About to do a restoration project. (Got to learn somehow ehh?)

I popped the car's hood, and I could see the ground. I'm almost positive that isn't right

So how would I go about fixing something like that besides shopping around for another Firebird? How much would it cost if I got someone else to fix it?

 

Umm, I pop my Firebirds hood and I can see the ground too... You do know that the engine compartment isnt sealed, right?

 

Yes 95% of all cars are this way, 100% normal.

 

you must have a V6 in there. With my V8, you can barely see the ground.

 

thats normal man

 

Welcome to thirdgen.org. You will learn a lot here.

 

I have a V8 and I can see plenty of the ground. Then again, don't have AC, heat, emissions, cruise control, or stock manifolds. Having headers and not much of a wiring harness left and a rear-mounted battery and conccealed charcoal canister helps a bit too

Next steps are manual steering, manual brakes, and possibly an electric water pump. Whenever Spohn releases a tubular K-member, I may buy that and his A-arms as well.

 

My Impala isn't like that

 

what year is your impala?, what year is your firebird and what engine do you have?

 

2000
1987

 

Impala 3.4
Firebird 2.8

 

you're just seeing that huge gap because you have a V6 in a space big enough for a V8 in your firebird

 

Right on

 

ok, thats totally wrong. All 90+ toyotas have bottom covers, i know that for sure. I have a feeling most other reliable car companies have covers also. I dont see why manufacturers wouldnt put a bottom cover on their cars...it just makes everything in the engine get dirty and rust faster

 

even with toyota, thats still 95% of all cars ever.

I've never seen a car with a bottom cover, closest thing is a skid plate. You're engine would get way too hot with a bottom cover and also pick up dirt.

you cannot be serious...

 

im curious to know what you thought was broken because you could see the ground
you cant see the ground in the engine bay of your impala because newer cars have there engines crammed in so tight you can barely get an arm in anywhere, and since most cars come with more or less one engine option(cylinder wise), they can get away with that

 

This thread is worthless without pics!

 

ok. heres a V6. Notice the gap. I like working on these cause i can fit inbetween that gap with the air filter stuff removed.

 

you dont need a pic goon, just open ur hood and look down to see pavement

 

or look em up on cardomain...like the pic above

 

This thread in particular is worthless no matter what.

 

Not completely. I had a similar reaction when i first popped the hood to my '92. I was like... what the hell?

 

305 TBI, stock 4094423 lbs. of emissions routing, AC, stock manifolds, stock everything, I can still see the ground.

 

i was thinking about making my own custom bottom cover, it wouldnt be that hard, there are a lot of bolt holes under the car

 

I've considered it as well, for aerodynamic reasons though. Just to try and reduce some of all that turbulence underneath our cars. I imagine it'd dampen roadnoise a bit if designed right as well.

 

wow.... okay.... good luck with that restoration project. I suggest you study up for a while before taking on anything too involved.

 

ok sorry that was uncalled for, im not the smartest peanut in the turd myself.

 

whatcha gonna do about the front air dam that cools the car when its moving? With a cover over the whole bottom of the car ull overheat.

 

bwahahahahahaha!

you think THATS bad?

i have as little as possible in my engine bay... a LS1(smaller motor when you look at it..) and a tubular Kmember.


when i drive in the rain, i get waterspots on the TOP of my intake manifold, on the bottom of the hood.. everywhere.


that tiny gap isnt anything...




btw, go look at the V6s in the 4thgens. looks even worse since a little over 2/3s of the engine is under the cowl.

 

it sucks that this car has to rely on an air dam to cool

 

eh... ive never had anything to complain about.. i mean, it occasionally scrapes, but it can sit in 120* weather and not overheat... go down the hwy, not overheat.... so why complain?


heck, our stock radaitors (most of us) are aluminum... and work good enough to keep our engines cool, even if we double the horsepower... (or more)

 

Thats why I said 95% meaning not all, I was actually thinking of lexus that has covers on them, didn't know about toyotas.

 

How would you change your oil?

 

you would take off the cover everytime to change the oil. Yeah, that would be so much fun.

 

ive never looked at an engine bay and thought something was screwy because i could see pavement, to me that is normal, and to cover it up would just create more work for yourself (oil changes come to mind) and plus there would be soo much heat that would build up and the car would overheat... ridiculus...

 

Lots of newer cars have skid plates.. also known as "bottom covers" to some ( ) It's there for aerodynamic reasons mostly... sometimes they're there to protect whatever's directly above it (oil pan most the time)... but honestly I hate them lol.


They come in a lot more than 95% of the newer cars today. Espescially european cars.

Audis, VW's, Toyota, Lexus, Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford, etc, etc... have all used skidplates. The domestics typically use them on their heavier duty trucks.


Ever seen the skidplate on a VW Eurovan? It's 3/4 the length of the bottom side of the car. I believe the dealer charges an hour labor to change the oil lmao.



As for the original poster before the thread was hijacked...

I think perhaps you should start with some books if you plan to restore a car... or start working on some hands on knowledge first... a car is expensive if you screw it up.

I'd suggest some books by David Vizard for chevy motors... that's a good place to start atleast.

 

You spend an extra half an hour taking out about 20 bolts or so and half of them are smashed from going a little too fast over speedbumps and dips. I used to work at a cadillac and lexus dealer and about 80% of the lexus's I worked on had atleast 1 bolt smashed that had to be cut off. PITA

 

At my work we always kid about just plasma torching them off instead of taking 'em off the "traditional" way

 

For the original poster... It's normal to see the ground. Esecially with the V6 like everyone says it has like a foot less in the front. Your Impala has those pesky plastic pieces under the car, and like someone else said they usually only have 1 engine option so that's how it's designed to fit. Have fun on the restoration and when your putting it back together and you want to burn it down just remember it's all in fun



I did oil changes at a quick lube place. And Toyota, Lexus, and a few subaru's suck horribly to take all those bolts out to take that cover off to change the oil. Oh yeah VW Jetta was the worst I had to change because as Aaron said all the smashed bolts, and there was like 25 and still couldnt get the damn thing off pulled it down and let the oil run. Most of you do know that Toyota and Lexus are the same right?

GM and most ford vehicles have a routing for the oil to flow so that you dont have to mess with the skid plate or cover.

 

Yep... in my personal opinion the Audis and VW's have the worse ones because they have a skidplate that go around the inner fenders as well.

BTW... if you have a car that has a skidplate, and want to keep it... refrain from going to a quick lube place... ask me how I know lol.

 

omg peope im sooo mad! i wish i posted a lot earlier!!

first of all, the camaro would be cooled the same damn way as before. There are two gaps under the car, one before the radiator and one after the radiator, the air damn is in the midle, the car would be plenty cool and it wouldnt restrict air in any way.

i would not put a cover over the air damn

second of all, most toyotas have the damn oil filter at the TOP of the engine, and the oil pan sticks out of the cover.

it is VERY possible to change the oil

 

Ok buddy, this post is retarded.

 

Under the hood should be easy to see the ground. If you open the car door and can see the ground thru the floor then you got problems. Call Fred Flinstone and tell him to come get his car.

I don't like under engine covers. Ifin' I had one, I'd chuck it in the neighbors yard.

 

This thread makes Corky feel smart. Call in the dancing locks!

 

i want to make one

 

 

I could see the ground just fine in my Camaro.

 

Er, buddy, i think there's something wrong with your car.. er, uh. i can't tell what, but i think you're missing somethin'!

 

im not sure, but i think you may have taken of a emissions device..... you need to put your AIR tubes back on.

 

hell if you see ground stuff a big block in there call it a day, pertty soon you'll see sky after you take off