The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 55 1st truck 3100 motor paint color & intake/exhaust color

Is it true that there were a few different motor colors because back then GM would sometimes mix left over paints for the motors and that's why there are different colored motors? also does anyone know if the intake & exhaust were painted if so what color. I am building a original 55 chevy truck.

Thanks for the help

different motor colors indicate different engine type, wasn't a haphazard thing .... intake/exhaust were "natural" cast color

Bill

Bill, are you saying that the engine was painted prior to installation of the exhaust/intake manifold? What is your source for this opinion?
Carl

sorry Carl, my mistake, was thinking of various cast add ons that weren't painted, intake/exhaust on pre-assembled engines at the factory would have had engine color manifolds - for as long as that lasted

Bill

Has anyone fully identified the actual "Blue Grey" color they indicate in that article?

Practically all of the 216-235 engines I have seen (when any trace of original paint is still left on them) have had a light blue color that is VERY close to the Duplicolor "Pontiac Blue", kind of a slate tinged light blue. I also compared it to the color of the old Houston Oilers.

I have encountered one 235(early '53 w/2 holes on top) valve cover that was a dark and flat grey, almost a "mud grey" or "exhaust" color, way darker than the usual machine grey most guys use. I am not "most guys" and I am NOT going machine grey on mine!

No 216 was ever painted blue from the factory.

The 235s that were painted blue were the high-pressure car 235s that were first introduced in 1953, the "Blue Flame Six" car 235s.

No high-pressure 235 truck engines were painted blue.

There are conflicting opinions regarding the earlier low pressure gray-blue color (216s and early 235s) being carried over onto the high-pressure 235 engines in 1954 (some think the truck engine color changed to a lighter gray with no blue in it).

No one, including VCCA judges, have any documentation regarding the gray or blue-gray engine colors/formulas.

Every 216 with original paint which I have seen has been a much darker gray than any of the paints offered by any of the venders. It can be described as a light black more so than dark gray, IMO. Absolutely no blue tint by anyone's imagination.
Carl

After 37 years in the printing/dyeing/finishing I can promise you no two will ever see the same color the same way
Is it blue, med blue, dark blue, navy blue, med red blue...is it 10% off shade or is it 20?

I've seen an original crate motor, still crated up, sitting in JimCarters front room but can't remember the year. I'm pretty sure it was a 216. However, after sitting for years, especially under the lights, the color is bound to be off some. I don't usually get into the engine color discussion but in the end we usually always paint them the color "we" like best. Heck, for me I just paint them Plasti-Kote Universal Grey #202 and call it close enough!

.....You guys just wait until Denny see's this post. LOL

You've said it all Alvin, frutless argument, beauty---and color
is in the eye of the beholder.
dg

Yes, there are probably fifty shades of grey/gray.
Pick the one that suits your eye.

Yep.