Heat saps power. There's no way around it. Apart from venting the engine compartment with unnecessary speed-holes along the hood, it's difficult to prevent heat from building up and cooking parts. Plus, once that heat soaks into the surface of your engine, power can fall off a tad, and if you've got a high-compression motor, detonation is going to be an issue as well. Given enough time, the baking can essentially disintegrate nearly everything in its path. Under the hood, plastic can become brittle like ice, colored AN fittings will lose their luster, and rubber lines will become fragile and eventually fall apart. The heat that penetrates the skin of the intake manifold can easily cause the once cold, dense air to become warm.
The most cost-effective way to wrangle those underhood temps into submission is by wrapping the parts that create and/or maintain the heat. What generates the most heat? The exhaust, of course. The fix is simple. The rest is all about protecting the other components under the hood from the damaging roast. Things such as the battery or starter motor also need to be protected. Oil, water, and fuel lines should also be wrapped since they carry high temperatures through your engine compartment and will build heat quickly. Also, if you've got a blow-through carburetor, wrapping the plumbing to and from the supercharger is just as important. All these will keep underhood temps in check, and your car will run more efficiently with less drama.
Thermo-Tec is one company out there that's got you covered--literally. Thermo-Tec offers a plethora of wraps, jackets, clamp-ons, sleeves, adhesive-backed blankets, and even spray-on heat repellent for your muscle car. Most of their products are universal and they'll cut to fit just about any and everything under your hood. We've gathered the company's most popular products together and highlighted their different applications in an effort to illustrate how and what to protect.
Quick Notes
What we did
What's out there when it comes to thermal protecting your ride? We list the most popular products.
Bottom line
Prevent the heat from eating away at your investments
Cost (approx)
Starting at $9