Did you ever notice how much room the engine bay of a '65 Chevy has?

[PappyD340]

I used to have a 65 Chevy pickup and you could near about get in the engine bay and work with no problems, I have a friend who had a Chevy Monza with a 350 and he had to take in to the dealership to get plugs changed and they actually had to loosen the engine from the motor mounts and lift the motor slightly to do the job, they don't make em like they used to!!

[Skydime]

I remember, back in the 80s and early 90s watching many people get up in the engine bay of their 70s and 80s Chevy trucks to work on them. Some of those were big dudes like me too.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Skydime

[signguy2108]

This was back in the days when you could actually see the motor!!!

[martinfan5]

This was back in the days when you could actually see the motor!!!

I can see the motor in my 2001

[Rob Hall]

I can see the top of the engines in my '00 and '11 cars...but really can't see much around them, though. On the Cadillacs, that is partially due to underhood panels that cover the dirty bits. Some of the Jeep engine is visible. On my vintage '87 Mustang GT I can see a lot of the engine and a bit of the ground..

[martinfan5]

On my vintage '87 Mustang GT

That made me laugh out loud , is 87 considered vintage already?

Edited September 24, 2013 by martinfan5

[Rob Hall]

That made me laugh out loud , is 87 considered vintage already?

Well, it is over 25 years old... it's definitely an older car...my '00s are just past the edge of what I'd consider 'late model'.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Rob Hall

[martinfan5]

Well, it is over 25 years old...got it new, it's definitely an older car...

So that means I am vintage, so that would make you? over the hill? :lol:

[Rob Hall]

So that means I am vintage, so that would make you? over the hill? :lol:

Don't think such automotive terms apply to people...some days I do feel ancient, though..

[martinfan5]

Don't think such automotive terms apply to people...some days I do feel ancient, though..

I know, I was just messing with you my friend

Edited September 24, 2013 by martinfan5

[jeffs396]

I have a '67 Impala 327. You can see daylight on each side of the engine.

Maybe we will get to park our Impala 'verts side-by-side someday Your '67 looks nice in the pic

[turn1wonder]

In my younger days I always had more than enough beers on hand to last an Armageddon. At one point I had a 73 Camaro SS RS. When I popped the hood my first thought was "I could fit a "2-4" (Canadian term) between the rad and the grill.

That's when I started to think that I might have a drinking problem.

Bob

[58 Impala]

I used to have a 65 Impala convertible, 283 small block w/power glide. It was Canary yellow with black top and interior. Also had a red 69 Chevelle with a 307/power glide at the same time. Both cars were easy to work on I could literally climb in the engine comp.(I'm 6ft tall) if I had to. Those were the days, now you can barely fit your hand anywhere under the hood.

[philo426]

Yes and all those plastic covers look cool but it must be a pain to work on them.

Edited September 24, 2013 by philo426

[heinz74]

be glad you guys got those cars over there..

some euro cars are a lot lot worse..

i've once changed the cambelt on a Delta Integrale..it took me a complete weekend

thinking back ..i should have ripped the entire engine out..just to get at the parts

[Harry P.]

Yes and all those plastic covers look cool but it must be a pain to work on them.

I wonder what the real reason for those plastic engine covers is. My cynical mind tells me they're put in place to make the engine seem inaccessible and mysterious to the owner, and maybe "force" the owner to take the car back to the dealer for everything. I can't see any other logical reason to hide the engine under a cover.

[Jordan White]

Best one I've seen is the early 70s Monte Carlos, they have a good two feet between the engine block and radiator!

Harry: they're used for both aesthetics and helping to reduce underhood noise into the cabin, they may also be used for pedestrian impact safety.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Jordan White

[Rob Hall]

I wonder what the real reason for those plastic engine covers is. My cynical mind tells me they're put in place to make the engine seem inaccessible and mysterious to the owner, and maybe "force" the owner to take the car back to the dealer for everything. I can't see any other logical reason to hide the engine under a cover.

Primarily sound deadening, I would think. They don't bother me as I have a good repair shop I take my older cars to and the dealer is just down the street for the '11 (less than a mile away).

[Harry P.]

Primarily sound deadening, I would think.

Don't think so. They can do that with the pad on the underside of the hood. Besides, plastic isn't a particularly good sound insulator. I'm sticking with my "cynical" explanation.

[Rob Hall]

Don't think so. They can do that with the pad on the underside of the hood. Besides, plastic isn't a particularly good sound insulator. I'm sticking with my "cynical" explanation.

Well, the covers also provide a neater, tidier appearance--hiding the dirty bits.

[Erik Smith]

I wonder what the real reason for those plastic engine covers is. My cynical mind tells me they're put in place to make the engine seem inaccessible and mysterious to the owner, and maybe "force" the owner to take the car back to the dealer for everything. I can't see any other logical reason to hide the engine under a cover.

The same reason they make you use special tools - or ANY tools, really - to access the AIR CLEANER!! Why do you need four star screws, located in realtively inaccessible areas, to hold the plastic cover on the air cleaner? So you don't check it, so the Auto Tech can charge to look at it.

[Harry P.]

The same reason they make you use special tools - or ANY tools, really - to access the AIR CLEANER!! Why do you need four star screws, located in realtively inaccessible areas, to hold the plastic cover on the air cleaner? So you don't check it, so the Auto Tech can charge to look at it.

Exactly.

[johnbuzzed]

I wonder what the real reason for those plastic engine covers is. My cynical mind tells me they're put in place to make the engine seem inaccessible and mysterious to the owner, and maybe "force" the owner to take the car back to the dealer for everything. I can't see any other logical reason to hide the engine under a cover.

I think you're correct. I can't even find the spark plugs on our '08 Sonata. When I had my '67 Fury wagon with the 318, I could sit on the fenderwell with my sneakers on the exhaust manifold to futz around under the hood. Man, that distributor was waaaaaaaay back there. But my '89 Spirit turbo had everything right up front- plugs, distributor, oil filter- and enough room to actually use the correct tools! That car was easy to work on.

[Jordan White]

Don't think so. They can do that with the pad on the underside of the hood. Besides, plastic isn't a particularly good sound insulator. I'm sticking with my "cynical" explanation.

They can, but you don't see the underhood pad much anymore. And if you look on the underside of the cover, it's not just plastic. There's insulation material there as well. If you think about it, it's much quicker to stick a cover over the engine on the assembly line compared to attaching a pad to the hood with several clips.

[KingSix]

This post is making me misty ... I'm thinking back to my first car, which was handed down from 2 older brothers. A 1971 Plymouth Fury III Sport Suburban , man there was almost enough room in that thing for my entire graduating class !