Black out & carbon fiber are the new improved bling.... I really respect folks who can make their engine bays sparkle.
Ok... So I was helping a friend with a brake job today and applied a few coats of plastidip between wheels. Before: AFTER:
LOL. I had the same thought, but that part sees much more heat than the others. I think I saw some tinting spray... Like transparent paint. I wonder if it would hold up to the heat?
The trick is to use a paint pen... Like a fat Sharpie (fiber/felt tip), but with an opaque paint instead of transparent ink... The kind like the metallic markers from a few years ago where you depress the tip to recoat with paint. The raised letters make it surprisingly easy to get good results, though I recommend using a water-based paint and having a good supply of q-tips at the ready to fix your mistakes.
Very Cool! I've done stuff like that before with good results and I kinda thought maybe that's what you may be doing. Thanks for the info and now I'm off to be a copy-cat.....:beer: Thanks.
I checked last night... After a 45 min highway drive and 30 min to cool, that valve cover logo / metal plate was too hot to touch for more than a few seconds. Vinyl won't work and regular paint (like a transparent tint spray) may have a problem as well. A high-temp paint may work, but reproducing the logo in paint may be more than I'm ready for.
FYI, if you remove the MINI plate from the valve cover, it says "1.6L 16 Valve" under it in raised letters that could probably be easily painted with red brake caliper paint.
I finished the inner Intercooler scoop (an aftermarket piece that comes with the big Intercooler). It was scratched and overly worn from the previous owner... Time for a clean-up