detailing an engine bay

[Shoestringracer]

How much do you think it would cost, how would it be achieved (ie new parts or can you clean-up current ones?) and who do you think you would get to do it if you wanted your mk1 golf engine bay to look as shiney as this one in the link below (you might have to scroll down to the eninge bay picture):

http://www.4starclassics.com/VW-Golf-GTi-For-Sale-...

Thanks

[//j17]

Better question - why would you bother.

Never will understand what goes through the minds of polishers.

[grumpy52]

if paying to have it done it will probably be more than the value of the car (engine /trans out strip clean paint polish new parts.strip engine bay paint polish new parts etc etc)
It is far more work than you would ever dream of,done a few at work.

[Shoestringracer]

//j17 said:

Better question - why would you bother.

Never will understand what goes through the minds of polishers.

becasue the only significant differnec between my Mk1 GTI and the one in the advert is the condition of the underbonnet area. And the one on the advert is up for £12k

[Shoestringracer]

grumpy52 said:

if paying to have it done it will probably be more than the value of the car (engine /trans out strip clean paint polish new parts.strip engine bay paint polish new parts etc etc)
It is far more work than you would ever dream of,done a few at work.

Well car in advert is up for £12k - even if we assume it will sell for less, would it really cost several thousand? Mine wouldn't need engine bay repainting, just every thing cleaning.

[grumpy52]

Just cleaning will never do it.Strip it down after engine removal replace all hoses a fastening repaint loads .do you want it factory original ?
Add the hours up add the parts and add the time to find the had to get parts.
Even new stuff will require brining up to spec.

[SV8Predator]

It's definitely an engine-out job.

So your best plan is to sell your car and buy the one for £12K.

[felixlighter]

//j17 said:

Better question - why would you bother.

Never will understand what goes through the minds of polishers.

Because when an old car breaks down( and it will, lots) you don't get covered in sh@t fixing it.
Here's mine

before it's been cleaned

[Shoestringracer]

But isn't details like the enigine bay that would lift my car from "very smart so £6k" to "exceptional so £12k"? So if it cost £2k I'd stil be quids in?

Any profit would be "reinvested" by the way.

[SV8Predator]

It's mainly "labour" and a lot of new parts. You certainly could do it for £2K if you did the work yourself. That's if you have skill and the required sense of detail.

But if you are thinking of paying someone to do this, then as I said, buy the other car.

[gforceg]

All that effort...then look at the top of the suspension strut.

[grumpy52]

£2k might just cover labour at a restorer but probably double that plus parts plus sundries plus vat suddenly it's £5k !
It's a big jump from very tidy to show or award winning standard and takes many many many hours of work.

[rouge59]

felixlighter said:

Because when an old car breaks down( and it will, lots) you don't get covered in sh@t fixing it.
Here's mine

before it's been cleaned

You need to start thinking about trying to get a girlfriend, laddie.

Just a heads-up, but your clean engine bay won't give you blowies or wipe your arse when you're a dribbling pensioner.

[grumpy52]

rouge59 said:

felixlighter said:

Because when an old car breaks down( and it will, lots) you don't get covered in sh@t fixing it.
Here's mine

before it's been cleaned

You need to start thinking about trying to get a girlfriend, laddie.

Just a heads-up, but your clean engine bay won't give you blowies or wipe your arse when you're a dribbling pensioner.

Classic cars are far more rewarding and cheaper to maintain than any of my ex wives !

[rouge59]

grumpy52 said:

Classic cars are far more rewarding and cheaper to maintain than any of my ex wives !

Indeed, but there's a whole world of difference between admirably and conscientiously maintaining a classic car and polishing the oily bits of an engine to a ridiculously obsessive degree.

[longshot]

What's the condition of the engine bay at the moment?
Any pics?

[IroningMan]

felixlighter said:

Because when an old car breaks down( and it will, lots) you don't get covered in sh@t fixing it.
Here's mine

before it's been cleaned

Your car has too many water pumps.

[nta16]

felixlighter said:

Because when an old car breaks down (and it will, lots)

it depends on who owns and uses that car, if it's someone that spends more time keeping it clean than regularly using the car and regularly attending to servicing, maintenance and repairs then yes that old car will probably break down a lot

usual myth perpetuated about how unreliable classics are - that's like on all cars is down to the previous and present owners, a big fault with most classics

many classics have 'scruffy' engine bays but the ones that are actually used I'd put my money on them being a lot more reliable and capable of being driven the way they were designed to rather than the highly polished ones dribbling along to annual MoTs or local shows IF it's a sunny Sunday

yes keeping the engine bay reasonably clean helps but it does have to be anywhere near to show queen standards

to clean an engine bay to look better for sales photos takes a couple of hours only, if there's rust then it will stand out but it would still stand out anyway when the car is viewed if it's just been painted

I think the OP is having a joke by putting detailing his engine bay would increase his cars value by £6k - if he's not ... :shakeshead:

[Shoestringracer]

There are very few "virtually perfect" cars and comparatively many "very good cars" therefore there is a significant price difference. Given that I am thinking of selling anyway, and already have a good starting point with a mk1 Golf that has never been welded, has been repainted and extensive mechanical work recently, I was trying to work out if it would be cost effective to move my car from very good to as near to perfect as it will ever be. The biggest difference between my car and the advertised car is the engine bay. I'd also need to change one of the bumpers and have the one inch of stitching that I currently ignore is coming undone, restitched.

This isn't a taste thing, I have no personal interest in shiny engines, but if I could sell my car for more and therefore have more money to spend on the replacement, then that would be a good thing.

If I was selling a house in which I’d replaced the roof, fitted a new bathroom and extended the kitchen then I would make sure I also gave it a lick of paint before I put it on the market.

[Flatinfourth]

grumpy52 said:

£2k might just cover labour at a restorer but probably double that plus parts plus sundries plus vat suddenly it's £5k !
It's a big jump from very tidy to show or award winning standard and takes many many many hours of work.

Thats a pretty accurate observation

the work in creating an engine bay to that level of detail is measured in weeks, ad normally results in an undriveable trailer queen. A racer should wlways be clean, it's how you spot things that arent right, but a road car just gets dirty all the time, and the cleaning process knocks the high finish off.