APPLICATION: My Mustang is a 1996 V-6 coupe. The approach suggested here will work on any model or year.

TOOLS REQUIRED:

No special tools are required for this project, although several procedures were made easier by using a Dremel power-tool to shape or buff a part.

TIME REQUIRED:

Look at this as a series of individual small projects. The whole job is just too involved to tackle as one effort. In addition, the cost of the chrome accessory items makes buying everything at once unrealistic for most of us.

You are probably looking at 20 or so total hours under the hood cleaning, painting, and installing - but an hour or two at a time. I enjoy working around engines -- make that clean engines -- so as far as I am concerned this is a very enjoyable on-going project.

COST OF THIS PROJECT:

For everything from paint to chrome parts, wire-wrap, etc. - I have probably spent the best part of $400 to date. Like the time factor, cost depends on how far you go. The dress-up items are not cheap. Of course, if you buy them one or two at a time the person you live with may not notice the credit card charges.

WHERE TO GET THE PARTS:

It is important to shop all the web sites or catalogs because prices vary significantly from supplier to supplier. I used Mustang Unlimited www.mustang-unl.com (800-243-7278) for many of the items. I like Mustang Unlimited because they make a real effort to determine which Mustang dress-up parts will fit a V-6. However, they do not always get it right. Some of the chrome accessory parts they (and everyone else) indicate are exclusively for a V-8, will fit a V-6. I checked V-6 part numbers against V-8 part numbers prior to ordering something that the provider listed as a V-8 only item.

I also bought items from National Parts Depot (NPD) www.npdlink.com (800-874-7595), from California Mustang www.calmustang.com (800-775-0101). Things such as chrome bolt nut covers were available at local auto supply dealers. The stainless steel fan cover panel was fashioned by a local sheet-metal shop.

WHY MAKE THIS MODIFICATION?

I love to open a hood and see nothing but clean and chrome. It probably goes back to the early Fifties when I was a kid still too young to drive, but nuts about cars. There was this old guy (he was around 21-22) that lived in the neighborhood. His name was Paul Chadwell. If Paul is still around today he would be pushing the low side of 70. Hard to believe.

Anyway, Paul had a 1949 Ford Convertible with all the goodies - chopped, California Carson top (the only one in town), lowered in the rear to where the big chrome exhaust cans actually tapped the pavement in hard gear changes, nosed, decked, frenched headlights and tail lights, some minor speed parts, and -- well you get the idea. Oh yeah, and pennies blocking the manifold heat risers to make the exhaust crack and pop when he let up on the gas coming down our street at one or two in the morning.

Paul was a really nice guy. My mom and dad must have thought so too because they often mentioned his name at breakfast.

I spent a lot of Saturday afternoons watching Paul (I called him Mr. Chadwell in deference to his advanced age) clean his car with a rag in one hand and an adult beverage in the other. Sometimes he would actually say a few words to me. Things like, "Why are you always hanging around here kid?" or "Don't you have a home?" But he put up with me because my dad ran a part-time auto repair shop behind our house and Paul sometimes needed my Dad's expert advice to keep his Ford on the road.

Paul worked at a place that did chrome plating. And, of course, this was back in the days when most parts on a car were metal instead of plastic. He chromed everything on the car that would unbolt. As an example, the dashboard. I'm not talking just the instrument trim panel that spans the dash on a '49 Ford -- I am talking removing and chroming the entire dashboard. Under the hood, well it was a gleaming, dazzling sea of chrome. The absolute most beautiful thing a car crazy-kid could feast his eyes on (I was still too young to have discovered girls). So, I clearly owe my affinity for chrome to Paul Chadwell.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED:

Looks - just looks. The car won't go any faster or run any better with chrome engine parts. It doesn't even look any different running down the road. But you can sure get their attention when you open the hood.

PHOTOS:

General views of my engine compartment.

HOW I COMPLETED THE MODIFICATION:

You have to start with a clean engine compartment. If your engine is dirty, cleaning it will be the worse part of this project. It might be best to have it professionally cleaned and detailed.

Most of the chrome dress-up stuff, such as chrome covers for the various reservoirs, the chrome strut covers, etc. are easy to install. The chrome hood prop rod is likewise easy. One bolt as I recall. Some creative touches, such as dressing the oil dipstick and power steering reservoir cover with chrome tape take a little more effort and imagination.

The polished stainless fan panel was installed for looks and to give me a place to display the decals of various products I have installed. To create it, I measured and cut a panel from poster-board to serve as a pattern for the metal shop. Well, I actually cut quite a few poster-board panels before I got one right.

After the mirror-finish stainless panel was professionally cut, I drilled holes and used torque type fasteners to attach it. By the way, installation of the strut brace visible in the photos is covered in a separate article on this site.

I have made a good start, but there is more to be done. For instance, I really have to get rid of that ugly stock upper radiator hose. I'm thinking of a chrome tube attached by end sections cut from a blue Ford performance hose for a 5.0. But, looking further down the road, my car is definitely going to have a Vortech supercharger when I get the bucks together. Any hose revision I do now would probably have to be altered to accommodate the supercharger.

The bottom line is that dressing up my engine compartment will always be a work in progress.