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

[TJ's Chevy]

Stock 1964 292....painted blue.....

[oem4me]

Here's my 1965 Fremont built orig paint/sticker 283. Never seen a drivers side valve cover sticker before.

[LT1 Burb]

Maybe my valve covers are on backwards, my decal is on the one with the 2 clips to hold the wire.

[HOTFUN]

I don't remember seeing one on the drivers side of the pickups at Lambrechts. My photos are everywhere but short of the center lower of the valve cover on the two 283 V8 65's at Pierce. Ask me about them not having 2 alternator braces, using a tower clamp on the one 3/4" water pump end fitting only, or the hose clamp positions and the heater hose markings and I can document that. Even have the pull back spring picture from the blue 65 but not the angle for a possible decal. I honestly have not seen one used on the drivers side of a factory line installed V8 truck engine but the cars did. Someone must have some shots of the Lambrecht valve DS cover.

[HOTFUN]

The valve cover with the 2 tabs and decal is installed on the passenger side on a pickup. The wire crosses over behind the thermostat housing and onto the temp sender behind the oil fill tube.

[HOTFUN]

This is some shots from Pierce. Second picture shows the temp wire running down the passenger side held by the two tabs and then across the manifold behind thermostat.

[LT1 Burb]

My valve covers are on backwards then, info like this is great, thx. Although with my AC bracket you won't be able to see it.

[HOTFUN]

My engine builder had installed the valve covers backwords too and I noticed it while I was painting the engine. So I had to stop and change that back. I thought the same thing about the AC compressor hogging up the view of the passenger side decal!

[sodly]

Yup. Mine has the decal on the passenger side, too. Never seen a Hi Torque decal on the drivers side.

[Ben5959]

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:



I'm sure he'll be getting some comments from those "experts" at the local car shows on the engine color as well

And a shot of the 3 speed OD trans that'll be replacing the regular 3 speed:


Dad's 66 is an older frame-on restoration that we did about 15 years ago. Seeing these original trucks and factory correct restorations (such as in the three threads theastronaut posted earlier) has inspired us to go back and correct some of the mistakes we made earlier. The engine color is #1 on that list ... a former owner had painted the old 283 blue and not knowing it should be gray we used Chevy orange. 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.

I'm in the process if repaint king my engince and I'm looking for the 327 deacals. Any idea where to get them?

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by Ben5959

I'm in the process if repaint king my engince and I'm looking for the 327 deacals. Any idea where to get them?

They're available through most parts vendors. Here's an example --> http://www.classicparts.com/1963-66-...ctinfo/87-018/

[65 C20]

I just read thru this thread and noticed that single and double alternator adjusting brackets were brought up.
Last year I bought P/S brackets, pulleys and alt. brackets from Lyle in Bonners Ferry.
He stated that they were off a 283, 1967 Chev car.
The alt. brackets were double, so I asked him about it and was told that he had seen several that were double.
A friend of mine thought that if it came with the high output alt. it was double.
Can anyone confirm this ?

[60-66]

I have several of the early Impalas around here and most if not all had the double bracket 65 66 67 68 , same as the trucks. Its guite common to see regardless of what alternator was given. I believe they were having trouble with one brace cracking so they doubled them up.

[LDO]

Originally Posted by ray_mcavoy

And a shot of the 3 speed OD trans that'll be replacing the regular 3 speed:

Ray,
What color and paint type did you use on the Transmission? That looks really good.

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by LDO

Ray,
What color and paint type did you use on the Transmission? That looks really good.

Thanks! That's Plasti-Kote #285 cast gray paint.

It's one of the closest looking paints to bare cast iron that I've found. But it's just a rattle can spray paint so it's not super durable. It seems to hold up okay if used over a good primer though.

[OldGMJon]

Originally Posted by oem4me

Here's my 1965 Fremont built orig paint/sticker 283.

So with all the talk about green and blue I guess there is no doubt about the grey color for 283's...I bought a built 283 from a car restorer who worked out of a house I purchased.
He said it was out of a 50's corvette and built by a well know engine builder out of Phoenix who's name I have forgotten. Are corvette 283's grey as well?
I stupidly waited till I moved in to verify that I had a corvette engine since he seemed very reputable.
Although it had Corvette valve covers the heads are not from a corvette I quickly determined.
I am now holding a little hope up that the block may be from a corvette but research brings up nothing.
He included a Corvette transmission too but I haven't confirmed that its corvette either which would be nice.
Anybody got a quick way of determining if I got a Chevy or Corvette block if there is a difference?
The block casting numbers are 8896948, I also found G216 above that and a CONV-1...

[Ben5959]

Anyone know if the 327 and the 283 valve covers are the same size/ interchangeable?

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by OldGMJon

Are corvette 283's grey as well?

I'm not a Corvette expert, but I think the V8 Vette engines were painted the same as passenger car engines ... typically Chevy orange.

Originally Posted by OldGMJon

Anybody got a quick way of determining if I got a Chevy or Corvette block if there is a difference?
The block casting numbers are 8896948, I also found G216 above that and a CONV-1...

You might want to double check the casting number ... I think the 1st digit might be a 3 instead of an 8, making it 3896948. If so, that (according to mortec.com) corresponds to a 1966 or 1967 283. And I believe the G216 is a date code ... July 21, 1966.

Unless the deck surface of the block was machined down during the rebuild, there should be some letters & numbers stamped into the deck surface just ahead of the passenger side cylinder head. Those tell you the engine assembly plant, assembly date, and some information about the original application.

Originally Posted by Ben5959

Anyone know if the 327 and the 283 valve covers are the same size/ interchangeable?

Yes, I believe both the 283 & 327 truck engines were originally equipped with the same Chevrolet script style valve covers.

And I'm pretty sure all of the small block Chevy V8 valve covers will physically interchange from 1960 up until they went to the center bolt style in the later 80's. The earlier 55-59 valve covers have a staggered bolt pattern that will only fit the 55-59 heads though.

[OldGMJon]

Yes, when all I could find for 283's casting numbers started with a "3" I went out and double checked to make sure it was an "8"...it is definitely and "8", Identical to the other 8's in the sequence...that is why I was stymied. It is 7 numbers instead of 6 or 8 if that identifies a block of years.

You might want to double check the casting number ... I think the 1st digit might be a 3 instead of an 8, making it 3896948. If so, that (according to mortec.com) corresponds to a 1966 or 1967 283. And I believe the G216 is a date code ... July 21, 1966.

[61K10]

no sbc block in all the listings none started with a #-8

[OldGMJon]

Originally Posted by 61K10

no sbc block in all the listings none started with a #-8

Here is a shot...It looks like an 8 but as I rubbed my fingers across the first 8 there is a slight indentation in the middle of the raise number so I guess it is a three after all. Bummer, This means I got took by this builder guy.
Another bummer is that while I was inspecting the block I found that I have a leak in my roof just above the corner of the garage where I have this engine stored and has been dripping on the engine for a couple of years,
so the whole thing may be toast at this point.

[factorystock]

Old thread, but, still open, has anyone came up with a correct unique paint formula for the 327, or do we still have to choose between the Ford Green or the Detroit Diesel green?

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Old thread, but, still open, has anyone came up with a correct unique paint formula for the 327, or do we still have to choose between the Ford Green or the Detroit Diesel green?

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=682554

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by likaroc13

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=682554

Where do you see paint code formula?

[likaroc13]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Where do you see paint code formula?

During my research, nowhere have I seen anybody that has the original formula. His pics are messed up, but he had his original paint matched. It's the closest I think anybody will get. After a lengthy back & forth, I was finally able to get a match to his paint. He said there was no formula info on the can he used for the repaint, so it had to be matched again at the paint shop. My resto guy has my quart, but the engine hasn't been painted yet. If he would chime back in & fix the pics, it would be a great benefit to folks!

His engine original paint & repaint is the best representation I've seen. That's why I was so adamant in trying to duplicate what he achieved.