Engine Paint/Color

[indynick]

I have a numbers matching 58 Apache with the factory 283 in it, my question is, what was the original color of the engine? Gray or Orange?

Thanks guys..

[Rude Dude]

Trucks where normally gray and cars orange

[buggy5872]

Also depending on the hp of the motor it could be gray or green.....most smaller trucks below 2 ton had the gray engine.

[AZ59apacheguy]

Both Rude Dude and buggy5872 are correct. Here's what's going in my '59 3100.

[OrrieG]

I thought all V-8's where Chevy orange until the mid 70's? The engine in my truck when I got it was a 58 car 235, painted pastel green, original color.

[AZ59apacheguy]

Huh. All my research showed Grey as being the color for Truck V8's

[SCHRUMGMC]

I think my 59 was either Gray or Orange

[davecarney2]

My 59' GMC V-8 is orange
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[indynick]

That looks VERY NICE AZ59apacheguy.

[AZ59apacheguy]

Originally Posted by indynick

That looks VERY NICE AZ59apacheguy.

Thanks for the compliment. Here it is in the truck after I installed it last weekend

[Rude Dude]

I like that engine color the gray really looks good! Very nice

[Russell Ashley]

AZ58pacheguy, I like those plug wires. What kind are they? Was it a set for a certain application or did you buy bulk wire and put the tips on yourself?

[AZ59apacheguy]

Originally Posted by Rude Dude

I like that engine color the gray really looks good! Very nice

Thank you very much. If I was going to replace the L6 I had, I wanted to go to a stock looking V8

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

AZ58pacheguy, I like those plug wires. What kind are they? Was it a set for a certain application or did you buy bulk wire and put the tips on yourself?

Thanks. I bought them off ebay. They were being sold for all V8 applications and brands. They came in paired in different lengths and included both HEI and regular style connectors. I'd just try typing " vintage style V8 spark plug wires " at ebay

[dicer]

Just observation, not picking, trying to inform.
I'm not sure about the aircleaner there. Its not the standard offering for 59 Apache, could be an option for larger trucks???
The firewall was always painted the body color, is it a 2 tone. The inner fenders were always a semigloss black.
And nice to see the NOS front engine mounts.
Engine is the correct color, the oil cap is not. Don't need the fan spacer, just the proper fan shroud.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by indynick

That looks VERY NICE AZ59apacheguy.

I have to agree, that is one nice looking engine that shows that paying attention to the minute details is as important as making one fancy and shiny.

I do like that gray color. I plan to paint the engine going in my 48 Gray and may paint the Cad 500 going in my 71 GMC Gray.

I've seen gray engines, green engines, blue engines and a spectrum of red/orange factory engine colors that came on factory engines over the years on Chev And GMC trucks but have never seen a definitive chart showing which engines came in which colors in what trucks.
Then you get into some rebuild shops and independent shops that had their "own engine color" that they painted every engine that they did in the shop. That adds to the confusion when the engine in question was rebuilt 40 years ago.

[AZ59apacheguy]

Originally Posted by dicer

Just observation, not picking, trying to inform.
I'm not sure about the aircleaner there. Its not the standard offering for 59 Apache, could be an option for larger trucks???
The firewall was always painted the body color, is it a 2 tone. The inner fenders were always a semigloss black.
And nice to see the NOS front engine mounts.
Engine is the correct color, the oil cap is not. Don't need the fan spacer, just the proper fan shroud.

Good observation, you are correct about the air cleaner and oil cap. I wanted a more bold air cleaner than the stock, and with this style air cleaner I was able to install a paper style filter. The oil cap was just one I had lying around, didn't want stuff getting into the engine LOL. I'm having a hard time locating the proper stock fan shroud, they dont just come up too often.
I felt VERY lucky to find those NOS front motor mounts, they fit like a glove.
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[AZ59apacheguy]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I have to agree, that is one nice looking engine that shows that paying attention to the minute details is as important as making one fancy and shiny.

Thanks for the complement

[Red Foreman]

I agree its a nice looking engine, I'm interested in your oil bath paper element conversion, was there much work in it? Thats the way I was going to go on my 348 until I came across a Tri Power unit that I couldn't pass up.
Btw my 348 was out of a 63 fire truck & it was original very pale green.