factory engine colors.

[lurch115]

okay so i know they did a blue and a black. the truck that i am planning to work with the motor is black, but i can't tell if it is a gloss black or a flat black from the factory. can anyone help me out?

[USSkoval]

I'm fairly certain it was gloss black. What year are you dealing with?

[N2TRUX]

It's not either one. The GM motor color is a "satin" black. The valve covers had a bit more sheen, but even those aren't a true high gloss.

[Restrorob]

^^^^^^ Ditto, My 502 is satin.....

[ElGracho]

Don't forget orange...

[D O C]

what he said! the orange looks so sweet but "purest" will chase you around a little.i did my 91 motor orange and it looks great(i think)

[rare86]

Ive always like the blue personally

[USSkoval]

What was the last year for blue?

[turbo350]

This just came up in another thread recently. FYI my '78 sbc is stock blue and my '87 sbc is stock black.

[Dads79GMC]

My original engine is blue, it's a 79 GMC.

[81K5Blazer]

My 81 is blue.

[wfomkivdrvr]

my 82 has a factory red motor in it (6.2 diesel)

[rare86]

I think 83 was the first year for the black motor. Not gonna swear to it tho.

[87Bob]

My 85 is black.

[streetstar]

I had an '84 in high school (20 years ago--- geez) --- black engine

[sierra4x4]

I believe that 76 and older was orange 77-81 was blue and 82+ was black.

[turbo350]

How could I have forgot my old '77 400 which was factory orange.

[dswancutt]

77 was sort of a transitional year. My uncle and I have 3 77. Mine has a red engine, both of his have corporate blue. I have an 83 olds and it has a black engine.

[73chevyman]

my 73 is orange, blue reminded me to much of a ford and the satin black looks good too but i'm old like the orange better

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by D O C

what he said! the orange looks so sweet but "purest" will chase you around a little.i did my 91 motor orange and it looks great(i think)

i have always wanted to paint a new model motor orange (maybe i will now since i won't be the only one )

[Dooley]

Originally Posted by turbo350

How could I have forgot my old '77 400 which was factory orange.

Both of my 1977's with 400's,(K10 Suburban and K30 pickup), were blue.

[83GMCK2500]

Our '76 with 400 is blue, my '83's 350 was black.

[Manbearpig]

My 84's 305 was blue

[Tex_50613]

first motor in my 79 was Chevy red (orange) and the 350 that became my 355 was also origanally red, the 350's in my 89 k5 and 91 burb were simi-gloss or satin black, the GM performance crate that I had at one point of time was GLOSS black, the 400 in the 76 I had was GM blue when I looked at it befor the guy I bought it from swapped in a red 350 out of another 76, the one out of the 75 out back of my dad's was red, the Big Block 368 GM performance crate that is now yellow and in the CJ was gloss black, and the 454 that we just pulled outa a 81 yesterday was blue

[brothers69c-10]

My 78 had blue block with one black head and one orange head, but it was a pos from the beginning lol.

I've pulled and replaced alot of engines, why chevy ever navigated away from orange is beyond me, unless they figured those vehicles would never end up at carshows. Anyway if its a chevy and i'm putting a motor in it, i always paint it orange.