It's probably a" mystery of the ages"

Barry

 

Yeah I agree, he could just leave it Bronze and put it in a judging contest. Then if they take points away for the wrong engine color he can possibly find out from them what color it should be.

 

I have a 1948 f1
226 flathead was a dark red
that was my stock color on engine
look in my gallery
1948 48ATOY

 

Sorry, but you're wrong. '51 six cylinder engines were red. Blue started with the '52 OHV 6.

 

George, I'm going to do some more checking around with the other family members, to see if anyone ever remembers that engine being worked on or swapped. When we replaced the water pumps and were painting them, my Grandpa seemed very sure when I asked him that it had never been touched since it came off the lot, but there was also a 3 year period where my unlce, who was in high school in the 60's, used it for a manure-hauling business. I like the info you found from the Ford employee, it wouldn't surprise me if they simply used any excess paint supplies to shoot the engines with. Back then, who would really care?
Gary

 

I pulled this link off of www.bonusbuilt.com. It's the one I was looking at when I painted my flatty. Its http://www.agt.net/public/bboogaar/e...olour_list.htm
I'm not vouching for it's accuracy as this debate may alway be question. But, It's a good place to start.

Barry

50 F-1

 

Deep red? I wonder if this color was more readily available than the green or bronze, especially during 1948-52? Was also listed under "commercial". Could it be that Ford either sold replacement parts, engines, or remanufactured engines under this color. I have seen more deep red engines during those years than any other color combined.

 

I think there might have been some red Ford truck engines that left the factory with 8BA heads. Both of my trucks have 8BA heads. In one case it might be a different engine but it has a truck oil pan. My 50 I am very sure has the original engine with 26 K miles. I don't think the heads were ever replaced. I don't think it was very common to replace the heads. There's not much that can go wrong with them.

Don't use Ford Red color engine paint its not the right color red. Internatiional Harvestor Red is almost right.

 

dmptrkr......Thanks, I made that mistake already with the "lighter shade" of Ford red. The engine that came in my 51 F3 had 8BA heads and a truck oil pan also. Although after getting it running again, and cleaning tons of wheat (busy mice building nests and food supply) out of the top end of the engine, the engine block was badly cracked from sitting in freezing temps (N.D.) without anti-freeze. Even though the truck and I, now in Texas have much warmer temps. I do remember cold weather being from Indiana and also living three years in Minneapolis. Spent time during Christmas this year in Green Bay also. Cold weather felt good for a change after enduring 100 degree days here in the summer.

 

I hear that, our low today was -32 (ambient) Wind chill was much lower. Lots of cracked blocks up in this country.....

 

Thanks for all the help. Although I still don't have a confirmed color for the flathead, I've learned a few things (which is always good).
Again Thanks