If you have been reading Sport Truck over the last few months, then you've probably seen the budget transformation of Calin's Chevy S-10 from beater to head-turner. He's covered everything from an engine tune-up, different levels of lowering, audio restoration, a low-buck paintjob, and other miscellaneous tasks to make an old truck like new. In that spirit, we set out this month to show you that it doesn't take a lot of coin to clean up your engine compartment either. You would be surprised what some spray paint and a sprinkle of chrome goodies can do for appearances.
Our guinea pig was a '62 GMC pickup that I just recently acquired. I purchased it for next to nothing, yet the body is pretty straight and the drivetrain works. That's right, the original 305-cid V-6 is still pushing this old truck around. Though it runs well, that didn't change the fact that it was a mess. So I took one day to show it some love, and it made for a dramatic improvement.
What's In The Bag?
I went to the local auto parts store to pick up the following supplies: one can of Gunk Engine Brite ($1.87), one can of Dupli-Color Chevrolet Orange Engine Enamel ($5.49), one can of satin-black spray paint ($2.97), 3M 400-grit sandpaper ($3.16), and 3M masking tape ($1.99). Not pictured (but required) is a roll of aluminum foil ($.99), a couple of sandwich bags from the kitchen, and some cardboard that was lying around in the garage. Total: $16.47.
1.After reading the instructions on the can of Gunk Engine Brite, I ran the truck around the block a few times to get it hot. When it was ready for the suds, I covered the carburetor and distributor with the sandwich bags and masking tape. I also covered the generator with a plastic bag that some of my supplies came in and sprayed on the degreaser. | 
2.To help free dirt and grease, I employed a coarse brush. Ten minutes later, I hosed the majority of the crud off the engine. |
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3.For all the stubborn places that made it hard to clean completely, I used a smaller brush with lacquer thinner to remove the remaining dirt. Then, the motor was rinsed one more time. |