What is the deal with engines being covered up by those damn plastic covers these days? <img border="0" alt="[offtopic]" title="" src="graemlins/offtopic.gif" />

 

It looks Purty.

And adds some much needed billable flat-rate for the mechanic.

 

My '95 Saab V6 has them - they were leaking when the engine deasaster happened. Saab provided two new heads, and they came with new covers. That was at 91k miles (timing belt was under warranty until 95k); now I have 100k miles on it. Let's see how long it lasts. Still love the car - it's the most convenient, practical, and smooth everyday ride I've ever had. Not as much fun, but also not as moody as the 928.

I have frequent car trouble: Can't decide which one to drive... ;-)

(During the week, the Saab wins most of the time, the 928 rarely gets out in the rain.)

 

Hell...you can't even see the Boxter engine moreless plastic covers!!!

 

i think a 928 engine bay would look nice with a plastic cover. cover the whole whting with just the "Porsche 32V" and oil cap showing thru...

 

I've just been car shopping and was thinking the exact same thing. I like seeing engine when I pop the hood.

 

GOOD lord Nicole...they replaced what?

My opinion of SAAB's over the past years has been pretty favorable...as to reliablility, I've only heard that the earliest turbo's had trouble because they were air cooled, and people would wind up with burned-out turbos because they didn't let their car idle for two minutes to cool the bearings.

-Plastic engine covers came about because people started looking under their hoods. Since it is hugely expensive to manufacture a car with an intake and/or cylinder head that looks nice...it became obvious that some sort of fancy plastic cover A LA the robot from "Lost In Space" was necessary. Suddenly you cannot see your valve covers anymore.....

-The guy or [scary-] gal who picks up your garbage probably has enough brain power to tell you that the main thing that sells cars is LOOKS. Build a piece of shlt that looks good and people will flock to your doorstep; build a fantastically engineered car that is dowdy ugly...forget it. You'll be Chapter 11 sooner than several major airlines.....

So they have to make engine bays pretty now. Here comes the plastic~

Normy-
'85 S2 5 Speed

 

Dave,

My God! Dave…you take that back <img border="0" alt="[crying]" title="" src="graemlins/crying.gif" /> I think all that rain up North is getting things all mossy on you and clouding your vision <img border="0" alt="[ouch]" title="" src="graemlins/c.gif" /> but don’t worry…I’ll probably end back up there soon myself… <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> however…till then…I look at sharkeys insides ever night <img border="0" alt="[oops]" title="" src="graemlins/oops.gif" /> and morning and couldn’t imagine he would be happy about wearing a condom eternally over his private parts.

NORMY!

What are you doing up so late???
<img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />

 

Just realized you were talking about ENGINE covers and I went off talking about VALVE covers... Well, the Saab has both in plastic.

I think they made these covers for three reasons:

- They first came up on diesel and Turbo diesel engines to capsule those and reduce noise emissions

- They don't want people to mess with the engine at times when there is not much to mess with anymore (everything electronic, and modern engines really don't need as much maintenance as some people want to do...)

- Looks, of course - with the cover, any engine - no matter how messy it looks - can impress the cllueless. And the others can't be fooled either way.

 

Not only do the panels tidy things up, they help reduce mechanical noise levels. This is an important consideration in modern automobile design.

There's an nice article about Audi's commitment to "sound design" on the <a href="http://www.audiworld.com/news/03/symphonyofsound/" target="_blank">AudiWorld</a> site.