[JohnIL]

If you're a long time reader, you know that my truck has a 1979 low-hp detuned 350. It's certainly nothing special, but that doesn't mean that it has to look like garbage. I had no history on the water pump, but it was covered with rust and scale. A replacement was only $45 at O'Rielly. That's cheap insurance to make sure coolant is flowing as it should. And, it gave me an excuse to tidy up the engine bay while I had the accessories off the front of the engine.

The new water pump got a coat of Chevy Orange. While I was in the neighborhood, I knocked the loose paint off the front of the engine and gave it a fresh coat too.

Then, I replace the rusted (formerly chrome) valve covers and air cleaner. To dress up the chrome valve covers, I painted the raised center section to match the engine color. To dress up the chrome air cleaner, I added a "350 Turbo-Fire" sticker, like the one's Chevy used in the '60's and '70's.

Next, I replaced the PCV hose with a custom bent hard line to get it off the top of the shiny new valve cover.

Last (and this doesn't show up in the pictures), I painted the radiator overflow tank flat black and relocated it in front of the radiator. It looked very out of place in the engine bay. Now, with the black paint, it disappears behind the front grille.

Now, I just need to spend some time with soap and water washing away the dust that has accumulated on the firewall, core support, and inner fenders. It's not perfect, but it already looks MUCH better.