Engine bay • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **LITEMUP (Von)** » 13 Oct 2002 20:13

i am re-working my engine bay because it wasn't done the way I wanted it in the beginning and my motor came out because i spun a berring. i want to relocate as much stuff as possible from my fire wall to somewhere else. i am in need of as much help as possible. any suggestions would be appreciated. also wiring tips...

by **Dave_R (Roppa440)** » 13 Oct 2002 20:22

The electrical stuff you can mount under the dash. You can also create fake inner fenders to hide stuff behind.

by **Hans (72challenger)** » 14 Oct 2002 10:52

I'm doing the same thing, so here are some things I will change. There is a 'device' near the battery tray which connects a couple of wires (from there you could start the car someway) and there's also something on the driverside of the radiatorsupport with multiple wires. I will place these two things under the battery tray, out of sight. The orange ignition box will stay in his place but the coil will be moved under the ignition box and the voltage regulator on the left side of the orange box. For the rest I will reroute the wires in the way I like it and put everything in some flexible black plastic hose.

This way everything will look nice sharp and clean, but it's quite a bit of work. But hey, what you want to do else in wintertime? Sitting in front of the fireplace...not!

And I will do more, but I forgot.

by **LITEMUP (Von)** » 14 Oct 2002 16:06

currently all i have on the passenger fender well is a heater valve. I already remeoved the starter relay down to the tranny. i have no battery up front and when I repainted my car I didn't do anything about the rust from the battery acid. now I am. I will either replace it or just take out the flat place all together and just make it go straight down. You understand that? I like the idea of the stuff under the dash. I want to try that. where do i make the wiring go that turns all my lights on?

What color do the brake lines that coil right after the resivoir need to be? and the proportioning valve?

is there any way to get green paint (to match my car) to stick on my motor. Even if its not high heat?

by **Hans (72challenger)** » 14 Oct 2002 17:57

Heater valve on the passenger fender well? I only have a screen washer reservoir on that well. Yes, I understand about the starter relay, I couldn't think of the name this morning.

I also thought to throw the battery in the trunk, but then I have to buy a kit again. If I would homemade it, they will make it difficult for me on the strip. Maybe next year I will move it to the trunk.

I believe the brake lines should have an unfinished appearance and the reservoir be left unfinished too. Maybe someone can confirm this or change my mind?

You could make the wiring for the lights go through the inner fender (above the front wheels) to the front. I will let it run to the front just above the chassis. Then you still can see it from outside of the car but it is only one 'hose' of wires on the driverside (lights) and one on the other side. (alternator & window washer)

And for the green paint maybe you could ask someone out of the paint business. Maybe they know it. The only thing I know is that normal paint will burn off in a couple of minutes. And that it will look better in Hemi-orange...(my opinion)

by **Dave_R (Roppa440)** » 14 Oct 2002 19:52

Normal paint works ok on an engine but washes off when you spill fuel!
Most paint suppliers can mix you up a tin of engine enamel and match it like any other paint. Most will do a spray can for you too if you want.

Yes the brake lines etc should be bare metal (or a paint that looks like bare metal).

by **LITEMUP (Von)** » 14 Oct 2002 19:57

thanks, i would leave them bare but i didn't want them rusting or something like that.

by **Dave_R (Roppa440)** » 14 Oct 2002 20:41

This should give you something to aim for.

This is my mates little Dodge Dart. Now is that an engine bay or what?

by **Jeff Maxwell (Redchalleng** » 15 Oct 2002 4:16

That's not what my mom's Dart looked like! WOW!

by **Dave_R (Roppa440)** » 15 Oct 2002 8:16

If you want to know where the brakes are they are in the floor. It is possible to mount brakes up under the dash on some cars but the Dart was just too tight.

by **Luke (Luke)** » 15 Oct 2002 9:58

don't paint brake lines as it holdes the heat and resoults in brake fade. yeah I no bad spelling.

by **LITEMUP (Von)** » 29 Oct 2002 20:48

on my 74, i have a wiring harness that plugs into the fuse block and goes to my orange box, my voltage reg. and my little resistor thing. then it has another quick connect that runs to my engine. if i want to put my orange box, voltage reg. and resistor up under my dash, how would i separate these wires? do i just need to pull the black tape off? keep in mind that i make alot of mistakes before the final result so if you tell me something drastic keep it idiot proof. (not really, i need this to look as good and as clean as it possibily can.)

by **LITEMUP (Von)** » 29 Oct 2002 20:54

how do i make fake inner fender wells

by **Dave_R (Roppa440)** » 29 Oct 2002 22:16

The black tape will cut off if you are careful. You might need (or it might be easier) to make up new wires.

In the 1980s I saw a few "Pro Street" cars where the owners had just used sheets of ally to line the inside of the engine bay over the stock inner fenders to look like the pro stockers at the time. That is what I was refering to. I guess you would make them up in cardboard first as a template and then cut and bend them in ally sheet. Just a thought I had and could easily look either completely cool or completely crap. The way you are going with removing all the stuff from the inner fenders will look much better.