The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Paint for a 1958 235 Apache engine

I want to paint my engine before reinstalling it in my truck. If I am correct the color for the 1958 235 Apache engine is a gray valve cover, block and oil pan. Many of the remaining components are black with the oil bath air cleaner bowl being red.

What color code/name is correct for the red, gray, and black paints? Should these paints be gloss or semi-gloss? My thinking, from other pictures I have seen of engines, is semi-gloss.

Also, are there any recommendations for paint manufacturers?

Thanks upfront for any guidance.

John

there's no red components involved, the entire air cleaner is black - there's no known codes for the engine paint

Bill

OK. Thanks Bill, but what is the correct color for a 1958 3100 series 235 cu. in. 6 cylinder engine? Whatever the color, is it gloss or semi-gloss? Perhaps it is the top for my oil bath air cleaner that is painted red. Doesn't really matter at this point. I want to make my restoration as authentic as possible.

John

the engine is a shade of gray, exactly which shade is a debated subject, but some of the vendors have close ones - I just use rattle can Ford engine gray enamel, which is a gloss .... if part of your air cleaner was red, some PO did that, factory they're all black, and I believe all the 'add-on' parts of the engine are gloss, other black areas under the hood are satin

Bill

Classis industries (among others) has Chevy engine grey spray cans.

The engine I have from a 59 ELCO was actually black. Not for sure if it is factory, but it looked good. On the flip side, I kind of like the Chevy Blue engine paint. I know you're going for an authentic restoration, but I think the stovebolt fans would forgive.

black wasn't factory, and the shade of 'blue' is as debated as the gray

Bill

My 235 is from a 57 car...it's orange and I thought that to be correct give the little research I did. It is in a 49 half to but that was a common change from the 216. I'm surely no expert on this.

Orange was a common paint used by rebuilders (the Chevy V-8 Orange color).

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/index.asp?cat2=10638&path=Late+1955++%2D+1959+Truck+Parts%2FPaint%2FEngine+%26+Transmission

Carter truck has the gray in a quart, it works just fine rolling it or using a sponge type brush applicator. Its probably the best for being close to correct color and shade. Ford paint is way too light. All engine paint has always been gloss.
You never ever found orange on a TF 6 cylinder engine.
The only item that maybe or have been redish or orangeish is the oil filter housing, that bolted to the rear of the intake manifold. Air cleaner housing was gloss black. Voltage regulator cover is gloss black, I think radiator tank was gloss black. We need some good pic's of that truck at the auction at end of this month. Anyway pretty much everything else in the engine compartment was semi gloss black and not flat black it had around a 60% shine if I remember right. The fire wall is the body or cab color.
There may have been some 235's painted the car engine color used in some trucks. The guy that posted pics of his restored 56 says his was blue. Blue was the car engine color, gray is for trucks.

I used Bill Hirsch auto paint, engine enamel, looks great They have a Chevy Medium Grey

That would depend on which Ford Gray you're looking at. The shade most folks think of a "Ford Gray", which was used from mid '47 with the introduction of the 8N tractor up to the current New Holland tractors is way too light for sure. However, the early Ford Gray, used on 9N/2N tractors '39-early '47 is pretty close, as it is for all intents, Battleship Gray. Add a bit of blue to the mix, and it comes out pretty close to Chevrolet Gray.

To all that provided input,

Thank you all. Knew I could count on you for the input I needed. Just took a look and my oil bath air filter is red with a lot of black showing underneath. Somewhere during the life of this old truck it was repainted. There is no paint at all on the cover for the air filter housing, but the lower part that contains the filter is definitely black. When I had this motor re-built in 1986 (Note: engine has never been cranked following re-build, just turned over occasionally)the machine shop painted it blue, and it really looked good. Through the years it has shown some wear and some of the paint has actually peeled. Obviously the shop did not do the best paint job. Now, I am putting more time into my restore and want to get as close to factory as I can. Looks like I'll go with a gray engine and the other things Truckolet mentioned will be black.

Again, thanks to all for the good 'Bolter' advice!

John

More black. Fan, fan pulley, semi gloss. Starter and generator the normal black. What else am I forgetting?

There are other parts that can be painted black, that is what they would have been if you bought them over the parts counter. The balancer pulley, front mounts to engine etc. But normally I think they all got the same color on the assembly line. Others here can chime in. I like accuracy in this sorta stuff.
The bellhousing for 6 cylinder will be engine color. The transmission needs the cast iron gray, as they were unpainted I think, maybe the hydramatics were painted. Master cylinder is cast iron gray. The 3rd member for the rear end is cast iron gray. The axle housing black, hey we need pics of the auction truck.

i have a original 216 in a 48 1 ton truck..it is grey.. the engine in my 50 truck is a later 235 probably from a car that is blue..(blue flame).. the 261 engines i had one was green and the other was yellow i think they were original colors.. i didnt have a example of the green for the 261 so i just bought what the parts store said was right..but after i got it on it didnt look like what i remembered the green being

'58 auction truck 1 - auction truck 2 ... and an assembly line shot of a 59 car engine

Bill

So whats that amber looking deal at top of firewall? Sure is a real dark gray color for the engine. Why is it missing the white paint stick markings on the firewall? Special cleanup for the cameo? It sure isn't the correct battery. Looks like a bunch of corrosion on that top radiator hose fitting.

do you expect a truck that's been sitting around for 55 years to still have the original battery? do you know for a fact that every truck had assembly line marks on the firewall? don't you think a truck that's been kicking around for 55 years [at least part of the time outdoors] is likely to have gotten a bit dirty?

the question here was what engine pieces were gray or black, the pics answer that

Bill

All the 3rd members I've seen in '55-'59s have been a burnt orange color once the dirt was cleaned off.