[Toms bird]

I hope this doesnt come off the wrong way. If you cant do things yourself then you have to pay, Are you painting the engine also ? Then why are you taking it out just because it's easier ? Are you spraying frame also or just painting inner fenders and firewall? There are ways to do things to get the results you want. If you get in a hurry or try to cut cost you can usually tell by the result. I disassemble my whole car painted subframe engine compartment then put engine in, but I think you can do a reasonable job with the engine in and spray cans in a couple of weekends. Whats it worth to you? Are you going for a show car or a nice driver.

[64speed]

My concern is an engine dangling over a freshly painted car/engine bay on a cherry picker. Just seems like a recipe for chips and scratches

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by 64speed

My concern is an engine dangling over a freshly painted car/engine bay on a cherry picker. Just seems like a recipe for chips and scratches

If you don't want to pay them to do it, then there's only one choice....pull the engine, do the bay, put it back in and then drive it to the body shop. Actually, it would be better to pull the entire front clip along with the engine. That way, you get access to everything under the hood.