Nothing particularly important here. Just a couple of shots of how the under hood view has changed on my car.
When I bought this car in 2015 I set out on a journey to make it mine. My goals were to do a few day 2 mods to improve the driving experience (A/C, electronic ignition, 4v, manual trans, 3.50 gears, etc.) and to do those cosmetic things I could afford to make it appear more original. Over time I’ve moved the dial a bit on the engine bay.
When I got the car, the dealer had done this.
My first major upgrade was the Vintage Air install. The shop that did it routed the suction side hose in front of the air cleaner for some reason which always bothered me, as did the too light blue paint on the air cleaner and motor.
Some progress here on colors and finishes (and yes, I know the rubber seal on the radiator support isn’t correct for a 351 car but I came across it and it seems to make a bit of difference on airflow).
Guessing you purchased a decal “kit” since they come with decals that often are not correct for the cars with are labeled for
What is the decal you have on the snorkel?
A few decals you have applied are not original to your car (guessing a 70 Dearborn car) not sure how "correct you want things to be so will hold back on specifics until asked or not asked
Did you paint the engine in or out of the car?
What did you use to clean the oil residue off the engine?
Any other tricks to getting good paint adhesion?
Certainly not aiming for perfection since this is a driver and just a standard convertible. Some of the decals aren’t right for sure like the air cleaner stuff, especially since it was a 2V car to start. I’ve seen the emission sticker in lots of places and never have figured out which was correct. I put it on the snorkle because there was a little ding there I’ve also likely been influenced by pics of Mustangs since they’re so much more common on the interwebs.
I painted the engine in car so it’s far from perfect. I just use some generic cleaning wipes to with a citrus base to clean off the oil.
You know, I was showing my Cougar’s engine compartment to a non-car but railroad buff friend yesterday. I was relating the deep satisfaction we get from the illusion we create with our cars - i.e., that it’s one or two years after delivery - and how that’s like model railroading, which also creates an illusion of a long-lost year and place.
That’s a great way to look at it. As these all roll past their 50th birthdays, I feel even more strongly that even the plain Jane’s ought to be curated almost like museum pieces. We don’t really own them so much as care for them until the next in line comes along to pick up the task. Always a tricky question of balance for me personally between preservation, restoration, and modification for enjoyment.
I’ve also likely been influenced by pics of Mustangs since they’re so much more common on the interwebs.