One of the reasons people who like cars go to old car shows is because they like to look at the engines. It’s why the hoods of the old cars are always up. It is also why the hoods of cars used to be up at new car dealerships.
Some will remember this.
They are usually closed now. The why is self evident. There’s nothing to see – other than a black plastic cover. The cover hides what’s underneath. More finely, it makes it appear it’s all the same – which sucks the individuality and so the interest out of having a look under the hood.
It used to be very different and that is one of the reasons why cars used to be so interesting. The manufacturers – the car companies – used to put effort into making their engines look like just exactly that; i.e., specific to that brand and so different from the engines made by other brands. They used colors, for one thing. Ford V8s painted were Ford Blue – and so did not look like Chevy engines that were painted orange (for small blocks) or red (the big blocks). There were also different shades of colors. Hemi orange being not the same Chevy’s orange just as Pontiac blue-green metallic was not the same as Ford blue. Engines in performance cars were almost always decked out with chrome accessories such as valve covers and air cleaners, with tantalizing stickers touting their horsepower affixed to them.
Before the Era of Underhood Ugliness descended – this was around 2010 or so – you could still see whether there was a V8 or a V6 or an inline six or a four under the hood because there it was. And each looked different even if it was the same – in terms of type – because a Ford overhead cam V8 did not look like a GM overhead valve V8 and neither looked like a Mopar Hemi V8.
Intake manifolds were cast of aluminum rather than plastic and the runners looked beautiful to the appreciative eye.
Then it all went away. More finely, all was hidden – under the dreary black plastic cover that’s placed on top of pretty much every new vehicle’s engine. Now you have to look at the sticker to know what’s under there. Some of the covers have pressed-in rectangles or similar to clue you in. A plastic-covered V6, for instance, will have three of each of these pressed into the cover on either side and sometimes there is a badge – “3.5 V6” – to let you know what’s there.
But that’s pretty much all there is to see – unless you remove the cover. And then what you see is ugly because it’s cheap black plastic, even for the intake manifold – and that’s part of the reason why they cover it all up. To keep you from seeing how they’ve cut costs – while charging you more. Another part of the reason is that the covers cover up the sound – the unpleasant clicking sound made by ultra-high-pressure direct injection, which pretty much every new engine has because DI incrementally improves fuel efficiency and that helps with compliance, the thing that drives car design nowadays. And they don’t want you to hear the cost of it.
There is, arguably, another reason for the black plastic cover – though it may not be intentional. It is to homogenize the look of what’s under the hood, so as to make it look the same whether it’s an engine or a electric motor. So as to cause people to stop caring what’s under there – because what’s the difference?
EVs are the apotheosis of homogenous – one electric motor looking pretty much the same as any other. One stator (and one rotor) looking pretty much the same as any other – because they are the same. They don’t look ay different because they can’t – unlike engines that differ obviously in terms of their configuration, number of cylinders and so on.
Getting people used to this bleak sameness may not have been part of the plan but it certainly panned out that way. When there’s nothing to see, there’s no point in looking – or caring. There are no such things as old appliance shows because you use appliances until they stop working and then you throw them out. And they come in boxes that show what they look like on the outside – because no one cares what they look like on the inside.
Sameness – uniformity – is a hallmark of societies that have no pulse. A kind of living death, devoid of the spark of creativity that manifests as differences, often just for the sheer beautiful sake of it. America used to be like that, once – and you can catch a glimpse of it at any old car show.
. . .
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One of the most disappointing moments in automotive history i think was when porsche removed the ability to even SEE the engine in the 911… with the bonnet only revealing a couple lids for fluids, and a cooling fan.. why?!
I was working on an EV the other day… a 63-65 Nova with a MSD 6AL-2 Box and no alternator. That’s my kind of EV.
Good stuff, Steve!
I have an MSD box in the TA also, so I suppose it qualifies…
Only 1 of my vehicles has one of those stupid covers. The others were made before such became popular.
The repair channels on YouTube hate these covers. Often they are difficult to put back into place once removed. One mechanic made the point that the covers trap heat when the engine when the opposite is needed.
“the unpleasant clicking sound made by ultra-high-pressure direct injection, which pretty much every new engine has”
Yes I’ve noticed that too. I asked the Chevy dealership and they said the same thing. It’s a little annoying to hear.
I remove the plastic covering off my cars.
My 2001 Mustang Cobra SVT didn’t have a covering. Itz a beautiful engine to behold, Almost like a work of art. I keep the hood open when itz in the garage so I can gaze and admire the workmanship and design. In my opinion it is more beautiful than the Ferrari or Lamborghini engines. The Cobra SVT is also very affordable and reliable as I bought mine for about $15,000 with only 26,000 miles.
But then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
We have older cars, 2002 and 2005, which both got these covers. Never really understood their function although I suppose it’s to hide the “ugly” under. But even a modern EFI engine isn’t ugly to me, although it is a bland sea of black and silvers, a splash of pink or orange in a fluid reservoir compared to the distinguishing blues and oranges of the heyday. None the less, I took it off our 4Runner 4.0L V6 and it does seem slightly louder, perhaps a touch more noticeable tick from the VVT and injectors. Nothing offensive, the car is well insulated for sounds comparative anyway, so windows up you hear much less than in older cars I used to have (which weren’t Cadillacs and Lincolns, which have always been like riding in a hearse or limo by design).
Back in high school, the kids with cool cars would remove their hoods and drive around showing off what was underneath.
As a snobby European I can say that US V8 engines with cast iron block and heads and a stamped steel valve cover were really never much to look at. In typical US style, owners are often forced to chrome plate the valve cover. Sure, you could climb into the compartment with the motor, but who ever does that?
Compare that to an Italian DOHC inline 4 or 6, or even a V of the same era. Often they would have dual cast alloy valve covers which for fit over the camshaft. The Miata even had a beautiful valve covers. One or more SU carburators are also a visual treat.
American V8’s also had the ugly the power steering pump, vacuum or hydraulic, with hoses criss-crossing the engine compartment. A few neat and orderly colored spark plug cables guided in smooth parallel lines can also be a treat, headed into a clean and colored condenser and distributor cap, Euro style. Fuse box were often in the glove compartment for both continents.
That was all fine and dandy until emissions regulations and the need for more complex electronics/electrics, EGR hoses, and Eric’s favorite, the Turbo charger which was connected to the intake and exhaust as well and usually has an intercooler. Of course all of these newfangled devices are connected by electronic sensors cabled with multicolored wires heading all over the engine compartment. All connected to some plastic box filled with a row of fuses and a jumble of cables.
I would assert that it was Germans, renowned for discipline and orderliness, that first started competing among themselves to create the cleanest, tightest engine compartment. I would assert the the Japanese, Americans and the rest were slower tidying up the engine compartment.
Eric also didn’t mention the ubiquitous Torx screws holding all those dozens of cast alloy parts to the engine today. In his recent article he showed the old, quasi cross threaded bold that connects the Tranny. Today, those are all Torx or Allen in metric sizes, and they all work beautifully with a nice battery powered drill/wrench, say one from Milwaukee.
Of course neat rows of those torx screws would look cool, but the reality of a quieter car due to extra insulation and anti-vibration counter weighting are far more important to lovers of silence, and fine music.
Today’s luxury autos come with a magnificent spectrum of beautiful sound systems. The Lexus 430 started it off in about 1994 with their Nakamichi sound system. Many people bought the Lexus for the sound system alone.
Today even middle class cars come with sound systems that would have been exotic 20 years ago. It starts with a base level, and the first step is usually Harmon Kardon. Mercedes then offers Burmeister and BMW offers Bowers and Wilkins. Without a doubt Volvo offers Bang and Olufson, while the Americans will counter with Bose, or, I have even seen Klipsch.
If, for my road trip across Montana and Idaho, I had to choose between the droning of a uninsulated V8, or near motor silence and the finest concert hall accustics, I know which one I would want.
I don’t even bother with a stereo in my Firebird, the music it makes through the dual 3″ exhaust is anything but droning. It’s a low frequency rumble at idle that shakes the mirrors of the cars beside me at the stoplight, and it’s a soothing growl at cruising speeds. At WOT, ladies’ panties melt away, har har.
The vibration of the heavily cammed engine sitting on solid motor mounts means you feel the car through the pedals, the seat, the steering wheel. The feeling is raw and visceral. You are in control of a wild, untamed and powerful beast… barely.
The new sound systems are impressive, that said, a good sounding engine drone of a large v8 is quite entertaining. Ultimately a personal preference and there’s nothing wrong with that. I did a road trip from Chicago to Denver. I have a choice between 2 vehicles- a 1986 K5 blazer with a diesel V8, or a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both take about the same fuel on the highway. I took the Blazer. Of course, the ability to leave the top at home for a drive through the mountains was a big reason, but the senses of it all and connection with both the road and the environment is superior. I was willing to sit in the saddle for a few extra hours too as the Blazer cruises around 60-65mph vs the Jeep’s 80+.
My Cobra SVT engine/exhaust is between a low level rumble and at high RPM a roar. I don’t listen to the stereo as I love the sound of the engine /exhaust.
Then again I love high power home stereo setups.
Ferrari 1972 Daytona 365 GTB/4C engine bay. Quilted hood liner, lots of wrinkle black. And count them – 12 intake stacks.
1969 Alfa Spyder 1750 Injected engine bay (I owned one for 3 years, a car I never should have sold)
V6 Alfa with chrome runners & red covers, woof!
If you road-trip into Washington just turn the stereo off. There is so much road noise from what once were properly paved roads you’ll give up. I90 here is literally down to the 2” aggregate also you need full concentration to avoid loose pavement and the bridge transitions that will shake your fillings out.
Pro tip, drive at the very edge of the lane & make sure you are in position at the overpass/bridge transitions, left lane only otherwise the right lane truck ruts apply a giant smack down at the transitions.
Speaking of plastics … another step taken down the road to making us worse off than before.
My 2001 F150 recently developed a coolant leak. Was it from an aging thermostat? A water pump? A hose? Nope. It was the 24-year-old PLASTIC intake manifold that had finally warped and cracked.
Had I been given the choice, back in 2001, to pay a few hundred bucks more for a heavier-duty engine option that included an aluminum or cast iron intake manifold, I would’ve gladly opted for it. But no…
Grrr…
In 2024 my 2014 BMW 335d developed an oil leak in the valve cover gasket at about 80k mi. BMW recommended I replace the valve cover as well, $500 or $1500 for the job. The plastic valve cover and gasket don’t age well, but US car drivers don’t appreciate the advantage they have.
All across Europe there is the bi-annual ritual of getting your automobile inspected for safety and emissions. The DMV offices across Europe is staffed by European burocrats, not diversity, and it is usually a better experience than the DMV in the US.
The green WEF Technocrats (aka Jews) have seen to it that all Euro environmental standards be strictly enforced, and this leads directly to the bugaboo of all old car owners: oil leaks.
A Italian, German, French or even UK inspector with a lift and a flashlight can be a dreaded sight, and they are searching most of all for worn rubber parts and…. OIL LEAKS.
My guess is that a modern auto with all its attachments that did not use plastic would have more oil leaks due to metal on metal expansion and wear.
I’ll just mention that I love the ZF 8-speed auto transmission, it is a masterpiece. The maintenance interval varies between auto manufacturers. ZF sells the filter together with the entire pan, I think it is about $250, and an entire flush runs close to $1000.
I had a mid 1990s Ranger that got a bunch of new top end parts due to a plastic intake that was chronically eating intake gaskets, apparently warped but I never actually turned the wrenches since it was under warranty.
I’m getting concerned, the 2003 Escape V6 original cooling parts, lots of plastic hooking it together- clock is ticking hope those are available when fate catches up to me.
The same is true with architecture. You can clearly spot a house built prior to the income tax era, working men built big, quality homes and offices with gingerbread and details, and lots of individualism in the design.
After communism came and scooped off all the honest profit to grow communism/democracy, it all got cheaper, smaller, and uglier. Hell, the same happened for humans, men wore a quality suit and not shabby jeans and tees, and women wore nice dresses and had no need for hideous tats and piercings.
Isn’t it time for the USSA to collapse yet?
That’s not totally true. There was a lot of terrible houses built back then but being poorly built and no architectural gems they fell down or were torn apart to build something else. We get a skewed view of what used to be because only quality or interesting stuff survives. It’s the same for cars. If you judge what the 1970s market was like you’d see Eric’s Trans Am but not the shitbox Mavericks and Pintos since they weren’t worth keeping. Or the 1980s and 1990s, how many Yugos do you see around compared to Toyota Corollas? One was cheap to use-and-crush the other lasted a long time and was worth fixing.
The F-150 has a K&N air filter, so the engine can be seen.
The ATP-200 was added to the oil in the F-150, appears as though it did work, the oil drip stopped. You can thank Scotty Kilmer for the advice.
The guitarist/musician Dickey Betts wrote a song titled Highway Call, purdy good song.
I’m sure others have heard of Dickey Betts. One of the greats, Dickey rests in peace.
He was a hell of a guitarist, playing for a hell of a band!
I’m thinking of Scotty Kilmer tossing the plastic beauty cover off into the yard as I read this.
Tyrannical governments often has had small rounded 4 cylinder cheap vehicles for the plebs. At least cheaply made, they were not cheap for the people who lived there. Like the VW Beetle, that little 2 stroke Polish car, and the Lada. But now those cars are interesting- (beetle always was though). But the communist bloc cars were the antithesis of the big American v8 cars of the time. Seems we are now in the same boat.
The so-called “mixed economy” has been getting a lot more “mixed” over the decades…
…we still call it “capitalism,” though…
…euphemisms will be the death of us.
I think you’re right about the black cover. On the good new side my husband is thinking of getting a new truck and is interested in getting one with a V8. He does a lot of research but I’d also lije to think it helped that I mentioned many of your articles where you discuss the pitfalls of the new smaller engines.
‘Sameness – uniformity – is a hallmark of societies that have no pulse. A kind of living death.’ — eric
Entropy, we were taught in Thermodynamics 101, ultimately will leave the universe at a uniform temperature. With no temperature differences and no heat flows, no energy is available to drive any process, including life.
Cars had a good four-generation run, from about 1900 to 2000. The current fifth generation of vehicles, computer-controlled and festooned with cameras, sensors and Clownscreens, likely is the last. Goodbye and good riddance.
They can at least be used to build artificial reefs for marine life, after being burned for their caloric content. And car makers’ executives have caloric content too, if you get my drift. 😉
Depends on if it’s an irreversible process, but lack of energy changes entropy by a proportional entropy. In that sense it’s up to each of us to prevent such entropic chaos, putting order to even little things in life stave it. Literally the butterfly effect, where the seemingly smallest action can change the world.
I mean temperature, not double entropy. Stupid typos.
My wife’s 67 Dodge R/T we currently own came standard with a 440 and included an engine *dress up* kit including chrome valve covers and dual snorkel air cleaner. Only Mopar with a factor light green engine color as well. The special order 426 Hemi was dual four barrel and factory orange engine color which cost about a third of the value of the car back in the day.
I finally saw the EV Challenger. Walked by it with the hood open and there was nothing to see other than a mini trunk. Sad that someone would bring it to a cruise in.
Two other functions of the cover, at least at the manufacturer I worked at were, 1) NVH, suppression of high frequency sounds coming from the valvetrain and fuel injectors, and 2) water ingress management. A bandaid for poor water management from the windshield cowl area. Nobody needs puddles of water in their coil on plug wells.
I call it engine lingerie. Covers up the fun parts. Of course often times she’s a little worried about appearances and thinks that adding a little shiny cloth will dress it up a bit. But we all know it just gets in the way when it’s time to get down to business. Engines these days are surrounded by a spaghetti of vacuum lines, fuel rails, wiring looms, and black plastic air intake tunnels. If I had designed it I’d probably want to put it under a cover too.
I’d love to know how many of these covers are accidentally dirtied, damaged or destroyed in the shop. One of those things that gets removed to do work, it falls on the floor and someone doesn’t notice when they step on it. Or drop something heavy and sure enough lands right on the engine lingerie. How much would it cost to replace one? And is there any penalty to running the vehicle “commando?”
That’s the odd thing, I’d argue that engines in the 80s and 90s were much worse with vacuum hoses everywhere. Now the engine management is much better integrated with the ECU and a few sensors and actuators that are mostly electronic. If you’ve tried to untangle the mess of emissions junk, vacuum switches and check valves everywhere, on a plain old carb 1978 Impala then you haven’t ever really had a challenge.
Correct. Especially stuff like early-mid 80s cars with the progressive 2 barrel carb- for some reason those were really a snake pit of aging vacuum hoses and plastic fittings.
Hi Mikey,
Yes – but the fix with regard t the old stuff was easy. You just disconnected and plugged/ the hoses. The engine ran much better then.
Sadly, they’re all the same on the outside too. I would be a terrible witness to a crime. I recognize Mustangs and Jeep Wranglers on sight. That’s it. So I’d be telling the cops the robbers drove off in a “little gray roundish looking car” or “some sort of SUV” or “one of those big trucks.’
Ha! Ha! Ha!… Me, too!
Tis a far cry from the days of Fred Reed’s youth when him & his buds could tell their friends cars passing in the night based upon the shape of the tail fins & the tail-lights.
And, us Gen-X afterwards, noticing the scoops, etc.
“It was a Whirpool, Officer,… and, an Amana with L.E.D.’s!”
I’ve noticed LED headlights and turn signals all have their distinctive patterns. Don’t know why square or round is so abhorrent to designers, but the odd C shaped lights on GM trucks just don’t look right at all. Ford keeps adding the animated rear turn signals on the Mustang, even though IIRC only the Thunderbird/Cougar had them back in the 1970s.
Ooops, forgot to say, RE: “So I’d be telling the cops”.
Yah, don’t be telling those bastards, nuthin’.
That’s the, ‘other thing’ which is, different?
[Don’t Talk to the Police – YouTube]
Don’t Talk to the Police – YouTube
“Regent Law Professor James Duane gives viewers startling reasons why ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE
20,906,948 views Mar 20, 2012
Yet again, I get that, Malvina Reynolds song in my head. All, ‘the motors’, they’re just, ‘Little Boxes (Weeds Theme Song) Full Version with Lyrics’. It’s like, the dumbing-down of,… everything?
RE: “There are no such things as old appliance shows because […] – because no one cares”
I dunno, myself, and some others, appreciate a good Kelvinator. Esp., one which has been converted with a tap on the front for a keg of beer inside. [Nothing, as far as I know, compares to keg beer.]
I knew an old old woman who showed off her Kelvinator in her fancy, yet minimalist cool, BSMT bar, like she was a model from, ‘The Price is Right’.
Nice & cool down there, perfect.
I felt, honored. …It was quite like being invited into a garage to see the details of a 70’s-80’s Hot Rod. I’m not kidding.
Great video, tho. I totally, relate.
She is dead now. The same as, “Quality”?
Plastic Crap = The Blob.
I am getting sooo sick of brittle, non-durable, plastic crap in every arena in life. It’s a giant, engineered-to-fail rip off, for the most part.
Generally, these days, I look for: Heavy Metal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mewu2IxAlLw&list=RDmewu2IxAlLw&start_radio=1