Correct engine paint color?
Correct engine paint color?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,836
Likes: 3
From: Elizabethtown, PA
Correct engine paint color?
That is correct, boring old black. My all-original truck is as you describe. However, the valve covers on mine are currently a pale creamy yellow, not gold. I've heard this is possible depending on where they were made. But the black is a constant.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Western NC
Correct engine paint color?
Block & accessories (water pump, alternator, etc.) black, valve covers gold. Be careful on the black. This is a case where black is not black. I believe it's semi gloss black. There are so many other variants of black, that I'm not even going to go there. I learned that lesson about black some time back. Gave me a headache at the time.
I've not ever heard of variants based on location. That doesn't mean it's impossible. Got a source? I'm always looking to bring myself up "backdate" :-) If I'm not mistaken, my original info source is the Ford Pickup Color History by T. Brownell. My immediate info source is my own memory of that book.
I've not ever heard of variants based on location. That doesn't mean it's impossible. Got a source? I'm always looking to bring myself up "backdate" :-) If I'm not mistaken, my original info source is the Ford Pickup Color History by T. Brownell. My immediate info source is my own memory of that book.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 357
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Correct engine paint color?
I have stock 64 352 Mercury M-250. Gold valve covers and air cleaner. Everything else is black.
oops...Actually the air cleaner is from a 64 Galaxie, If I remember the original was a black oil filled style but they may not have all been like that.
oops...Actually the air cleaner is from a 64 Galaxie, If I remember the original was a black oil filled style but they may not have all been like that.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,447
Likes: 1
From: Littleton, CO
Correct engine paint color?
My Ol' 65 has black with the gold covers, including a black oil-bath air cleaner. Wait, no that is black under all the crud.... I've actually been contemplating this, do I go with the original colors on the rebuilt 390-ish or go Ford Blue??? Black would look good with an aluminum manifold and water pump, chrome air cleaner and covers.... so does the blue unfortunately.
Talk about a headache!
--Mike
Talk about a headache!
--Mike
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New User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Correct engine paint color?
Oh, the choices...I guess the last person who rebuilt this engine didn't like it in basic black. It currently has what looks like Ford dark blue. I remember now that my last '65 had gold valve covers, but I didn't realize that was the factory color.
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Western NC
Correct engine paint color?
Decisions is right. You now know what the color was when it left the factory and you may be sorry you asked because if you paint it blue, whenever open up the hood, you're gonna think "I know that's not how it looked...."If ignorance is bliss, then I can see your torment. The disease that you have is also one afflicting many "stockers" in the group and that subgroup includes me.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 2
From: Conway Arkansas
Correct engine paint color?
I painted my 390 Old Ford Blue and put Chrome valve covers and air cleaner on it. I painted the dipsticks, pulleys, etc gloss black.
So now the block,heads,manifold,waterpump, and the power steering pump and altnerator are Old Ford Blue. The air cleaner, valve covers are chrome. The fuel pump, pulleys, bracket for power steering pump, alt bracket and stuff like that are gloss block.
Then the bolts are either stainless steal or painted blue.. Like the bolts for the alt, power steering, water pump pulley, etc are blue, so it looks good spinning :P
Anyways, the blue looks ok, but if you want to keep most of the truck stock, then go w/ the black...
Its just personal taste anyways.
So now the block,heads,manifold,waterpump, and the power steering pump and altnerator are Old Ford Blue. The air cleaner, valve covers are chrome. The fuel pump, pulleys, bracket for power steering pump, alt bracket and stuff like that are gloss block.
Then the bolts are either stainless steal or painted blue.. Like the bolts for the alt, power steering, water pump pulley, etc are blue, so it looks good spinning :P
Anyways, the blue looks ok, but if you want to keep most of the truck stock, then go w/ the black...
Its just personal taste anyways.
