Correct color for a 292 6 cylinder??

[kxnomore]

Hi Guys,
I'm hoping someone can let me know if all 292 6 cylinders were painted Chevy Orange, or ???. I picked up a 1970 with what appears to be the original engine (stamping code F 0514 TAF), but is painted half blue and half orange. Here's a pic.
Thanks in advance!

[domeier]

I bought a 235 a long long time ago that was painted blue. Don't know if that was the original color or not, but there wasn't any orange under it.

[Shaky]

The original 292 in my '67 C20 appears to be orange.

[Palf70Step]

The later model engines were blue. I wouldn't be surpirsed if your's is a later model block (after 73 I think) and the original head.

[NobleSix]

if i recall correctly, the 292s were painted a kind of blue/green color. look at a detroit diesel engine. thats about the shade these were painted. that blue you have, to me, looks like a sky blue. i know i might catch some flak for this, but i cannot stand the chevy engine orange color. it was cool for a few minutes, then everyone and his brother decided to go overboard with it, and now you see it ( in my area atleast) on every god forsaken f**d. granted, these vehicles are nicely restored, and possibly bowtie powered, but the color just seems to ruin the overall look of the earlier models (20's ect)

sorry, didnt mean to go off on a rant there. but yeah, the colors most commonly encountered are the orange, and the blue/greens, i think its called alpine something or other, lol. if youre looking to get it close to stock, detroit diesel green would be the cheapest, most readily available and closest looking to stock youre likly to find.

if that engine is an actual 1970's engine, then odds are it would have been orange. that blue and that hei + the orange head have me thinkin that they painted it with whatever thay had, burnt the head, and replaced it without painting it.

im prolly gonna end up painting my engine flat black. cause the heat transfer characteristics of the color itself, and the rocker cover with flat black and the chevrolet script lettering done in a nice candy apple red or something similar would look pretty sharp. just my $.02

keep forgetting, lol... my engine thats in there now came from a 65 i think, and its the alpine/detroit deiesel color. the previous engine i swapped out was orange.

[bruceman1968]

TAF = 1970, 292, 170HP, RPO code L25.

[Palf70Step]

GM Changed engine color from orange to light blue in 1976, then to black in 1985. As mention some of the pre 1967 sixes were that light green.

[Tim Christian]

67-72 292's that I have seen were all orange

[hugger6933]

as long as we are throwing around opinions,I think you either have a later engine with the correct era head or a rebuild. most rebuilds that I have seen[I am talking from a assembly line type rebuilder ,like jasper or fleetline they are nationwide are'nt they?]are blue of some sort. I think a chevy orange engine is the bee's knees. I plan to paint mine orange after prepping and having the PPG guys mix me some paint

[Shyguy]

I have an original '67 L6 250 that is blue, I am no expert but I have heard that early L6s were blue.

[kxnomore]

Thanks for the info everybody. As a brief follow up, the stamp numbers listing it as a 1970 block are stamped on the actual block. This may still mean it was pulled, cleaned up and painted blue, but anyways I'm thinking it's not a later mid 70's or rebuilt block. I was told by the PO that the engine was worked on a long ways back, but he also did mention he thinks it was the original motor/ trans. could be b.s. :bsf

And lastly, just to double check, I did scrape some of the blue off just now, and there is no evidence of any old orange paint on any part (but the head), including under the paint on any of the intake manifold, pan, valve cover, and the block of course. Interesting...

So I think someone changed out the head or the block, but the question is still out there. Anyone have any pics of a blue straight 6 in any of our trucks?

Either way, as I'm hopelessly lazy these days, I'm going to just paint the head a matching blue, as there's a whole lot less work that way!

[75gmc454]

The 292 in my 68 4x4 is kind of a red orange.

[shawno72]

The original 292 in my 68 is orange or what's left of it.
Posted via Mobile Device

[hugger6933]

it is true that the early 6's were blue anyone remember the Blue Flame 6? I know that is a car motor and way early for this discussion but i'm killing a little time before bed

[PanelDeland]

Maybe it was rebuilt by a guy working in a Furd or other shop and he used what was on the shelf rather than making a run to the parts store.The head may have been in the shop and just didn't get painted.Who knows or would remember after 40 years.