Cost of detailing engine compartment

If you figure that it takes a day to strip the engine, a day to clean everything up, a day to mask and paint, a day to clean and detail the engine, and a day to reassemble, thats (5) days of somebodys shop time at an average of 55.00 per hour if they are half decent. Given that fact that most shops are 8 hour days, prepare yourself for a 1200.00 bill and that doesn't touch the front suspension. You would be wise to buy yourself a few good books, read up on how to remove an engine properly, rent an engine hoist, recruit a buddy with beers, and do it all yourself over the course of a week or two. Then you could do it for about 200.00, but watch you don't catch the resto fever and start going wild on the dissasembly. If that happens you could wind up like many of the people here on TC. Good luck