The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 engine paint color for 1954 chevy pickup

would like to now color 1954 chevy truck engine should be and also where to buy that color paint from which dealer

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Web%20images/PPIP/PPIP-1912-1966-EngineColors.html

What level are your trying to achieve?
Show, daily driver, off the assembly line

looking for daily driver and show now and then

also previous owner painted engine red

I used rattle can from my local auto parts store
gray engine paint Dupli-Color Ford Gray #DE1611.

Results in signature line

Most say filling station engine paint is factory correct. It's a dark blue/gray like you would see on a 216

I used Rust-Oleum High Heat Primer then a few coats of Rust-Oleum High Heat Clear... Pic 1 & Pic 2

I'm pretty near finished painting the engine in my '54 3100. Bolting parts back on today. Painted in the truck.

I used dark grey engine enamel paint from http://www.fillingstation.com/.
AEROSOL #FS-359 $16.50
PINT #FS-119P $39.50
QUART #FS-119 $69.95

< CLICK > for a recent discussion.

< CLICK > for pics of original engines (B&W).

< CLICK > for discussion on cleaning the engine.

If you are painting the engine while it is in the truck, spend time planning your schedule. Seems like I wasted a lot of time masking off areas multiple times as I needed to paint other items.

Good luck.

keithfielder,

Discussing the topic of the engine color is like discussing what is the one true religion. Everyone has an opinion and everyone has done research (and has sought true/divine enlightenment). And, everyone trusts different experts. In fact, maybe this topic should be moved to the Greasy Spoon (just joking).

Jim Carter has been in business since 1972 and he has been interested-in and researching-on the Stovebolt engine longer than that. Bob Adler is considered (by me and by many others) to be "the expert" on Advance-Design Chevrolet trucks. He has had more than a few hundred Advance-design (and other antique) Chevrolet trucks in his restoration-shop/truck-yard/museum in Stephentown, New York. He has been studying/researching, writing about, and restoring Chevrolet trucks since at least the early 70s.

I have had one or more Stovebolt engines (216, 235, and or 261) in my possession since 1969, and worked on Stovebolt engines in a shop in 1970. I did not start studying/researching Stovebolt engines with any dedication/seriousness until about 2001 (around the time that I joined Stovebolt.com). So, my opinion is of minimal importance.

I appreciate The Filling Station's (around since 1979) research on engine color, which has resulted in their opinion that all 1929-1962 216/235 [b]truck[/b] engines had the same one and true color, a relatively dark gray (with what seems to be a little blue in it). I have seen earlier (pre-1954) 216s/235s with that color/shade-of-gray, but I do not know if that paint on those engines was original.

Based on his personal experience, I appreciate Jim Carter's opinion that the one and true color for 1929-1962 Chevrolet truck 216/235 engines is a lighter shade of gray. I have also seen that color on many newer 235s (in junk yards since 1969) but I do not know if that paint was original.

Anther respected vendor, Bill Hirsch, seems to have split the difference (and also seems to have made a complete mistake). He sells a dark grey 1929-52/53 six-cylinder engine paint and a presumably lighter grey 1929-52/53 six-cylinder engine paint. His complete mistake is a mistake that Classic Parts used to make and that is to also sell a Blue 1954-62 (and 53 Powerglide 235) blue six cylinder engine paint for trucks. That blue paint was only used on automobiles that had the Blue Flame 235 (and of course it was not the color of the 54-63 6-cylinder 261, which is another engine paint story).

Bob Adler wrote that the 1954 truck 235 was PPG 34560 gray (he published an article stating that this color was the same as the earlier 216 engine color). I do not know what this color looks like.

A source of valuable research that was not refuted when it was published is the article listing Chevrolet engine paints for 1912 through 1966 by Bill Hensel, a VCCA member (the Bible-keepers of all truths in the Chevrolet world). He shows a blue gray pre-54 216/235 truck engine color and a gray 1954 and later 235 truck engine color. I do not know if Bill Hensel (an Early Truck Tech Advisor for the VCCA) is still around but I think that his VCCA brothers now disagree with him BUT they have no documentation.

I have heard and read the opinions that so-and-so company/person has done long and careful research before reaching their conclusion on the one and true 216/235 truck paint color. As is the case in picking the one and true religion, picking the one and true 216/235 truck engine paint is an act of faith and can never be fully proven as being correct.

This attempt to choose a Stovebolt engine paint color is further hampered by the fact that "in the day" these engines were painted various formulas/mixtures of engine paint in what was not a carefully controlled process (just mix it up, keep the line moving, get it done). Nonetheless, the differences in darkness/lightness and shade-of-gray and amount-of-blue are quite distinct between Jim Carter and The Filling Station.

My 235 1954 engine is painted the gray sold by Jim Carter. I do not know if it is "correct" and if it is the one true color.

Please note that I have not shown you only one color and only one opinion by one company or by one person. I have shown you opinions from a variety of well-meaning people and companies. I am not trying to convince you to choose one particular color/paint. On the other hand, I am interested in people knowing more of the story than the results of one company's or one person's extensive research and strongly held opinion. Also, I hope that this information will help people enjoy whatever engine color they choose to paint their Stovebolt engine.

Choose the shade of gray that you like.

Well written info, Tim.
Thanks,

thanks for all the info,you guys are always so helpful when it comes to trucks ,i will try some of these paints and decide which one i like best ,i am also glad spring is just around the corner and we can get cruising.

I was stumbling around the GM Heritage site today and found some 1960 engine paint info in the 1960 GM Restoration Kit ...

> 235:
Listed as "gray" on PDF p. 166 of 211
Listed as "blue gray" on PDF p. 167 of 211, p. 168/211, and p. 169/211.
Decal is black letters on lemon yellow background. Located top of rocker cover. PDF p. 167/211, 168/211, 169/211.

> 261:
Green engine paint. p. 166/211, 170/211. Same decal color as location as 235. p 170/211.

A little confusion on 283 paint color --
> 283 Trademaster:
Gray engine paint. p. 166/211
but shows Green engine paint p. 180/211
No decal

> 283 Taskmaster:
Green engine paint. p. 166/211
but shows Gray engine paint p. 181/211
No decal

> 348:
Gray engine paint. p. 166/211, 191/211, 192/211.
Decal is orange and white letters on clear background mounted on right hand valve rocker cover. p. 191/211, 192/211.

I own a 1966 Chevy c-10 fleet side pick up , it has a 283 cid engine,,according to the Owners manual page ## 48 it list the following info,, L6-194 Gray---L6-230 Blue---L6-250 BLUE
L6-292 Green V-8-283 Gray V-8-327 Gray
my truck was all orig. numbers matching,,it has a 283 cid which was gray. I bought all my paint from Bill Hersh. I owned a 1939 Chevy pu model # JC IT HAD A 6 CYL. ENGINE..
I bought from the orig. owner it was also Gray, I am a member of the AACA and the VCCA had them Judged by them and no points were taken off for the ENGINE,,,Charlie,,,

.

I'll post what they say when I tell them my engine is of the Ford Gray color pedigree.

Brad

Nice info, Lonnie - Thanks

Were the two shades of gray on 235s on different series?
Did they have both a Thriftmaster vs Loadmaster 235 that year (I do not think so, but I am too lazy to look it up)?

2012 post...
I think Mr DADS50 set us up, or put the "." at the end of this discussion (after yesterday's revival).

Brad

The period was not a period. Only an edit function

I had comments reguarding the title of the original thread
But later decided to delete them

We use to have the ability to delete our post
But that has been taken away

.

I used this last week :
Just to liven it up a bit.

Nice, Uncle Brad