Hey everyone.

just looking for opinions here.

Which do you prefer in a thirdgen engine bay, the looks of billet fuel rails or Corvette fuel rail covers?

Billet fuel rails dont allow the use of FRC's so we'd have to coose one or the other

anywho, here's a shot of each:

justins car:

[img]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/S6002648.jpg[/img]

my car prior (ignore the rediculously ugly rest of it )
[img]http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...8/IMG_2164.jpg[/img]

I like the covers.
Are you doing enough to your engine, so you might want the billet rails?
They seem way too pricey to me, but I'm sure they have their place.

im looking purely in the cosmetics aspect of it.

Their not too bad, Proproducts ones are only $130 for the Rails, crossover and Extension.

I like the FRC's just because they hide my coils, ect but its a personal opinion.

Corvette lettering will be gone in the spring and replaced with a nice Pontiac.

I like the custom FRC's that I've seen on a few cars. You can get anything you want printed/embossed into them and they are usually CF. Theres a white Iroc on here that has em and they look schweet

If you can relocate the coils, put on some nice aftermarket valve covers, and hide the wiring really well, I like the billet rails. But if you cant do all that, its like putting a diamond in the middle of a turd. (DEF not sayin your work is a turd shel... )The LS1 is just such a mess of wires and doo-dads. Ive seen some pull it off very nicely though.

I chose the covers because I didnt have to worry about making the coils pretty or the wiring super hidden. Plus, I think it makes the top of the motor flow better...like the hood of the car ( i know it sounds weird...but thats how it looks in my head).

Ill be filling the vette letters and putting either stainless "TRANS AM" or some sort of sticker/emblem.

J.

I'm a function over form guy. To me, those covers are tacky and a waste of space, weight, and money (and probably retain more heat than an uncovered engine). But, then, I prefer the "rack" look to "space age" audio/visual equipment, etc., too.

I never bothered with putting covers on mine I toss the idea around now and then but probably wont. I kinda like the individual coil look myself but I'm a sled head so I'm used to seeing one of everything per cylinder

The covers are an effort by the General to dampen the LOUD as heck valve train these engines have and clean up the engine bay they arent the best looking things in the world thats for sure. Nothing beats a polished or chromed up flat head with polished solid copper ign wires for that

Not to argue... Them being "tacky and waste of money" are certainly opinions you are entitled to...Ill never say "youre wrong about that". But waste of space and weight I have to disagree with. What "valuble" space do they waste? Its not like anything else is going to go on top of the coils. I finished the build, then made them fit around everything. And they hardly weigh anything.

Not sure about the retaining more heat thing. Ide probably go on a limb and say they probably dont effect that much at all. There is airflow under them, because there is space. And there is already coil packs and wirelooms on top of the motor. With headers billowing heat off to the sides of the covers, youre not gonna see any effects of retained heat from the covers.

And as for noise reduction as cam mentioned....I sure wish they did something for the noise! My motor sounds like a singer sewing machine. Haha... Its almost annoying. However keeping more insulation and adding some dynomat inside helped with that.

Again...not arguing. I just think its definetly an opinion type deal. I wasnt going to get them at first...but I found them super cheap. And I figured if I didnt like em, someone else would. Turns out they really clean the top of the motor up. So they're staying.

One thing bad about em... they dont like to fit on the FAST intake. Took quite a lot of trimming with a 2" sanding disc on my drill to get the runner reliefs to fit how I want. But, it wasnt terrible.

J.

Funny thing after my last post I got to thinking LS engines really are not that pretty at all are they? Not that i care there sure make beeeeee'autiful music and for that all sins are quickly forgiven

Gotta hand it to TPI there boy they sure do look fast. Nuff said haha.

Anyways its late I'm still at work and I'm procrastinating here and I checked a ton of older threads to see if I could find the guy with the white Iroc who put the carbon fiber covers on that had Camaro embossed in them in white over natural finish CF. Looked amazing

THANK YOU! Haha I searched all over for that pic. Smokin lookin I think

Certainly I was just expressing my viewpoint.

If it doesn't make it run faster, smoother, get better gas mileage, etc., then I'm not going to bother with it.

Similarly, I don't understand why anyone would wear a shirt with someone else's name on it, so why put a non-functional cover on an engine that has the name of a different car on it?

But, there I go again. . .

But it DOES make it faster... I mean..it says Corvette on it right?

I agree with you about the name of a different car tho. Thats why I hope to get some time to fill the letters, paint em, and put Trans AM or something of that nature on them. Should put them alittle more at home. But its all good. It seems to be a love/hate type thing for them.

I was sort of looking for ND4SPD86's pictures as well. Had to give up though. Now there is an example of someone that managed to keep the motor clean enough without the covers. Of course, wiper delete, a/c delete, and painting things nice white probably helps...but man, that looks fantastic.

J.

Five7 I agree that the 'vette letters are just plain stupid under a hood of anything besides a 'vette.

I personally like the FRC's on an LS engine in a 3rd gen just because you see so much of the top on the motor as opposed to a 4th gen fbody where things are tucked away more.

Here is a pic of my car when the swap was done by a previous owner. I like what the FRC's do to my engine bay regardless of what is currently stamped on them.



[IMG][/IMG]

I am getting a ported FAST setup with billet fuel rails to go with the new heads so I might try to clean up things and see what it looks like without FRC's but chances are I will just sell off the billet fuel rails.

I like my vette FRC and vette brake calipers. After all I done to my car, I guess I should have bought a vette, nah.

You guys with your super clean engines and engine bays make me jealous. I hate how grungy my block is...I cant seem to clean it or keep it clean.

J.

Hey, thats my car

I made those covers cast from a set of Vette covers...they turned out pretty decent until the resin fogged up on one side due to some air I had trapped in it when it cured Oh well.

anychance you want to make a set for me?

Not a chance.....way too many hours in this set. I would have to charge a small fortune for another set

lol, hey it was worth a shot

There is a company in California making them with whatever you want logo'd on there. I saw it over at tech

This one is for five7 because I know he will sleep better knowing there are one less set of FRC's that have "corvette" stamped in em on a Pontiac....

I filled the corvette letters a few days ago and sanded everything off.

Here are the FRC's in primer and with one coat of paint. I will put two more coats of paint on them with a wetsand inbetween each coat. From there I have a Pontiac emblem and some small airbrushing to do. Also here is a pic of the Mamo ported FAST I finished up tonite that goes with some AFR 205's. I will post up some more pics when I have them completed.

Well I learned that I suck at air brushing FRC's. Kept it simple seems to work best for me. Now I just need to hold out for spring so I can install the heads and intake....