• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

barrett jackson in nc

bugimike

Yoda
Offline
Did anybody catch the show on speed last night and see the BE and TR featured on the stage? Was wondering if either of the owners were forum members? Both nice cars representing LBCs! Poor ole BE always gets a bit of the pooh-pooh treatment though!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif
 
Missed it, son was over and we talked everything but cars.
 
yep saw them both and also the poor mini
 
I was suprised they valueld the Bugeye at $10'000 to $15,000 with an engine bay that hadn't been touched in many years.
 
Judging by the dust on the inner fenders of the BE, it was driven there and not even wiped down or anything before being put on the stage!
 
Your observation about the engine compartment not having been touched for many years prompts me to ask a supplementary question...

When you have done a down-to-the-bare-metal restoration such as many of you guys have done, and one day I may summon the courage to do, how do you keep that pristine condition under the bonnet if you are driving the car reasonably often?

I can understand it's easy if you have a trailer queen...
 
You have to clean it... often.

Mine used to be very clean, but the cleaning time was cutting into the driving time. Now it is presentable, nut certainly not a show winner.
 
You know that's a fine question for this Tuesday morning.

Miss Agatha will not be a trailer queen, she says she is ready to run and run for another 48 years but I do know the engine room will get dirty and I would like to keep it nice.

something other than q tips please. What have you found acceptable?
 
The best advice is to not let it get too bad. Clean it as often as time permits, and clean everything. Make a list of things that you can clean and make a check sheet. This way you'll know what areas you are neglecting.

Other than that Popsicle sticks and tongue depressor help you get your cleaning rags into areas that too small for fat fingers.
 
My goodness trevor, I have no intention of doing that how about a power wash with chemicals.
 
Sure you can power wash, but I wouldn't use any chemicals other than car wash. The extra greasy bits you'll need to do by hand. Be sure your electrical connections are protected with dielectric greasy or some spray silicon.
 
A few good points made in that aricle Trevor! One thing to keep in mind is that a half ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!! For example, corroded battery terminals can be totally avoided with a simple application of some Vaseline to coat the terminals and clamps. Vigilance over oil leaks is another. The less oily, greasy build-up, the less there is for dust to settle on and become "sludge". Dust is easier to eliminate with a little wash-down than oily grime. In short, a little cleaning often will preclude a major mess and major clean-up later!
 
Of course, the more oily, greasy build-up, the more rust protection you get!
 
The underside of my bugeye will attest to what Drew said.
 
We are talking under the bonnet of a "done-up" car (of which mine is certainly no example!), and that is what a good few coats of paint are supposed to protect... The underside on mine will attest to your point as well, as will the drive-shaft tunnel (which is pristine with all the oil that has been dumped in there at times - bad tranny seals!!). Remember, all that dirty, protective film you speak of, on an engine can actually hide potential leaks and problems.
 
Back
Top