smelly type44

[Fisher, Scott]

> > And of course: if your engine were powder-coated yellow, 
> the leak would be
> > incredibly easy to locate.
> 
> one of the several advantages to a clean engine & bay, is of course,
> ready identification and location of leaks.

My well-meaning ribbing about yellow components aside, Huw is exactly
correct.  When I was putting together my bargain-basement race car in
1990-91, the SCCA chief of technical inspectors for the region suggested
painting the engine bay and undercarriage light grey (they were previously,
like the rest of the car, black when I bought it).  His reasoning was along
the lines Huw gives, but goes one step farther: black or dark-colored engine
bays tend to hide leaks and other indications of trouble, and white shows up
every little smudge, but a nice shop grey is about right.  You see
potentially serious leaks before they become serious, yet you don't spend
all your days chasing something that looks like a leak and turns out to be a
fried june bug.

--Scott Fisher
  Tualatin, Oregon