Sam's Man Cave 66 Project

[SulphuriousSam]

So not much to report except the engine has been taken to the machine shop today for a nice bath in the vat, new cam bearings, honing, freeze plugs, etc.. I expect it back next week sometime ready to paint and reassemble. Guess that means I better get off my but and order the parts

I was wondering does anybody have info on the specs for the OE cam that came in the '66 283's? I plan on getting a master rebuild kit that comes with an OE type cam but I am thinking about upgrading to a performance cam. I think it would be good to know what it was before to compare... So far I've turned up nothing by searching the web.
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[SulphuriousSam]

Did a little sand blasting today

Valve covers (one before and 1 after)


Blasted and primed both valve covers and my intake with dupli-color engine primer.




I think I'm going to paint these items in the Aluminum finish and the block and heads in GM Blue. Block should be back in just a few days!
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[chevyrestoguy]

Looking good, Sam!

Have you thought about just painting back the stock orange? The blue engines were a sign that dark times were ahead for GM. The days of the 140 horsepower 305, and mountains of smog junk. I dig the fact that you're putting the 283 back stock, so why not make it look stock, too? I think it looks too cool to see a perfectly painted stocker sitting in the engine bay.

This is just my opinion only.

[SulphuriousSam]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

Looking good, Sam!

Have you thought about just painting back the stock orange? The blue engines were a sign that dark times were ahead for GM. The days of the 140 horsepower 305, and mountains of smog junk. I dig the fact that you're putting the 283 back stock, so why not make it look stock, too? I think it looks too cool to see a perfectly painted stocker sitting in the engine bay.

This is just my opinion only.

Thanks for the encouragement

As to the color of the engine, from what I can find the 283 was blue/grey in my truck. In 66' supposedly only the passenger car 283's were orange. I found an article about Chevy engine colors that covers from the 20's up that I saved at work. I'll post it up Monday if you want.

My only problem was finding a picture of what the blue/grey is supposed to look like so I sorta decided to cheat with the aluminum paint on my valve covers cuz they were chrome anyway (and I can't afford to re-chrome them)
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[chevyrestoguy]

As to the color of the engine, from what I can find the 283 was blue/grey in my truck. In 66' supposedly only the passenger car 283's were orange. I found an article about Chevy engine colors that covers from the 20's up that I saved at work. I'll post it up Monday if you want.

That is true. From what I have gathered, some of the 283s were the greyish color, but there were some incidences where folks had orange 283 engines, too. Can't explain why that's true, but there's quite a bit of discussion on this site about that. The '66 327s were a greenish color (alpine green in spray can form). If you can duplicate your stock 283 color (whatever one it came with) that would be too cool.

[KroAutomotiveInc]

Sweet dude! i cant wait to see that baby all painted ready to go back in!!

[fryer1979]

Cool progress so far. I like the build it cheap and drive it attitude. Mine was a runner, and I do have plans for her, but for now it is just enjoy driving her and do what I can when I can. So far so good. With the paint that far gone, I vote cover it up and make it one solid color. If for no other reason than protecting the sheet metal from rotting away, keeping rust off it with CLR is WAY too much work for my taste. Either way, I'm subscribing for sure.

[SulphuriousSam]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

That is true. From what I have gathered, some of the 283s were the greyish color, but there were some incidences where folks had orange 283 engines, too. Can't explain why that's true, but there's quite a bit of discussion on this site about that. The '66 327s were a greenish color (alpine green in spray can form). If you can duplicate your stock 283 color (whatever one it came with) that would be too cool.

I had every intention of matching the original scheme on this engine but to be honest other than the plain jane description of blue/grey I have no idea what the color looks like so that's why I decided it couldn't hurt to use GM blue. Everybody and their mother paints their SBC orange and I wanted to be different without doing something crazy like grabber green or something I wonder if anybody has a pic of what this "blue/grey" color looks like and is it available?

Here's the link to the article I told you about
http://www.1954advance-design.com/We...ineColors.html

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

Sweet dude! i cant wait to see that baby all painted ready to go back in!!

Thanks man, I'm pretty excited too!

Originally Posted by fryer1979

Cool progress so far. I like the build it cheap and drive it attitude. Mine was a runner, and I do have plans for her, but for now it is just enjoy driving her and do what I can when I can. So far so good. With the paint that far gone, I vote cover it up and make it one solid color. If for no other reason than protecting the sheet metal from rotting away, keeping rust off it with CLR is WAY too much work for my taste. Either way, I'm subscribing for sure.

Yeah, on the body paint issue, I'm still mulling that one over. My local friends all suggest slapping some paint on it. A friend of mine who owns a local body shop said to just get some tinted primer and shoot it. The only peeps trying to say keep the patina are on this board and most of them live in Cali or Arizona in the dry desert, low humidity where the rust isn't too bad. I did a test of the CLR on my hood and with so much paint gone the surface rust returned in literally hours. So I don't know. You're correct it is a PITA to keep that patina (without rust) especially in our 80%+ humidity environement here in OK.

The main thing is that I can neither afford the time or money to spend on the body work this ole gal needs. So i just planned on running her with dents and dings anyway. If the rust wasn't so bad I wouldn't even consider covering the original paint. So far there is very little actual rot on the truck but if I let the rust continue it'll eventually eat my poor truck alive, so I don't have much choice but to do something to it.

[kieth]

Sam, the paint on my 59,000 mile 66 c10 is chevy orange (where you can still see it) the oil breather cap is blue (probably replaced) Kieth

Oh yes, you know the outline and 3 bolt holes on your hood, I found and bought one the other day-----it is chrome and looks a lot like a airplane......Kieth

[SulphuriousSam]

Originally Posted by kieth

Sam, the paint on my 59,000 mile 66 c10 is chevy orange (where you can still see it) the oil breather cap is blue (probably replaced) Kieth

Oh yes, you know the outline and 3 bolt holes on your hood, I found and bought one the other day-----it is chrome and looks a lot like a airplane......Kieth

cool, yeah I've heard some folks got orange, but from what I can find documented it says the blue/grey. To be honest i'm about to talk myself into the non traditional paint scheme and just be done with it. I am leaning towards a sueded or flat dark red and black for my truck and I thought industrial red on my engine would look good with that. I know Chevy Orange is probably the favorite choice for SBC enthusiasts everywhere but it's just not my color

And yes...I'm so jealous of you on that hood ornament Post up pics when you get a chance I would love to see what that looks like on your hood

[spudz]

I agree... I either paint black, or GM CORPORATE BLUE on most of my projects.. I dont care for the orange that much either. My 68 nova and 72 chevelle will be orange but its almost a given.

[SulphuriousSam]

Finally got my block back last night. Just a few days later than promised. I'll be getting her in paint very soon, hopefully before she rusts up.

Looks like a new block






The crank...



And heads...



Still have the valve work to do before those go back on. Man were they a mess

Sorry again for the crappy iPhone pics. I keep telling myself to bring a camera but I always forget!

[KroAutomotiveInc]

i cant wait till i have the cash to rebuild mine!

[blackdawg]

ITS looking good Sam .IT will be nice to have a engine with o miles and its yours to do with what you want to do.you just got to mix it up every once and a while.thats what i did with my 350.saved the money and as i got cash sent items out to the machine shop.took about 8 month gathering parts and getting it assembled.Just got it back in the truck couple of weeks ago.cheers

[chevyrestoguy]

The block looks good! Just keep those cylinders oiled up and the block bagged up until you're ready to start assembling it. It'll help keep it from rusting and also keep dirt out of it. If it's sitting on the garage floor, I usually set it on top of a couple of small pieces of 2x4s. The wood will wick up any moisture from the floor and be a good barrier between the floor and the block.

Does the crank still need to be turned? It looks clean, but I can see some coloring on the journals. Some shops will coat them with a waxy substance to protect the surface after turning, so maybe that's what I'm seeing.

I'm excited to see that little 283 go together! Great, dependable, smooth-running little engines.

[SulphuriousSam]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

The block looks good! Just keep those cylinders oiled up and the block bagged up until you're ready to start assembling it. It'll help keep it from rusting and also keep dirt out of it. If it's sitting on the garage floor, I usually set it on top of a couple of small pieces of 2x4s. The wood will wick up any moisture from the floor and be a good barrier between the floor and the block.

Does the crank still need to be turned? It looks clean, but I can see some coloring on the journals. Some shops will coat them with a waxy substance to protect the surface after turning, so maybe that's what I'm seeing.

I'm excited to see that little 283 go together! Great, dependable, smooth-running little engines.

Yeah the block, crank, & heads are all bagged up. Cylinders too. The block is on a stand and in it's out of the way nook in the shop so hopefully she'll last the week or two before I can assemble.

As to the crank, I'm not sure he did anything to it. I wasn't actually the one who took the block to the machine shop. The guys (friends at the shop) kind of did it, as a suprise, I suppose. And I don't know what they asked for but the reciept just listed vatting the block, installing cam bearings and freeze plugs. I will call and make sure they at least took measurements so I know what size bearings to get! Worst case scenario is I go ahead and take the crank back down there this week since I don't have the parts yet to reassemble it anyway.

[SulphuriousSam]

Started painting engine parts last night.

Valve Covers and Water neck. Chevrolet script will eventually be in red.



Intake



and Engine Block (it looks wet but that's mostly dry after the 3rd coat)





I still need to sand blast my timing cover & oil pan before painting those items. I think I'm going to see how hard it is to keep chrome off my engine all together I'm really just being cheap but I'll tell everybody it's a industrial hot rod

[KroAutomotiveInc]

any updates? get that thing back togather!!!

[SulphuriousSam]

Hey Kro, haven't done anything since painting the block. Been so busy with work and family the last couple of weeks. Good news is I'm supposed to finally order my engine rebuild kit this evening some time. So, I should be able to put her back together soon...If I've been frugal enough with my shopping I may have all the parts to put her back in the truck. If not, then it will be a couple more weeks to get the odds and ends together.

Supposedly, my buddy, found a master rebuild kit for like $299.00 which is about a $100.00 bucks cheaper than I was able to scrounge up!

[SulphuriousSam]

Just wanted to post the goodie I got from the Fex Ex guy today curtesy of fellow board member kieth!

Somebody in the past ran a jet style hood ornament on my truck and I've always thought they were cool. kieth happened to run across one and sent it to me. Thanks keith!!!

I have no idea what model year these were for or anything but it sure is cool looking and will be awesome on my hood

[blue64c20]

Very cool piece! My 64 has one on it, only it looks more like a bird not a jet lol

[KroAutomotiveInc]

bad ass hood ornament man!

[SulphuriousSam]

Originally Posted by blue64c20

Very cool piece! My 64 has one on it, only it looks more like a bird not a jet lol

Yeah I believe I figured out where it originated. The Olds 56 Super 88 had one that looks just like this. So not Chevy but definitely a GM ornament. I'm gonna use it cuz it just looks so old school

My thought's on the look of this truck are so scattered really. I want it to be somewhat hot rodded, very shop truckish, and also mostly factory!

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

bad ass hood ornament man!

Thanks Kro! It's going to stand out in a crowd

[blue64c20]

Found out the ornament off of my truck is a 1953 to 54 chevy car hood ornament, so im gonna get it re chromed and keep it on the truck

[kieth]

Originally Posted by SulphuriousSam

Just wanted to post the goodie I got from the Fex Ex guy today curtesy of fellow board member kieth!

Somebody in the past ran a jet style hood ornament on my truck and I've always thought they were cool. kieth happened to run across one and sent it to me. Thanks keith!!!

I have no idea what model year these were for or anything but it sure is cool looking and will be awesome on my hood

I did not know what it was off of but it looked cool. mount it up so we can see it. Kieth