What's your color choice for LT5s?

[Bob Eyres]

Originally Posted by efnfast

As I clean up, and dress up under the hood, I worry about making it too busy. LT-5 this, ZR-1 that.

I agree, it looks better undecorated.

Dom- TestaROSSA ZR-1? Say it ain't so. The ZR-1 is TestaARGENTO !

I'm a fan of the engine in the last shot of Tony Davila's pix. What is that color? Or is it polished? It looks like it might be smoothed and painted. Maybe it's just the lighting, but that says baddass LT5 to me.

I think a lot of LT5's would not have been repainted had the factory done a good job of finishing it in the first place. Mine's an ugly battleship gray, but I can't bring myself to re-spray it after 20+ years.

[XfireZ51]

The LT-5 is by far the most attractive GM engine ever or since. It presents such a "canvas" for the owner to express their own sense of the mechanicals. The characteristics are clearly sculpted within the form of the motor. Nothing hidden or buried as part of an amorphous mass. When I think of DOHC, I think Ferrari with that wonderful red crinkle finish. Apparently Lotus thinks the same way.

[USAZR1]

One of the member's LT5's has been powdercoated in a Metallic Silver with a light Gold tint that I thought was very classy. Anyone remember that one?

[Tony Davila]

Originally Posted by Bob Eyres

I'm a fan of the engine in the last shot of Tony Davila's pix. What is that color? Or is it polished? It looks like it might be smoothed and painted. Maybe it's just the lighting, but that says baddass LT5 to me.

Bob, top of intake is polished and the runners are smoothed and painted a Toyota Silver metallic paint.

[taximan]

It was a tough decision for me, but just a little silver finish worked for me.

[Bob Eyres]

Originally Posted by Tony Davila

Bob, top of intake is polished and the runners are smoothed and painted a Toyota Silver metallic paint.

Ah, I see. Tricky, no wonder why I couldn't figure it out.

A lot of the look in the picture depends on the lighting in the photograph. The flash in the above pic hit it stronger, and that doesn't complement the look.
I think the best way to shoot most of them is in soft daylight, outside. But Tony's would probably look best at night with a little sidelight, no flash. Evil.

[XfireZ51]

Tony,

How did you do the runners while polishing the top? Did you mask off at the edge? I recall seeing an LT-5 where the runners had a "black chrome" finish while the rest of the plenum was either polished. The look was of each individual runner having been masked off while the plenum box itself and its surfaces were polished. Looked like a heck of a job.

[-=Jeff=-]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Tony,

How did you do the runners while polishing the top? Did you mask off at the edge? I recall seeing an LT-5 where the runners had a "black chrome" finish while the rest of the plenum was either polished. The look was of each individual runner having been masked off while the plenum box itself and its surfaces were polished. Looked like a heck of a job.

Dom his plenum is painted with the same scheme as mine, just different color

[XfireZ51]

Jeff,

Yeah that's what I thought. As I said there was another plenum where the runners were painted individually and appeared to merge into a polished plenum box. I would have loved to do that but it looked like an incredible amount of work. Maybe someone has a picture of that.

[Tony Davila]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Jeff,

Yeah that's what I thought. As I said there was another plenum where the runners were painted individually and appeared to merge into a polished plenum box. I would have loved to do that but it looked like an incredible amount of work. Maybe someone has a picture of that.

The hardest work is smoothing out the runners. The polishing of the top is not that difficult because it is flat and the surface is not as course as the runners. Did it all on a buffing wheel, then mask off for paint.