engine compartment

[emetzger]

Im trying to make the engine on my 69 z/28 look spactacular. How do you guys make the simi gloss paint they use to paint innerfenders,firewall ect. look good without being shinny? also the intake had a very small leak around water neck and stained the look of the intake. not very bad but is noticeable.i used vrt on all the hoses and electrical wires and they look great.also it has a underhood mat how do i keep this looking good?thanks

[PRS]

Emetzger,
back when I did my 66 Mustang I had the same question as you about the semi-flat black on the engine compartment. What I found that matched the best, was very very durable and did not need to have a top coat applied was PPG two stage Epoxy Primer. This is what the Concours Mustang people were using on their show cars and sure enough it was the correct semi-gloss black. 10 years later the outside paint on my Mustang is faided and chipping off but under the hood looks the same as it did when first painted. This is wicked stuff so do your painting outside and/or use a breathing aparatious. I have also used it as just a primer over bare freshly beadblasted metal and the stuff is indistructable.
The numbers are
PPG DP90LF Epoxy primer black
PPG DP401LF Epoxy primer catalyst
hope this helps, it is expensive but well worth the cost especially if you have seen the value of old Cameros on Barrett-Jackson these days.

[PRS]

Emetzger,
it was early this morning when I left my answer to your post, after rereading your question when I got home from work this evening I realised that I must have been asleep when I read your post. Sorry for giving you an answer on something that you did not ask about, but if you decide to repaint the engine bay at least you will know what you can use. BTW, I use Adams Detail Spray on the Epoxy primer.