Why did I clean my engine?

[Shehadehd]

So, when I first got my boxster, the engine looked like this


But now it looks like this


So what's the point of cleaning it, besides to find oil leaks and allowing for better heat dissipation...

Well, after making this


I just couldn't stand having my engine look like this


So, instead, I gave it a good wipe down with some old fashioned elbow grease so get something that looks like this








And yes, people can see it


Or at least they will be able to after I install my new soft top.

[Yellow986S]

That looks awesome!!
Can you post a DIY of what you used to make this and how?
I would definitely want a see through cover.
Also the weight savings must be a +

[eicheldp]

Absolutely a wonderful addition. Love to be able to see that flat 6. Any change in interior noise? Please post the details!

[tommy583]

So Awesome!!

[Shehadehd]

Eicheldp: Removing the rear shelf, sound carpet, and plastic/ metal stock engine cover and replacing all that with a quarter inch of plexiglass (moving to lexan) inevitably adds some noise.

With that being said, the noise is less than what you get with the top down or even the windows down. With the top up, you mostly hear the intake howl, the "whoosh" of the air rushing past the throttle body, and a small hum from the timing belt. In other words, I would say that the noise that comes through, is the noise that everybody tries to amplify by removing the snorkal. Of course, I'm biased though... epapp has ridden with me with the clear cover on so he can give you an objective critic on added noise. I'll also try to post sound clips comparing the two.

Yellow986S: I'm thinking of possibly selling a couple of these since I ended up making the equipment needed to mass produce them (like molds, heaters, frames, etc..) in the process of trying to get it right and have it fit with an OEM feel replicate dimensions. But don't expect them to cost an arm and a leg. Honestly, I think it would be cheaper for you guys too, because unless you have acrylic bending tools and a precise way to measure the engine cover in three dimensional space, it'll take a couple of tries (which with this size of glass is expensive) before getting it perfect. Also, the one in the pictures is also not perfect, but it's getting close. Butttt, with that being said, it depends on the demand for them as well. I also don't expect to be able to quit my job from the money I get and so I'm not going to price it that way; expect, hobby price... Just enough to let me do other DIY mods to the car.

And thank you all for the compliments!

[Chuck W.]

That, sir, is outstanding. Nice job. I can see powder coating some engine parts in red to accent the engine. Please keep us posted on any units you plan on selling. I would be interested.

[The French Dude]

Nice job...

[Jamesp]

Very nice mod. Looks like a high $$ original option.

[Shehadehd]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

Very nice mod. Looks like a high $$ original option.

Yeah, it was more than just the cost of the plexus glass.. That's for sure. But here's how I justified it to myself... Unless something Completely unexpected happens and I can start owning ferraris and lambos, there aren't many other cars that have an engine in an optimal location to show off. Sure it's not an 8 liter engine with like 12 cylinders, but it's not ugly either. I mean, YOLO for heaven's sake lol.

Chuck: cleaning the engine was just the beginning, expect some more additions, i.e. Silver intake manifold with acid green lettering and accents to match my interior, exterior, and soon to be brakes.

[BruceH]

Great work! Love the look!

[drbodzin]

Great job! I would totally be interested in buying one of your clear covers.

[Mark_T]

Wow...... just wow. Got to be one of the coolest mods I've seen so far.

[Ckrikos]

Looks good, I'll be cleaning my motor soon too.

[thstone]

Very nice! I've lost count of how many times I've been asked "can you show me the engine" and had to decline because its buried. Super cool!

[Tucker2]

Wow....fantastic. Please update us when you get your pricing sorted.

Great job.

[Guvs]

Very nice Mod, I think a bit of colour in the engine bay, in my case Speed Yellow would really set it off.
Well done.
Guvs.

[rfuerst911sc]

Very nice mod good work sir. How long have you been driving around with it ? I'm curious if road dust gets onto the engine side of the lexan ? Just wondering how often it has to be cleaned ? I may be interested depending on the price.

[coreseller]

Very Cool!! Kudos for the original (I haven't seen this before on a Box) concept!! It's too bad the Box motor kind of looks bland to begin with.

[fatmike]

You know, I owned a Boxster for 6 years. I never did see the engine...



/

[Shehadehd]

Thank you all for the compliments! I think I'm going to make a couple more to perfect the look and installation of the cover. When I'm satisfied (passes the epapp test) I'll make them for you guys and open up pricing. What will help me bring the price down is if I can purchase wholesale sheets of the plexiglass rather than commercial sized ones that I have to cut down and subsequently waste a lot of material. If I can get an idea of how many people would be interested in the cover, I can start considering a final price. I'll also update this comment with an initial ballpark price (it will be the higher end of what I will offer and it will go down as I can get parts in bulk)

EDIT: ballpark will be $250-$300

EDIT: the setup saves you ~20lbs, if that means anything to anyone.