satmax
10-08-2006, 04:27 PM
Sometimes I almost wish I didn't buy my xA. If it wasn't for the RS1 I saw on the showroom floor, I would've bought an xB.
I love detailing the engine compartment. Back in my mini-truckin' days, I pulled off every metal piece there was and sent it
to a local shop that did chrome dipping. Bolts, nuts... everything. My S10 could use many off the shelf chrome pieces that you
could go down to any performance store and pick up almost anything you needed to dress up the engine.
Alas, there's the xA. Yeah, you can get the polished intake, polished engine cover, polished battery tie down and radiator cap, but that's it.
The xB has an astounding market from full stainless pieces that cover the wheel wells and other cosmetic pieces that won't accomodate the
xA.
Whenever I return to my home in Broken Arrow, I will strip everything under the hood to have chromed, but in the mean time, there are
some items under the hood that have the potential to look great with just some elbow grease.
You know that ugly olive drab colored bracket on the battery tie-down that supports the throttle cable? Pull that sucker off and start polishing it!
Any chrome polish will do and it will strip off the paint and start working on shining up the metal underneath. Not a big show piece but it'll look a lot better than it used to! It also looks great with the AEM polished battery tie-down!
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340570/P1010291.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340570/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340575/P1010292.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340575/photo_hosting.html)
It took me about 45 minutes with a rag. I plan to get a Dremel with a polishing wheel to work on it some more. It would definitely go quicker with a Dremel.
Also, another great piece to shine up is the alternator adjustment bracket. You don't even have to remove it.
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340627/P1010294.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340627/photo_hosting.html)
The next piece I am working on, but will probably wait to get a Dremel, is that ugly brass colored A/C hose bracket on the right wheel well. I took a rag with polish and was able to get the brass color off and shine one side pretty well.
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340642/P1010295.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340642/photo_hosting.html)
There are some other small items as well. The hood prop rod can be polished up. The aluminum A/C tubes can be polished up. If the item has paint on it like the battery bracket or even the vacuum tube support bracket under the driver's wiper, can be stripped of paint with the polish itself.
Enjoy!
I love detailing the engine compartment. Back in my mini-truckin' days, I pulled off every metal piece there was and sent it
to a local shop that did chrome dipping. Bolts, nuts... everything. My S10 could use many off the shelf chrome pieces that you
could go down to any performance store and pick up almost anything you needed to dress up the engine.
Alas, there's the xA. Yeah, you can get the polished intake, polished engine cover, polished battery tie down and radiator cap, but that's it.
The xB has an astounding market from full stainless pieces that cover the wheel wells and other cosmetic pieces that won't accomodate the
xA.
Whenever I return to my home in Broken Arrow, I will strip everything under the hood to have chromed, but in the mean time, there are
some items under the hood that have the potential to look great with just some elbow grease.
You know that ugly olive drab colored bracket on the battery tie-down that supports the throttle cable? Pull that sucker off and start polishing it!
Any chrome polish will do and it will strip off the paint and start working on shining up the metal underneath. Not a big show piece but it'll look a lot better than it used to! It also looks great with the AEM polished battery tie-down!
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340570/P1010291.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340570/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340575/P1010292.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340575/photo_hosting.html)
It took me about 45 minutes with a rag. I plan to get a Dremel with a polishing wheel to work on it some more. It would definitely go quicker with a Dremel.
Also, another great piece to shine up is the alternator adjustment bracket. You don't even have to remove it.
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340627/P1010294.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340627/photo_hosting.html)
The next piece I am working on, but will probably wait to get a Dremel, is that ugly brass colored A/C hose bracket on the right wheel well. I took a rag with polish and was able to get the brass color off and shine one side pretty well.
http://upload4.postimage.org/1340642/P1010295.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1340642/photo_hosting.html)
There are some other small items as well. The hood prop rod can be polished up. The aluminum A/C tubes can be polished up. If the item has paint on it like the battery bracket or even the vacuum tube support bracket under the driver's wiper, can be stripped of paint with the polish itself.
Enjoy!