How to create a "Minimalistic" Engine Bay Look?

[Sleek Z]

I am looking for solutions to creating a "Minimalistic" Engine Bay look?

 

I've used hybridz's search feature on this question and have had no luck finding references to creating a "minimalistic" or "show quality" engine bay look. If anyone can point me to thread links here or elsewhere on the net that would give me examples or solutions or direct me to alternative parts related to my objectives listed below, I'd appreciate knowing about them from the collective knowledge and wisdom often found at HybridZ forums.

 

I have long wanted to create a Z show car experiment that would feature, among other things, a super smooth surfaced & clean looking engine bay with virtually no clutter or common engine bay components visible, ie. engine wiring harness, brake master vac and brake cylinder, clutch cylinder, stock hood latch receiver, battery, stock hardware mounts, misc accessory brackets, fuel and brake lines and mount brackets, coil, etc.

 

Put another way, I want to achieve a look wherein a highly detailed and customized engine appears to almost be suspended in mid air with very few external components appearing to connect to it from the visible engine bay area when viewed from most angles.

 

To see one example of a showcar engine bay that has long inspired me, go to this link on my site,

 

http://www.zparts.com/showcase/engines/pages/orangv8m.html

 

Note: actual engine to be transplanted into my planned minmalistic looking Z car engine bay concept has not been decided on. RacerX's suggestion of the stylish Yamaha engine that came stock in some Ford SHO models has been one of my favorites. Extreme power will not be so important to me as aesthetics vs cost. Personally, I'd like to find a long, low looking design that could be altered externally to end up looking a bit like a tube or domed top shaped "rocket" engine after a certain amount of fabrication of cosmetic sheet metal covers were made to hide most ugly looking components from view or customize the aesthetic appeal of stock components All recommendations about what models of cars or engine's to investigate for my purpose would be most welcome, no matter how non traditional or off the wall they may be.

 

I think I have already figured out solutions to removal or rerouting of most components I want to hide or relocate, but what to do about the ugly looking brake master vac, brake master cylinder and clutch cylinder has me stumped at the moment. What I am looking for are alternatives to the Nissan brake and clutch systems that will not require me to mount them on the firewall or large area of the engine bay. Are there other types of brake and clutch systems on other models of cars or for hot rod showcars that I could either mount on the inside area of the firewall, in the empty area below the windshield cowl, under the inspection lids or elsewhere that would give me reliable and safe replacement brake and clutch systems to use for my objectives?

 

Currently, I have 6 straight Z car bodies here that I can use one of to experiment on so I have lots of optional bodies to experiment on. At the moment I am parting out a nicely preserved and straight, 76 280Z body that has excellent condition original paint in it's engine bay. After I strip it completely of all unboltable components, I hope to clean it up for reference photos, shot from many angles, to use later on as background images to create overlay illustrations over top the factory details for purposes of arriving at a final "minimalistic" look that will appeal to me. After I get all the photo angles and details of the cleaned up engine bay taken, I intend to publish them on my site as reference for others working on engine swaps and engine bay layout projects.

 

OK, I really would appreciate all of your comments, suggestions and alternative brake & clutch parts source recommendations if you have any, no matter how unorthodox or unusual.

 

Thanks much,

[Sparks280zt]

your link dosent work

[Sleek Z]

I noticed the URL as being incomplete and tried to re edit the post, but online editing software would not change it in the displayed post. However, it does now work for me in my browser.

 

The URL to the "The Predator" engine bay shot should read

 

http://www.zparts.com/showcase/engines/pages/orangv8m.html

[Mike kZ]

For the brake, and clutch cylinders, you can go either under the floor, or under the dash. : http://www.ecihotrodbrakes.com/master_cylinder_systems.html

[evildky]

something like this?

of course it'snot a v8 but same concept

[MusPuppis]

Would it be possible to find a "short engine" and mount it as far forward in the bay as humanly possible? You mention its a show car and not so much based on performance, so I dont see weight bias being an issue. With the engine pushed forward a ways you could fab up a fake firewall mounted a healthy ways forward to cover up the components on the stock firewall. I wonder if it would be possble to further this effect by removing the stock firewall and locating it an inch or two further into the cab. Granted, I have no idea how it would look and what clearance issues would come up but its what comes to mind.

 

With some artistic flare and some interesting paint work I would think the fake firewall wouldnt have to cover all the components. You could make sheet metal/fiberglass "covers" for the compents and perhaps employ some pin striping or paint effects in the engine bay to tie it all together and kind of work the shapes into the over-all theme.

 

I know the rotary engines are pretty tiny, God knows what kind of room you'd have for covers/relocated components with a rotary swapped in. The SR20DET is also a great looking engine that doesnt take up a whole lot of room, but of course with a turbo motor theres more crap to hide. The SHO motors are quite nice looking as mentioned.

 

A member made a post recently about an Opel Manta and the engine in the car impressed me. Of course, hes done a metric ***-ton of work to it, but the shape and semetry are great. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=105672

[auxilary]

I know the rotary engines are pretty tiny, God knows what kind of room you'd have for covers/relocated components with a rotary swapped in.

why guess? it looks like this:

 

[MusPuppis]

Wholey crap.

 

Ya know.. You could weld in some seat mounts and put an extra seat in front of that thing.

 

Not a bad looking engine though. Teeny.

[Gollum]

Just imagine how a NA 3 rotor would look in there. :drooooooooool:

 

I want to move out of state now. :still wiping drool off face:

[BWRex]

Just laughing at Muspuppis's post!:biggrin:Looks real good though.Anyone have a photo of a clean TPI install?

[Owen]

something like this?

of course it'snot a v8 but same concept

 

I love that pic. What "bothers" me is the visible stampings in the metal, and where two pieces of metal are welded together, strut towers etc. IF I were to do something like you are asking, I would smooth the entire engine bay, make it look like a smooth curvy bathtub:-)

 

I think two40musclez (Van) has a fake firewall concept going.

Owen

[Owen]

Just laughing at Muspuppis's post!:biggrin:Looks real good though.Anyone have a photo of a clean TPI install?

 

When I had my TPIS MiniRam2, the area underneath the plenum was hollow and I passed all my wires through there, I thought it was pretty clean.

 

OR you can always overshadow the wires and stuff by making everything else shiny! Ever see the Chiyane?

http://www.chicayne.com/images.html

[auxilary]

Just laughing at Muspuppis's post!:biggrin:Looks real good though.Anyone have a photo of a clean TPI install?

Dan Juday's

[AK-Z]

something like this?

of course it'snot a v8 but same concept

Where did you get those ITBs? I've been looking everywhere I could think of for those with no luck.

[cyrus]

I love that pic. What "bothers" me is the visible stampings in the metal' date=' and where two pieces of metal are welded together, strut towers etc. IF I were to do something like you are asking, I would smooth the entire engine bay, make it look like a smooth curvy bathtub:-)

 

Owen[/quote']

 

All it takes is enough bondo my friend...

[Cruez]

Some of the stampings like in the firewall may need to be left alone or put a false cover over it. If completely flat, it will be flimsy. The stamping and creasing gives rididity to flat panels.

[Sleek Z]

Guys

 

Wanted to thank all for the good response so far to my "minimalistic" concept & solution post.

 

Mike KZ's link to alternate brake and clutch alternatives was the most useful. I am most hoping that others will share more links to similar companies and products similar to what Mike pointed me to.

 

Most of the ideas brought up have crossed my mind or I agree with, especially Owen's. When I have a bit more time I will address the pros and cons of several suggested to the point that I have thought them out so far.

 

I have always been attracted to the rotary engine in a Z, but aesthetically, it does not look suitable to concept under consideration, but I must admit that I have not yet had the opportunity to study one up close to analyse what on the engine could be re routed to suit my goals so I'll keep it as a "maybe". So far, a FI V8 (V10 if I had the money) makes most sense to achieve the look I am after, but like most I'd prefer to use a Nissan engine in a Z. Last year someone sent me a 12 page write up and an entire CD of swap photos of a VH45 being installed in a bright red Targa racing class 240Z that was inspiring to review, but that engine is just way too wide to consider for my goals. So what I am saying is that an engine can be too small or way too large to look aesthetically balanced in an S30 engine bay. What I am seeking is a cosmetically simple looking engine of size that will not overly dominate the cleaned up engine bay nor look like like a bag of groceries tossed into a trunk. The Z engine bay is long and I think it needs an engine shape and length suitable balanced to those proportions that is not excessively tall.

 

I still think there's potential to use the a EFI L6 for this project so my first minimalistic experiment in this direction may settle for doing something with the L6 so I can devote most of my effort to stylizing the rest of the engine bay by removing most visually ugly stock components and re locating them elsewhere.

 

Please keep your comments and suggestions coming.

 

btw, what happened to the old controls that allowed a person to include a photo within a post? I may want to add an marked up photo to illustrate some of my thinking here, but can not figure out how to include the image in the post like some have with the showcar from Japan. Please clue me.

[Guest Z kid]

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=6738&cat=500&page=2

 

I like the false firewall here on Nixcars car, it really smoothes it out and partitions off the battery at the same time.

Chris

[2003z]

this is what is great about this site. Unlike others, people don't knock your ideas, even when they are not what they would do themselves!

[Owen]

You obviously haven't been to the Tool Shed!

http://forums.hybridz.org/forumdisplay.php?f=78

 

Hmm, maybe I should buy Tim240Zs car and put some scissor doors on it!

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=101615