I am a new member and this is my first post so forgive me forr bringing up an old topic, it is just that for seemingly hours of searching this forum, I still cannot find any definitive answers as to what color a 1960 F100 223 engine was/ should be. I just picked up a 1960 F100 Custom Cab, styleside. The PO said he threw a rod through the original motor and replaced it with what he swears was another 1960 223 motor after he had it substantially rebuilt. It is yellow, or sort of, maybe pale yellow? Looks original on the motor.
I am shooting for a "driver" as opposed to a 100 point show truck but would still like to keep it somewhat true to its roots. So was the 1960 F100 223 engine:
A: yellow
B: a reddish orange
C: black with a red valve cover
D: black with an "argent" (silver?) valve cover
E: none of the above
Thanks in advance for the answers. I will be adding it to the registry and be asking more questions soon like; who repairs speedometer heads? etc.
KCampbellNH

 

Campbell; Check this members thread https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...struction.html He is doing an amazing restoration of a 1960 F100. The last page or two shows pictures of his un-rebuilt engine, it looks like red to me. I'm sure if you sent him a PM he could tell you for certain the original colors for the engine.
Good luck in your quest.

 

The answer is "C"! Black with a Red valve cover.

 

So the not original 223 engine in my 1960 F100 is goldenrod now with a reddish orange intake manifold. Did the goldenrod not get dropped in 56 or so? As far as I can tell the black block and red valve covers was a V8 thing. Since the manifold has traces of the reddish orange color and is most likely the original manifold, maybe the appropriate color for the 1960 223 in the F100 is all the red/orange?
Thanks again. KCampbellNH

 

There have been many discussions about 223 engine color here, it always ends up from those who really know for a 1960, red valve cover and black block including the manifolds. However, you are free to paint your engine the color that pleases you and tell your friends that it is suppose to be that way! Whatever, that is why working on old trucks is fun, you can do what you like!

 

If you use the search function for the forum, you can come up with some of the previous discussions.