General TR engine bay color

[NutmegCT]

When I first got my 1959 TR3 in 2005, the engine bay was carefully painted with a kind of rubbery black stuff. You could scratch it off with fingernails. I scraped it off - what a project - and found the original red to match the car's exterior.

Was there a trend long ago to have engine bays a dark color?

Seems I recall a topic here years ago about that - like the 1960s or 1970s?

Thanks.
Tom

 

[TomMull]

Since there are quite a few black engine bays here in NE at least, I can only assume that someone was successful with a DIY engine bay rattle can paint promotion at some point. An additional suggestion might be that when if color was changed the black was put on as an easier option than painting it the car color with the engine and all in place.
Tom

 

[Danno]

From the description of the "rubbery black stuff" being scrapped off with a thumbnail, I think it was rattle can undercoating. The car was probably from the northern or eastern "Rustbelt" of USA. or Canada, originally.

 

[pdplot]

Some years ago, I drove a TR3 in Darien, CT that had the engine bay sprayed with that black stuff. I didn't buy the car though. It was in great shape and was painted white. Could it be the same car?

 

[NutmegCT]

Some years ago, I drove a TR3 in Darien, CT that had the engine bay sprayed with that black stuff. I didn't buy the car though. It was in great shape and was painted white. Could it be the same car?

Got mine from a guy in Pennsylvania, so probably not the same. I'm trying to figure if there was a "trend" back in the 1960s to spray or coat your engine bay with that black stuff - or even just black paint for some reason.

Thanks.
Tom

 

[3798j]

There wasn't any black engine bay movement in PA back in the '60's that I was aware of. In the group I hung with we had that area as waxed and detailed as the exterior.

 

[sammyb]

I see black TR engine bays all the time. Basically, what usually happens is that some previous owner had the car painted a different color than as-new. When they find out how expensive it is to do a color change on an engine bay, they (or the next owner) just rattle can it black. Some will do undercoating to stop rusting, but as we know from owning TRs, the engine leaks usually prevent rust in all areas other than under the battery.

 

[DornTRoriginal]

Maybe this will help or inspire? I got this picture from someone and it has been my goal to duplicate this in my car.

 

[Geo Hahn]

... it has been my goal to duplicate this in my car.

Wow -- that is shiny. Mine isn't that distinguished looking but I do like a tidy engine bay. We've all seen ebay listings where a fabulous restoration suddenly takes a turn for the worse when the pics of the engine come up.

 

[martx-5]

Of course, one way to deal with the "black engine bay" problem is just to paint the whole car black.