Help!! I need advice on the correct Original paint colors to paint a rebuilt 352 engine going into a 1965 F-100. From what I have gathered, it seems the original paint scheme was a Black block & intake manifold, with Gold valve covers. Any advice???

 

when your done it should look like this. and Welcome to FTE

 

Welcome to FTE zep!

 

block,heads, and rest of engine except valve covers are black...I think water pump and alt. mtg spacer is natural, valve covers are gold as shown in the pic in prior post...

- cs65

 

Welcome to FTE

You are 100% correct on the engine paint scheme.

However, if this was a 1966, the entire engine would be painted Ford Corporate Blue...including the valve covers.

1952/65 OHV I-6's and V8's: Ford painted the blocks one color, the valve covers another color.

The valve covers were painted specific colors, because...this is how Ford mechanics, outside repair shops, garages, body shops and etc. ID'd what sizes the engines were...I kid you not.

Every year, FoMoCo sent out to the dealers...charts showing the myriad valve cover paint colors, which showed what size engine each color represented.

The dealers then passed them out to all their wholesale accounts.

The problem was...the same engine in a car may/may not be painted the same as in a truck. Again, I kid you not.

Examples: 1965 F100/350 352: Black engine, Gold Valve Covers / 1965 Galaxie/LTD 352: Black engine, Blue Valve Covers.

1965 289 2V installed in Galaxies, Falcon's, Fairlanes, Mustangs: Black engine, Gold Valve Covers! (sigh)

 

The color scheme interests me because my 240ci has never been changed and the block is black and the valve cover is black - the valve cover has a sticker which I can't read but would like to replace when I rebuild the engine (whenever that may be). Is this the proper color scheme for the 1965 240ci in a f100 2wd manual? If so, what did the sticker say and are replacements available? The sticker on the ac says 240 and 150hp.. Thanks.

 

The block is black, but what color the valve cover is...I forget. It could be black, or blue, or red.

 

my 1965 240ci engine is also all Black.

 

Here's the answer from Bill W(ilson) to y'all, and...to this Bill Wilson...who couldn't remember what color the valve cover was.

 

The radiator should be silver?

 

Hi-yo Silver away!

The radiator is supposed to be painted black.

 

yup...at that theres a special radiator paint...to stick to it...


- cs65

 

the rad does look silver in the picture... kind of... but it's not

Okay Squire Don, tell me what is special about the paint for a rad? high temp?

 

My '66 F100 Custom Cab 352 has a black block, heads, etc. Don't know about valve covers since they have been chromed.

Of course it may have been repainted or swapped at one time, but I suspect it might be due to an August 1965 build date.

Any ideas if it would be the proper color to leave black?

 

I coulda sworn the 240 was black with blue valve covers...