Often a restoration’s exterior and/or performance is the primary focus in a build. Customization is typically first noticed on the body and then the eye travels to the interior. This is undeniably noticeable with the millions of car body shots hashtagged #carporn on Instagram – showing off the outside is the predominant post.
Even when time, money, and effort are put towards what is under the hood, it is frequently spent on the engine and power components rather than what holds them.
That being said, we know the engine bay can be one of the most overlooked or under-customized parts of a vehicle. It is the reason why, when the restorer has paid compliment to the bay, it holds particular interest for us. It is like the cherry on top and seems to translate into a cool one-off aesthetic of the area. While epic, perfectly customized engine bays such as these are few and far between. However, we're sure every muscle car fan will have a hard time looking away from these gorgeous V8 engine bays.
10 1969 Ford Mustang Restomod
There is never a shortage of red cars in a “best of” list, and again, we found that to be the case when examining engine bays. However, this 1969 Ford Mustang’s Randy Apple Red III tops our list of red contenders.
The ’69’s bay holds a Ford 5.0-liter Coyote V8, tuned by Lund Racing. The CobraJET badging on the body-color-matched cam covers are a standout.
9 1955 Chevrolet 210 Custom Coupe
Top to bottom, exterior to interior, this Chevy Coupe is a head-turner. The silver in the two-tone silver and white Coupe finishes the engine bay.
The custom design, polished chrome finish, and Bel Air badging complete the amazing look. In the heart of this Chevy’s engine bay is a 6.0-liter V8. An additional note on this build shows the builder's attention all the way to the undercarriage. This is a mirror-parker, for sure!
8 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle
The engine bay on this 1967 Chevy Chevelle isn’t as polished as many of the others on this top-10; but it makes the list for other reasons. The goal in this beast of a Chevelle was said to be sheer size – to have an outrageous monster whose engine would tower from the bay all the way to the roofline. Mission accomplished!
A 383 Stroker sits in the bay, topped with a Weiand blower and dual quads. Sans the Edelbrock intake, most all components are finished in black or carbon fiber to continue the exterior black on black look.
7 1998 McLaren F1
This 1998 McClaren F1 comes from Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray and sits in the Petersen Automotive Museum. It was one of only two built with the LM specification, and includes materials such as gold, titanium, carbon fiber and Kevlar.
The mid-engine McClaren’s customized bay is lined in gold foil. The high-performance addition was added to reflect heat produced by the engine.
6 2014 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection
One of only 35 produced, the Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection is seen in Maggiore Blue. The finish is described as nine-layers of paint, hand-sanding and cutting edge powdered lacquer, according to BMW Blog.
The beautiful blue finish extends into the engine of the Rolls, a striking complement to the 6.75-liter V12. Is it just the finish of the color we can’t stop staring at? We’re not sure, but this definitely is a customized engine bay we love.
5 1956 Chrysler Custom Sport Wagon
This hemi-powered 1956 Chrysler Custom two-door Sport Wagon is a multi award-winner. Its accolades include Chrysler Design Excellence Award, West Coast Custom of the Year, Chip Foose Design Excellence Award, Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year finalist and others.
The Revolutionary Yellow exterior comes from DuPont Hot Hues. The custom-mix yellow surrounds the polished engine dress that tops the 5.7-liter V8.
4 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe
This super-sick, custom-built 1969 Chevy Camaro grabs us for its inside and out. The satin Pearl White exterior wraps into the engine bay and is a backdrop for its sleek minimalist aesthetic.
The Camaro's customized bay houses a 511 cubic-inch Warrior Engine big block with a custom-fabbed cold-air induction. It’s finished with a smooth firewall.
3 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
This ground-up 1955 Chevy Bel Air resto build is the second '55 on our list and another mind-blower. The copper in its Copper Metallic / Jet Black body rolls right into its custom engine bay.
The polished hood hinges and latch, fluid res, and Griffin radiator are just the shine needed. The power in the Chevy’s bay comes from a 5.7-liter LS1 V8.
2 1974 Jaguar E-Type S3 Restomod
This 1974 E-Type Series 3 was a restoration done by E-Type UK. Different than the other engine bays on our list, this Jag shows out with less color.
The custom-made velocity stacks are what grabbed us here. They sit atop a 6.1-liter V12.
1 1949 Chevrolet 3100 Restomod
This custom-built 1949 Chevy 3100 restomod was awarded the PPG Dream Car title presented by Goodguys. To describe the body color as “green” is an understatement and a disservice to its awesome finish.
The attention runs throughout this highly-customized build with body-match engine bay, including a “fiberglass appendage” for the intake. The drive in the center of the bay comes from a 502 cubic-inch Ram Jet crate.