The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 261 Green?

I'm zeroing in on either Dupli-Color DE1618 or Plastikote
225 Alpine Green. The old links that I'm finding are 7-9
years old and most are dead ends. So...I thought it would
be a good time to revive some of the links. Anyone that's
used either of those and still remember the results,
come on back.
They look fairly close to the original paint.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/161548577

I think Grigg posted something about Detroit Diesel Alpine
green and the color not being consistent. One chip I saw
of it looked to dark.
As you can see, the original paint was quite light, washed
out, almost a pastel.
And no....I don't want to use any paints from Jim Carter,
even if I could find it on his lousy online catalog. Nor do
I want to invest a hundred dollars in PPG paint. A Rattle
can from my FLAPS or Farm store is just fine for a driver.
dg

Paint it yellow.

I used this: Dupli-Color Detroit Diesel Alpine Green

But, I agree with Cosmo - paint it yellow

Hi Denny, I used the Dupli-color 1618 Detroit Diesel Alpine Green. Here is a side shot. Not an expert but I believe it to be very close to original. I saw a lot of these Detroit Diesels and the original Detroit Green paint did very over their production run. Mtneermike

DG,

As I'm sure you know, some of the 261's were yellow! What are you putting it in?

Mike B

I'm veering from my normal 95% correctness on this one and I'm
planing a few changes to my '54, 3600.
This 261 engine was green...and will stay green.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/161963911/original
I managed to find that Dupli-Color Alpine Green but looks like
I'll have to order the Plastikote 225 if I want to see how it
matches up.

I think it's clear from the three different color
shots/examples of Dupli-Color Alpine Green that trying to
match up from photo's is a fruitless exercise. We've proven
that way to many time in the decade I've been around here
with the 216/235 gray. Tim, your link looks WAY to Green,
your side shot Mike looks to Gray, and mine next to the original
bell housing looks to Blue.

And....why would I want to paint a green engine yellow guys????

I like to approach these trucks in a period correct manner.
scroll back to the late 50's early 60's and had this been my
truck when I started working at the Chevy garage, I very well
might have pulled a '59, 261 out of Pollack's junk yard to
replace my tired 235. Back then it would have been cheaper
than rebuilding the original 235, plus I'd pick up the
additional 26 cu.in. And I wouldn't have painted it yellow.

dg

You might not have painted it yellow...but it might have come yellow...LOL!

Mike B

I agree, YELLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A clearer/cleaner quandary than choosing a shade of gray?

I think I would would paint it the color that engine supposedly was painted in the year of its manufacture?

I pulled my 1960 261 out of a school bus in 1972. It was the cheapest replacement-engine option. It was green. It is now green.

As is this one Tim, have no idea what it came out of, and I'm
trying to bring it in under $1K for to freshen it up with new
rings, brgs, cam, lifters, and valve work.
Then......I might look into doing the same thing with the
original 235 that it's replacing in the '54.

After burning up a half tank of petrol and spending a good
portion of the day searching every hdw, flaps and farm store
in a 30 mile radius to no avail, I've decided it's much
cheaper to order online and pay UPS $12 to deliver a
can of spray paint to me.

dg

I'm going to get shot here, but if it was mine. I would paint it Chevy Orange like my 235 in my 55.2 3100.

hey now, chevy 235-261's look really slick painted bright chevy orange.



Indy

I'd paint them Chevy Blue (cast metal) & Chevy Orange (sheet metal) to match the by-pass oil filter canister.

I vote for Tooty Fruity!

Denny,
I recently ordered 2 cases of the Dupli Color DE1618 alpine green and a case of DE1612 from Amazon for $26.75 per case of 6, free shipping. Way cheaper than I could find locally.

My first case lasted 6 or 8 years.

Personally I wouldn't bother buying a can from here and another from there and so on until you find just the shade to please you. Instead just go buy a lot at once so it matches anything you do for years to come. Also remember it's likely to be a dirty/dusty engine under the shadow of a hood between two black inner fenders, it'll look just dandy whatever shade of alpine green or yellow or whatever it ends up.

Grigg

As you well know from our talking over the years, I'm not
running a restoration shop and I'm lucky if I can get one
finished up every 10 years. Since this will probably be
the only 261 that I'll ever do. Just one can of paint
is gonna do it, don't need a case.

dg

http://www.tcpglobal.com/s.nl?sc=3&whence=

$8.20 including shipping to Sandwich (1 can)

I'd buy 2 cans.

Two or three if I were painting it, it's real frustrating to run out.
Unless you get the second and following coats on in about an hour after the previous you get to wait something like a week to try again.

Just paint the thing Massey-Ferguson silver- - - - -with a brush!
Jerry

Jerry, old buddy, She ain't gonna work on Maggie's Farm no
more, so I think I'll settle for the green stuff with the
marble in it.

Ok.....here we go, things have been slower than molasses on
the bolt the last month or so, and since I'm retired and have
all the time in the world now, I thought I might as well
waste some more time on further discussion of this silly subject.
Here's an original '59, 261 bell housing with enough paint on
it to get a fairly good idea of what color it was, given the
lighting conditions. With out going into expensive custom
paint mixes, there are only three readily available rattle
can paints in the Alpine Green. I haven't hit any diesel shops
and the truck stops could have more brands out there.
Right now, I'm opting for the Plasti-Kote 225
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/162019937/original

dg

"Here's an original '59, 261 bell housing with enough paint on it to get a fairly good idea of what color it was . . " it now looks like after 56 years of storage (and humidity and light) and oxidation. Interpretation, imagination, and speculation will be needed as assistance in choosing a color.

I trust your interpretation and speculation and judgement in trying to match the "sample", Denny.

Aw-shucks, no you don't Tim. You're just patronizing me. But I
choose Plasti-Kote 225 Alpine Green. The rest look like they
have way to much blue in them, which makes them look like a
shade of gray.

dg

Yes - green

DG, that bell housing looks like mid-sixties Buick engine color.