1979 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class - Hot enginebay

my engine bay [ not my engine] is so hot you cant touch anything in the bay… why does it get so hot all of a sudden??

First confirm that your engine is not overheating. If you cannot do this on your own, take it to a shop. Do not rely on the temp gage on the dash. You will most likely lose your engine if it’s overheating. If it’s not running too hot, you may be missing heat shields from somewhere, maybe at exhaust manifold.