A Theme Tuesday post in 2026? I know, weird, right? However, as I mentioned in my previous post, a lot of my Motorama 2025 content got lost in the vortex of a sinking (now sunk) ship.
With this year’s event just around the corner, I’ve decided to liberate many of these photos. Think of this post as a multi-part version of the event preview posts I used to do way back in 2010/2012.
Now I’m humbly aware that I’m known for three photo types: straight-on engine bay shots, rear three-quarter shots and profile shots.
Unimaginative? Perhaps, but I think those shots are mandatory to properly present a car to someone who can’t see it firsthand.
For everything that needs to co-exist under the hood of a functioning vehicle, it’s very easy for an engine bay to look cluttered, and I’ve always appreciated those who go the extra mile to make them look presentable.
On his show Bitchin’ Rides, Dave Kindig has often referred to the engine bay as the ‘jewelry box’, and I agree. If you choose to keep it open at a show, it should set the stage for the motor sitting in the middle.
I also think a good head-scratcher of a build is worth some love in a post like this too. Like this Detroit Diesel-powered extended Ford Model A known as the Screamin’ Jimmy.
It was parked darn near right next to my truck, and I got to take a look at it a few times as well as have some great conversations with the owner and builder.
So, with all that being said, here are a few of the engine bays from Motorama 2025 that stood out to me.
The clean, the wild, the creative and everything in between. Questions about anything you see here? Let me know. I still have all of my notes from 2025, and I can definitely help out. One or two will be in follow-up posts I have planned as well!
