The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine colors

Just picked up an n original 292 out of a low mileage 64 Chevy 3/4 ton. (owner just HAD to have a V8) This engine has a date code of D 15 4 (Apr 15 1964) I would have thought it should have been orange, but it is a green with just a touch of blue, not the Chevrolet blue used in the 80's. The color makes me think of a Jasper rebuild, but I can't find any tags or decals identifying it as such. The valve cover is the same color as the rest of the engine, and has an authentic looking (GM?) decal on the side that says "High Torque 292". Anybody got any clues? I plan to put it into my 55.1 Hydro truck with a 200-4R until I can get to the restoration which may take a couple of more years

This article says green or black or gray.

Thanks, Tim. I was pretty sure I didn't have a ringer, but i sure thought ALL Chevrolet engines through sometime in the 70's were ORANGE. Obviously you're never too old to learn (don't ask!) Now I'm wondering about the black engines, although a friend of mine recently did a total frame off resto of a '54 1/2ton Hydramatic truck with a gray engine. Still, it makes you wonder about the different colors (different Engine assembly plants, maybe?)

If you look at the lead-in paragraphs to that article, the wise and careful author noted that if a paint color ran out during assembly, they most likely used whatever was available. My guess is that on special days (after a drinking lunch or on someone's birthday), the workers might have mixed special colors?