of course I'm sure we all know it's a rare occasion when I'm right!

 

That's what I thought, too...but...since I wasn't sure, I passed.

Chrome valve covers are correct (if they are plain), as they were part of the dealer installed (or available at the parts counter) Engine Dress-Up Kit which also came with a chrome oil dipstick, chrome oil and radiator caps, chrome air cleaner that uses a paper filter. This same air cleaner (C5ZZ9600W) fits all 2V & 4V carbs, and is most commonly seen on Mustangs.

1965/66 FE engines have plain pent roof shaped valve covers. 1967 and later FE valve covers are also pent roofed, but have Powered by Ford embossed on them.

Dealers also sold valve covers that were used on 427 Shelby Cobra's, but were optional on all models. These are polished aluminum, ribbed on the top...painted black between the ribs, and are marked Cobra LeMans.

Originals are worth a ton, repro's are available.

There is a special hi-temp radiator paint as "Squire" Don said. Radiator shops have it.

Don just bought a bee-u-ti-ful all original 1991 Ford Crown Vic Country Squire station wagon, an elephantine sized land yacht that parks EZ...in a city block.

 

my 63 292 valve covers are orange if remember correctly (it's not here it's at the shop getting a clutch). was orange a factory option for any ford valve covers back then or shall i assume the PO just liked the color.

thank god i have a crossover pipe because i know chevy liked orange also.

 

AFAIK, 1960/64 292 valve covers were red.

 

with any luck my memory is bad and they're more red than orange.

 

Thanks for your help in answering my question on getting the colors right I recently received my engine from the machine shop, painted it and have assembled it this far as of yesterday. I chose to match the oil pan to the valve covers, although I'm sure this probably wasn't stock.

 

Stock or not, it looks mighty fine.

Personally I don't like black motors, makes it harder to spot where a leak originates.

 

SO, can anyone tell me what the 'factory gold color code' is for the valve covers would be? I have tall aluminum Edelbrock valve covers and will be replacing them with the stock covers. I have since miss placed the originals but am looking for a set of 65' style covers that I would like to paint original gold color. Any one know the color code for the gold?
Thanks, Fritz

 

I don't know the exact factory gold color, but I just used Dupli-color's Universal Gold engine paint and it looks great. I'd say it's very close to the factory color.

 

Heres mine with a rustoleum gold metalic paint. The black is rustoleum motor paint.



Pretty close anyway for a rattle can job.

 

Gold valve cover paint: 1965 Passenger Car 289 2V valve covers are the same color, check out Mustang repro sources.

1960/65: The oil pan is supposed to be painted black.

The FE pent roofed shaped valve covers are the same 1965/66 Passenger Car/F100/350, are 'plain Jane' without markings. 1967/76 FE covers have 'Powered by Ford' embossed on them.

 

I know for a fact that you are much more knowledgeable than me. But, I still like to get proved wrong every now and then.

The original 352 out of a 1965 Galaxie 500 that I recently purchased from the original owner, had gold valve covers.

I have pics if needed (sometimes I am color blind).

 

I've seen dozens of 1965 289 2V's that had gold valve covers, but I doubt any 352 installed in a 1965 Passenger Car would have had gold valve covers.

From 1952 thru 1965, Ford painted valve covers myriad different colors because...this was their method for garages/body shops to be able to ID what sizes the engines were!

Having gold valve covers on two different 1965 Passenger Car engines makes absolutely no sense.

The 1965 352 Galaxie my sister drove in high school had blue valve covers. The car, with 14K on the clock was bought from the original "little old lady from Westwood" owner in 1967.

 

The engine in my '65 was rebuilt 30k miles / 10 years ago. It was originally the lighter Ford Blue and repainted the darker Ford blue. The original owner had the engine rebuilt and I'd guess he had it done at the dealer where he bought it.

 

Ford Corporate Blue engine paint introduced in 1966. People that are unaware, and dealers alike have been painting 1965 and earlier engines this color for decades.

But, it ain't correct for any 1965 or earlier Ford engine...regardless of what it was installed in.