When I first got this car, I really liked the engine cover, but as I have seen more and more mods to the engine, the attention to detail in things like AN fuel lines, chroming of parts, coat/polish of the supercharger cover, and other aesthetics to the engine bay, the more I like the idea of going without the cover.

Plus, I think when I add the intercooler to my car, the 2.25 raise is gonna wreck being able to keep the cover on it anyways.

And perhaps the cover keeps hot air under it and having it off helps circulation under the hood.

Lastly, I was at a car show tonight here in Shrewsbury MA and I really enjoyed seeing all the custom cars and rods that had all their work on display - and here mine was with just a cover and some shiny brightwork diagonal braces and dogbones.

 

this post is WORTHLESS without pics!!! Let's have some!

without a plenum cover, my supercharged 3800 V6:




This the same engine WITH a plenum cover:







Granted SOME cars look better without covers. My 08 ROUSH Mustang can't fit a plenum cover and looks FABULOUS without. Other vintage and classic cars look beautiful without any coverings so you can actually see what's working, and some of these newer cars you can't see a thing! It's all a matter of taste and a matter of what automobile it actuallly is...

 

naked!!!

oh, engines, covered unless you have it powdercoated or heavily modded, i like that cover!

 

trunk ;id looks a bit bare Mitch

 

X10- I don't think it would've been as bad if the SC had the same finish all across it- but they've got a different finish on the case and snout from the factory which makes it look like someone took the snout off to paint it, but didn't have time to paint the case too.

IMO, because the engine cover gave the engineers free reign to forget about aesthetics, and just throw stuff wherever they wanted (as with just about any engine) regardless of how it looks.

I can see it just looking at the above pics- with the cover on, everything in the engine bay is relatively clean and organized- then you scroll up a few pics, and there is a spaghetti mess of twisted wires, hoses, lines, etc running every which way sitting on top of the SC.

 

Plastic is a horrible material to be attached to an engine. The NA intakes of the 3800 are proof.

 

is the 3800 cover hard to take off?


all that holds mine on is the oil tube, and then it just pops off.

 

yeah it does lol, im gonna get a panel i think i just need money and a place to ship to and an idea of what i want ha

 

Everyone's first L67 mod should be an engine cover delete! Haha. Unless its awesomely repainted like #2627 has.

 

Might I ask why you say that? Its cheaper than a metal intake- and offers more performance due to its heat insulating properties. Same reason why the LSx engine guys tend to stick with plastic even when they upgrade.

There is no reason it has to be metal- its not structural, only thing is has to do is hold up the throttle body, and be strong enough to not warp under normal engine operating conditions. IMO, all of the problems I've heard of on different cars with plastic intakes have been design problems/engineering failures- not problems due to the use of plastics.