Author Topic: engine color  (Read 8194 times)

Offline hotrod24

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1696
engine color
« on: October 20, 2008, 06:03:58 pm »
hey i tryed to find a site that had the color from 73-80 for are truck motors but no luck so do yall know?
1980 1/2 ton shortbed project...
1978 pontiac grand prix...

Offline Lt.Del

  • Andy aka:SgtDel
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3864
  • DelbridgePhotography.com
    • www.delbridge.net
Re: engine color
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2008, 08:06:13 pm »
my 79 was a blue engine www.delbridge.net/install


Offline Blazin

  • Blazin new trails!
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 6130
Re: engine color
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2008, 10:11:57 pm »
Supposedly black engines run cooler. Thats what I was told years back when they started painting them black from the factory.
 As far as 73 to 80. I think up till about 75 or maybe 76 they were red, then went to blue after that.
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs

Offline dumbucket1

  • Too Many Trucks
  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 597
  • Coal Hauler
Re: engine color
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2008, 12:35:40 am »
are you wanting to know for a restoration or just engine color ideas? I painted my block chevy engine red and the heads cast iron gray. Turned out pretty good
Chevy and GMC trucks ranging from 1973 to 2007

Offline Dragon

  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 642
Re: engine color
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2008, 01:59:04 am »
Supposedly black engines run cooler. Thats what I was told years back when they started painting them black from the factory.
LOL Yeah, it's alot easier to tell that to a Die-Hard Chevy/Buick/Olds/Pontiac/Cad Owner, instead of explaining to them that their Favorite Lines Share the same "Corporate" Engines....  It helped distract from Temporary Sales Lulls, and atleast it did till Joe & Jane Public figured out what happened...... ::)
Dragon
08 Magnum-New Toy
96 Caprice 9C1-Who Knows
96 GMC ECLWB & 92 Chevy ECLWB
77 GMC K25 HS-Gone but Not Forgotten

Offline GoatBeard

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 267
Re: engine color
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2008, 08:10:49 am »
What year did they stop painting them orange?  Wasn't it sometime in the early 70s?

Offline Blazin

  • Blazin new trails!
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 6130
Re: engine color
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2008, 08:23:53 am »
For some reason I think years ago one of the 4wheel magazines did an article on the black engines. They did some sort of comparison and they found merit in the black engine running cooler thing too.
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs

Offline HAULIN IT

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1542
Re: engine color
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2008, 10:53:06 am »
Hotrod, The '73-'76 were Orange, the '77-up were Blue, this is to the best of my knowledge. There could have been some sort of 3/4 & 1 ton stayed Orange one more year or something that I'm not aware of. Lorne

Offline hotrod24

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1696
Re: engine color
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2008, 12:32:04 pm »
 yea i am doing restoration but i wanted to know because should i paint it factroy or go with elderbrock colors and if the 78 motor was blue i dont think that would go to togather very well because of the red on the carb
are you wanting to know for a restoration or just engine color ideas? I painted my block chevy engine red and the heads cast iron gray. Turned out pretty good
« Last Edit: October 21, 2008, 12:35:00 pm by hotrod24 »
1980 1/2 ton shortbed project...
1978 pontiac grand prix...

Offline 75 C20

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 372
Re: engine color
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2008, 09:57:12 pm »
I have always loved the orange but the 400 I'm putting in my 79 i painted blue since it would have been that way from the factory.

you can see the orange on my 75's 350 in the background too
« Last Edit: October 23, 2008, 11:07:31 pm by Captkaos »
1975 Custom Deluxe 20 350 SM465 2WD Longbed
1979 Custom Deluxe 20 400 SM465 2WD Longbed
1968 Custom Sport Truck 20 327 TH400 2WD Longbed
1985 Silverado 10 305 700R4 2WD Longbed
1969 Pontiac GTO 400 Turbo350
2008 GMC 2500HD 6.0 6spd 4X4 Longbed

Offline hotrod24

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1696
Re: engine color
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2008, 11:03:59 pm »
hey where is it at :o
I have always loved the orange but the 400 I'm putting in my 79 i painted blue since it would have been that way from the factory.

you can see the orange on my 75's 350 in the background too
1980 1/2 ton shortbed project...
1978 pontiac grand prix...

Offline 78 Chevyrado

  • Z62 ON-ROAD
  • Site Supporters
  • Senior Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2748
    • My Photobucket Site
Re: engine color
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2008, 06:26:32 am »

you can see the orange on my 75's 350 in the background too

mine will be blue like that one of these days.
My 77 C10 had a blue engine and my 78 C20 does too.   

I put an orange one in my 87 though, cuz weather or not it cools better, the orange makes leak-finding a lot easier. and looked better too IMO.  I put a '73 400 in my 87 R10, here ya go.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2008, 06:28:41 am by 78 Chevyrado »
Kenny

1978 C-20, 350/400, 3.73, Graystone Metallic, Raceline Renegade 8 Wheels - 18x8.5, 275/70R18 BFG KO's

Offline Captkaos

  • OWNER and Administrator
  • Administrator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18454
    • http://www.73-87chevytrucks.com
Re: engine color
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2008, 09:08:32 am »
You have an 87 currently?  Did I miss it?

Offline ccz145a

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1393
Re: engine color
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2008, 10:02:27 am »
That's purty!


I put an orange one in my 87 though, cuz weather or not it cools better, the orange makes leak-finding a lot easier. and looked better too IMO.  I put a '73 400 in my 87 R10, here ya go.

1975 C10 Silverado LWB, 454CID, TH400, 10bolt 3.42
11MPG Downhill w/tailwind (but there ain't no hills here)

Offline 78 Chevyrado

  • Z62 ON-ROAD
  • Site Supporters
  • Senior Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2748
    • My Photobucket Site
Re: engine color
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2008, 10:28:05 am »
You have an 87 currently?  Did I miss it?

no, sorry I USED to have it.  It was wrecked beyond all repair July 07.
Kenny

1978 C-20, 350/400, 3.73, Graystone Metallic, Raceline Renegade 8 Wheels - 18x8.5, 275/70R18 BFG KO's