what is a good paint to use when painting an engine? when i rebuilt the 305 in my trans am, i painted it chevy orange-red with duplicolor engine enamel 500 degree with ceramic. it is my understanding that this paint is pretty weak until the engine has been run a few times to bake the paint on. i have yet to get my motor started (having wiring harness issues), but now there are a few chips in the paint due to wrenches and such when installing. i am building a 350, not sure if it will go in the trans am, or a future car. i would like to use a paint that is more durable right from the start. is there any engine paint out there that will be more chip resistant before being baked on?

 

also, i've heard that if you paint inside the motor on the area below the intake where the lifters are, it will improve oil flow. is this true? would you use the same type of paint?

 

i guess no one paints their motors