Pristine engine bay in '66 Chevy C10 with 327 & factory A/C

[KVB]

I love these threads about the original specs of these trucks.

I have a 1965 GMC shortwide, made in the Fremont plant. It has a 230 / 3spd in it. I am planning on rebuilding the 230 and installing a 700R4 behind it.

The information about the colour for the 1965 230 truck motor that I have found, says Blue.

Can someone tell me the code / name / shade of blue that has been used.

Thanks

Ken

[cortcomp]

Wow, what a huge amount of info added! Talk about kicking up a hornets nest, this thread exploded! I had no idea truck motors were different colors, mine was touched up orange. I kind of like the blue (being a pontiac guy and all) so i'll likely go that route.

Thanks for the info everyone, and wow, NOS PAINT!!

[theastronaut]

Thread about '66 Suburban 327 blue engine color.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=525379

I found this set of valve covers on eBay that appear to be original paint.


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[chevyrestoguy]

NOS Alpine Green engine paint still in the can!! How cool is that?

This NOS paint that 60-66 has could be the "Rosetta Stone" that answers all of the Alpine Green shade questions we've asking for years. If John is able to get a test panel and then have it analyzed and deciphered, this could be huge.

There really has never been any solid information anywhere on that paint mix. We've all kind of "winged it" over the years.

[jayoldschool]

The first photo looks just like the 327 in my 65 Impala. It's like someone restored that engine to look like a car, not a truck.

Since we're talking about engines, is there a source for the valve cover "High Torque" decals?

[KVB]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

Since we're talking about engines, is there a source for the valve cover "High Torque" decals?

The LMC catalogue has a section for decals.

Ken

[theastronaut]

Made this in MS Paint to better see the difference between the wet paint and the dried paint around the edge. Looks pretty close to the Alpine we've been using, just darker.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

This NOS paint that 60-66 has could be the "Rosetta Stone" that answers all of the Alpine Green shade questions we've asking for years. If John is able to get a test panel and then have it analyzed and deciphered, this could be huge.

.

Hate to spoil the "Alpine Green" party, but this is not the correct shade GM used on 292's and 327's in pre '67 pickups. There were various blues, grays and greens GM used in the 40's 50's and 60's, but nobody sells the correct exact shade for 63-66 230's 250's 283's and 327's. used on 63-66 pickups. Another example of how difficult it is to pull off a 100% correct factory restoration.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by KVB

I love these threads about the original specs of these trucks.

I have a 1965 GMC shortwide, made in the Fremont plant. It has a 230 / 3spd in it. I am planning on rebuilding the 230 and installing a 700R4 behind it.

The information about the colour for the 1965 230 truck motor that I have found, says Blue.

Beware engine color is Make specific, A GMC (American built) is a different animal than a Chevy. THe GMC 230 250 is the same color of the 305 V6, a reddish color.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by ray_mcavoy

Dad and I have been slowly working on getting a 327 ready to swap in place of the tired 283 that's in his 66 C10. The info I've been reading on this site (about factory engine colors and such) has been particularly helpful !! Here's a pic of some of the parts we've got painted/ready so far:



[/IMG]

This 327 swap (which we've been planning for several years now) will be a good opportunity to get the engine looking a little more factory correct.

Looks good! The color of your engine looks pretty close to the Danbury Mint 327, and the color I would probably choose also for these engines. What color are you using? Ford Green DE 1619 Duplicor Engine Paint?

[yelmer]

the color also varied from supplier to supplier of paint to gm and lot numbers . i have various 327s that the motors was slightly varied . these colors samples i found were located behind the pulley on the damper. i think that many shades existed . i think it is very hard to know what is right or wrong . i had the same questions when i did mine. so i think if you pick a color that is close you are probably correct .

[dantimdad]

Where do you get the color Yelmer used?

Steven

[factorystock]

A lot can happen to a finish of a 45 to 50 year old engine. Years of chemical degreasers can bleach out a color, besides wear and tear hot and cold. Danbury mint does a lot of high end toys and researches there subjects very carefully before pulling the trigger. Here a 292 when brand new.

[factorystock]

Danbury Mints engine compartment for a '66

[ABX131]

Been watching this thread and there has been a lot of different colors used between 60-66. Does anyone have a chart detailing what colors were used on what years and engines? I read somewhere that V8's were grey and 6's were blue but I see examples that don't support that. What is the official list? I painted my engine orange because I grw up thinking Chevy was orange, Pontiac was blue, Ford was a different blue. I would like to paint mine the correct color even though it never came factory with a 350.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by KVB

The information about the colour for the 1965 230 truck motor that I have found, says Blue.

This is the right color for your engine.http://www.ebay.com/itm/GMC-Truck-pi...a30a5b&vxp=mtr

[ABX131]

Will the valve covers pictuerd in thread #35 fit a mid 70's 350 out of a blazer?

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Looks good! The color of your engine looks pretty close to the Danbury Mint 327, and the color I would probably choose also for these engines. What color are you using? Ford Green DE 1619 Duplicor Engine Paint?

Thanks! Yes, that's the color I used based on a recommendation of yours in one of the other 327 engine color threads here on this site. I hope it still runs okay with a Ford paint color on it

By the way, I noticed in that pic you posted of the Danbury Mint truck that they have the oil filler tube painted engine color as well. I was always under the impression that those were installed after the engine was painted and therefore remained black like on Yelmer's truck. Or maybe that's another one of those things that varied between assembly plants.

Originally Posted by ABX131

Will the valve covers pictuerd in thread #35 fit a mid 70's 350 out of a blazer?

Yes, they will fit but you'll have some issues to work around since these covers don't have any holes like the 68-up valve covers. The lack of an oil filler hole is easily taken care of by using an older intake with the front oil filler tube. But you'll have to get creative with the crankcase ventilation since the newer blocks don't have the rear vent hole near the distributor. That hole in the rear of the block was an important part of the early PCV (and even earlier road draft tube) ventilation systems that were used on the small blocks without any holes in the valve covers.

Also note that there were a couple different versions of these Chevrolet script valve covers. The 55-59 ones have a staggered bolt pattern and won't fit newer heads.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by ray_mcavoy

By the way, I noticed in that pic you posted of the Danbury Mint truck that they have the oil filler tube painted engine color as well.

Good eye, didn't notice that oil tube, was focusing on the engine color. Ok, that is a boo boo, that should be black and the radiator hose should be black too, not gray.

[yelmer]

the 66 owners manual i have says 327 is grey . be we know that is not true . i do not know if all owners manuals were wrong?

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by yelmer

i do not know if all owners manuals were wrong?

All the ones I seen say gray also, mistake. Even now, 1 boo boo for Danbury mint, 1 boo boo for General Motors.

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by john

I wonder if the assembly plant had to do with eng. paint color? I bought a new 1966 C-20 custom camper with a 327- th400 and it had the grey engine paint. It was built at the fremont ca. plant. I've seen alot of posts on eng. colors with different answers.

Originally Posted by yelmer

the 66 owners manual i have says 327 is grey . be we know that is not true . i do not know if all owners manuals were wrong?

Originally Posted by factorystock

All the ones I seen say gray also, mistake. Even now, 1 boo boo for Danbury mint, 1 boo boo for General Motors.

Well, I'm confused. According to the gentleman above, he had one that was grey.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by oem4me

Well, I'm confused. According to the gentleman above, he had one that was grey.

Don't be confused, anyone can say anything on the interenet. Be confused when a factory color photo of the gray 327 shows up.

[john]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Don't be confused, anyone can say anything on the interenet. Be confused when a factory color photo of the gray 327 shows up.

That is right, ANYONE can say anything on the internet!

[chevyrestoguy]

In my opinion, I think the Danbury Mint engine color is too "blue". The color needs to have more green in it.

The shade of the valve covers that John (theastronaut) posted are the right shade. Yes, they are old, dirty, and have faded, but they are more "green" than the Danbury color.