engine cover has been leaning on the back fence for some years now. The third time it vibrated loose, breaking its fixing lugs and taking the oil cap off, I tore the bloody thing out in a fit of childish yet satisfying pique. I have not noticed its absence causing any problems...

[Junkman]

I always had a strange liking for these:

 

 

They have a kind of Kraftwerk meets backyard hot rodder feel to them, also when driving what they propel.

Slightly intimidating, but at the same time your best friend. A bit like going for a piss up with a heavyweight boxing champion.
 

[cort16]

Check out my lunchbox

 

IMG_0162 by cort16, on Flickr

[scruff]

Good old Rover V8s always make me grin. Not too bad to work on either - starter motor on some excepted.

 

This is my old Defender, it was neat and tidy until it gained an EFi lump and LPG

 

 

Apologies in advance to Junkman for disgraceful lead routing.

[derek9213]

easy access and loads of room, just the way an engine bay should be

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/derek9213/Photo0014_zps40bd8af9.jpg

[Taff]

yank v8's all the way, esecially the Y-block. Bit of a boat anchor but a thing of beauty

 

my dream:-

 

 

my reality:-