The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 57 Chevrolet color

Have a 57 Chevrolet with the original 235
What is the correct engine paint color ?
Thank you

Truck 235‘s would have been gray.

50 shades of grey?

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/lambrecht-1958-cameo-preserves-history-of-auction-chevrolet
Scroll down to the picture of the engine in the cameo. Notice how dark the valve cover is. This truck only had something like 3 miles on it, so I don't think the paint all wore off.

What a waste. Never going to be started. Never going to be washed. Never going to have the smashed windshield or caved in roof fixed. The owner is an idiot.

We do very few restorations anymore as street rodding is much easier, faster, and pays better but the ones we do usually win awards. The 57 3100 pictured will NOT win anything as it has added on a-c, a near necessity in Texas. The valve cover is a near match to the 1.5 mile Cameo posted by Truckrolet so dark grey seems to be correct.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/Yj2K9Ffj/IMG-4166.jpg[/img]

Not so sure about the grayfor a '57. The list I've saved is from a '96 issue of 'Pickup 'n Panels in Print' 1912-1966 engine colors (which could be fallible) for trucks; 235 Green, 261 Yellow, 265 grey, 283 could be grey, yellow, green, black or orange 322 red. I had never heard of a 322?? Edit: the 322 was a Buick nailhead, used in big trucks in ‘56-57 while developing the 348.

I've read Bob's article many times and still have a hard time seeing him say that the 235 was painted Green...I've never seen an example pictured anywhere, they were always Gray as seen in the Cameo linked by Truckrolet above.

The only Chevrolet straight six that I know of that was painted Green (Alpine Green) were the 261's and some years they were Yellow...

Mike B

Interesting article. I was at that auction and have often wondered where that truck (and a lot of the others) ended up.

Here is what I posted some time ago. And since the 1958 I linked above used gray, and gray was used in 1955, why would it be different in 1957?
Unless it is the heavy duty 235 that is green? 261 in 55 painted yellow?

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...955-engine-paint-colors.html#Post1473002

I can’t say for sure on engines in trucks, but in 1957 if the car had a 265 V8 the color was a chartreuse yellow. I’m assuming these were leftovers from 1956.

1912 - 1966 Chevrolet engine colors - a 1996 article written by a wise and knowledgeable pro.

Well, looks like 52-Mobil needs to figure out what shade of green it's supposed to be.

Not leftovers, the 1956 265's were orange. They needed a way to differentiate the two V8 offerings in 1957, so the 283 got Orange and the 265 got Chartreuse (yellow). Very few 265's were put in cars...most got the new 283's.

Mike B

Since it’s been well established that there is no “correct” gray for 235 truck engines, and since I’m also cheap, if/when I ever get around to painting an engine….

It will be Massey Ferguson tractor paint. It’s a medium gray, universally available, and close enough for me.

I think Massey Ferguson Gray is to dark and unique to them. Bill Hirsch and The Filling Station both sell good engine paint that most agree is acceptable.

My .02 cents...

Mike B