Engine paint?

J

john procida

New member
Apr 19, 2005
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Trying to clean up the engine compartment on my GMC26. Bought some of Eastwood's excellent ceramic engine paint (Olds Blue) for $40 delivered only to
find it is not the right blue. It is a bright metallic blue. Now I need to find out which is the right color. A duplic-Color ceramic engine paint
reference would be my preference. Is the "GM Corporate Blue" the right color? My engine looks more like a teal color, but it is 45 year old paint.
Any help?
 
Best to go to your local auto parts shop and look at their color chart then
order a color you think it should be.
I believe the origional was metallic paint.

> Trying to clean up the engine compartment on my GMC26. Bought some of
> Eastwood's excellent ceramic engine paint (Olds Blue) for $40 delivered
> only to
> find it is not the right blue. It is a bright metallic blue. Now I need
> to find out which is the right color. A duplic-Color ceramic engine paint
> reference would be my preference. Is the "GM Corporate Blue" the right
> color? My engine looks more like a teal color, but it is 45 year old paint.
> Any help?
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
 
"Best to go to your local auto parts shop and look at their color chart then
order a color you think it should be.
I believe the origional was metallic paint."

That would be a good idea except that I can't take the engine into auto parts place and additionally the RV is several miles away from me and any auto
parts store. My original paint doesn't look metallic at all. The new "OLDS Blue" (read "wrong") paint is a very bright metallic blue. I could only
buy one of each similar looking blue to take out to the GMC for comparison. If someone knows, it would be easier, quicker and more accurate.
 
What year do you have? That makes a difference. I think 73-76 were a metallic blue. 77-78 were corporate blue. You may have to go to an Olds vender for the early engine color. Bob Dunahugh 78 Royale
 
Bill Hirsch in Hemmings Motor News has authentic engine paints. There are
2 colors of Olds blue. Early engines were gold.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 GMC ROYALE 403

> What year do you have? That makes a difference. I think 73-76 were a
> metallic blue. 77-78 were corporate blue. You may have to go to an Olds
> vender for the early engine color. Bob Dunahugh 78 Royale
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
The correct color on mine (1973) is a light metallic blue, almost verging on a teal color. Maybe a little yellow pine pollen with some dust and oil
makes it look kinda teal after 40 years :lol:
--
Terry Kelpien

ASE Master Technician

73 Glacier 260

Smithfield, Va.
 
Bullithead, that is exactly what my 73 looks like. Kinda like a faded-light-bluish-teal looking with maybe some good southern states yellow pollen
dust thrown in! I just haven't found that in a can..... but, still looking.
 
> Trying to clean up the engine compartment on my 1973 GMC26. Bought some of Eastwood's excellent ceramic engine paint (Olds Blue) for $40
> delivered only to find it is not the right blue. It is a bright metallic blue. Now I need to find out which is the right color. A duplic-Color
> ceramic engine paint reference would be my preference. Is the "GM Corporate Blue" the right color? My engine looks more like a teal color, but it
> is 45 year old paint. Any help?

I bought a can of Olds engine paint at Autozone and was happy with the match.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p30629-sept-04-09-009.html

Dennis
--
Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro
 
"Early engines were gold."

IIRC, the original engine block in my Dad's '67 Ninety-eight was gold with red valve covers and a red air cleaner housing. The rest of the compartment
is black, not the body color. When the oil pump gave up and the engine was replaced, the color was changed to blue by the rebuilder...did not like
that, but also did not like that he declared the original 425 beyond repair and substituted a 455 which has never run right and now has a burned
exhaust valve. That original engine went a quarter of a million miles and was still running smooth as silk with no exhaust smoke from oil until the
oil pump went in the middle of a 5 mile long bridge, and it kept going after that to get him off the bridge, but I guess that was what did in the
cylinder walls. Heck, the factory water pump lasted 222,000 miles until one night somewhere in Alabama, where Dad and I replaced it at a self-serve
gas station in the middle of the night.
--
Terry Kelpien

ASE Master Technician

73 Glacier 260

Smithfield, Va.
 
My first father in law and I had an arrangement in which I did the
mechanical restoration and he did the cosmetic part of old automobiles. He
had 2 favorite paint colors for engines. Battleship gray, and Catterpillar
Yellow. Didn't matter if the engine went into a 49 Cadillac Sedanette, a
Willys Jeepster, A Studebaker Transtar pickup, or anything else. He said
colors didn't matter. Engines didn't know the difference. Coropate blue was
used by several divisions of GM. Kinda like putting 350 Chevrolet engines
in Pontiacs. Customers never recovered from bean counter decisions like
that. Killed Olds, Pontiac, Saturn too.
Now an Impala looks like a Camry, or an Accord, or Hyndai or for that
matter, a refrigerator or a toaster. More like appliances than cars.
The tri-fives are long gon.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 GMC ROYALE 403

> "Early engines were gold."
>
> IIRC, the original engine block in my Dad's '67 Ninety-eight was gold with
> red valve covers and a red air cleaner housing. The rest of the compartment
> is black, not the body color. When the oil pump gave up and the engine was
> replaced, the color was changed to blue by the rebuilder...did not like
> that, but also did not like that he declared the original 425 beyond
> repair and substituted a 455 which has never run right and now has a burned
> exhaust valve. That original engine went a quarter of a million miles and
> was still running smooth as silk with no exhaust smoke from oil until the
> oil pump went in the middle of a 5 mile long bridge, and it kept going
> after that to get him off the bridge, but I guess that was what did in the
> cylinder walls. Heck, the factory water pump lasted 222,000 miles until
> one night somewhere in Alabama, where Dad and I replaced it at a self-serve
> gas station in the middle of the night.
> --
> Terry Kelpien
>
> ASE Master Technician
>
> 73 Glacier 260
>
> Smithfield, Va.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
I ran into the same issue with paint.
I used this, but again, it is the darker metallic blue.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/opg-c220131

The industry seems to have confused Pontiac engine blue with the early 455 metallic teal colored paint.

The only promising paint that I found was on Ebay but I did not try it because the photos of the engine look too dark even if the photo of the lid in the can looks right. Again, this states 75-76 Pontiac.

FWID I think that the gold color was used on the Olds 350.

Dave L.
Lynnwood, WA
'73 23' #295

----- Original Message -----

> > Trying to clean up the engine compartment on my 1973 GMC26. Bought some of
> > Eastwood's excellent ceramic engine paint (Olds Blue) for $40
> > delivered only to find it is not the right blue. It is a bright metallic
> > blue. Now I need to find out which is the right color. A duplic-Color
> > ceramic engine paint reference would be my preference. Is the "GM
> > Corporate Blue" the right color? My engine looks more like a teal color,
> > but it
> > is 45 year old paint. Any help?
>
>
> I bought a can of Olds engine paint at Autozone and was happy with the match.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/p30629-sept-04-09-009.html
>
> Dennis
> --
> Dennis S
> 73 Painted Desert 230
> Memphis TN Metro
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
I was talking about Olds made from 1949 to 1958 or so.
Jim Hupy

> I ran into the same issue with paint.
> I used this, but again, it is the darker metallic blue.
> https://www.summitracing.com/parts/opg-c220131
>
> The industry seems to have confused Pontiac engine blue with the early 455
> metallic teal colored paint.
>
> The only promising paint that I found was on Ebay but I did not try it
> because the photos of the engine look too dark even if the photo of the lid
> in the can looks right. Again, this states 75-76 Pontiac.
>
> FWID I think that the gold color was used on the Olds 350.
>
> Dave L.
> Lynnwood, WA
> '73 23' #295
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----

> > > Trying to clean up the engine compartment on my 1973 GMC26. Bought
> some of
> > > Eastwood's excellent ceramic engine paint (Olds Blue) for $40
> > > delivered only to find it is not the right blue. It is a bright
> metallic
> > > blue. Now I need to find out which is the right color. A duplic-Color
> > > ceramic engine paint reference would be my preference. Is the "GM
> > > Corporate Blue" the right color? My engine looks more like a teal
> color,
> > > but it
> > > is 45 year old paint. Any help?
> >
> >
> > I bought a can of Olds engine paint at Autozone and was happy with the
> match.
> >
> > http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/73-painted-desert-230/
> p30629-sept-04-09-009.html
> >
> > Dennis
> > --
> > Dennis S
> > 73 Painted Desert 230
> > Memphis TN Metro
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Now Jim, I don't know that using a Honda engine in a Saturn hurt their valve at all.... :p
Hal

> My first father in law and I had an arrangement in which I did the
> mechanical restoration and he did the cosmetic part of old automobiles. He
> had 2 favorite paint colors for engines. Battleship gray, and Catterpillar
> Yellow. Didn't matter if the engine went into a 49 Cadillac Sedanette, a
> Willys Jeepster, A Studebaker Transtar pickup, or anything else. He said
> colors didn't matter. Engines didn't know the difference. Coropate blue was
> used by several divisions of GM. Kinda like putting 350 Chevrolet engines
> in Pontiacs. Customers never recovered from bean counter decisions like
> that. Killed Olds, Pontiac, Saturn too.
> Now an Impala looks like a Camry, or an Accord, or Hyndai or for that
> matter, a refrigerator or a toaster. More like appliances than cars.
> The tri-fives are long gon.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Or
> 78 GMC ROYALE 403
>

>
> > "Early engines were gold."
> >
> > IIRC, the original engine block in my Dad's '67 Ninety-eight was gold with
> > red valve covers and a red air cleaner housing. The rest of the compartment
> > is black, not the body color. When the oil pump gave up and the engine was
> > replaced, the color was changed to blue by the rebuilder...did not like
> > that, but also did not like that he declared the original 425 beyond
> > repair and substituted a 455 which has never run right and now has a burned
> > exhaust valve. That original engine went a quarter of a million miles and
> > was still running smooth as silk with no exhaust smoke from oil until the
> > oil pump went in the middle of a 5 mile long bridge, and it kept going
> > after that to get him off the bridge, but I guess that was what did in the
> > cylinder walls. Heck, the factory water pump lasted 222,000 miles until
> > one night somewhere in Alabama, where Dad and I replaced it at a self-serve
> > gas station in the middle of the night.
> > --
> > Terry Kelpien
> >
> > ASE Master Technician
> >
> > 73 Glacier 260
> >
> > Smithfield, Va.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

--
1977 Royale 101348,

1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,

1975 Eleganza II, 101230

1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout
 
I did some research on the olds paint a couple of years ago and there is as far as I know only one company that sells the correct color (many say they
do)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oldsmobile-Blue-Metallic-455-Engine-Paint-442-Cutlass-New-/331848909264?epid=719743607&hash=item4d43bc81d0:g:fB8AAOSw~gRVw5ZS
--
1973 23' # 1848 Sky Blue Glacier called Baby Blue and a 1973 26'-3 # 1460 Parrot green Seqouia Known as the Big Green,
And sold my 1973 26'-2 # 581 White Canyon lands under the name Dobbelt trøbbel
in Norway
 
Looks like a repaint with pontiac blue, are you sure that it is the original color ?

> Hopefully the link below will show the intake with the new Eastwood "Olds Blue" ceramic engine painted listed for the 1973 Olds 455 block. I've
> never included a link to a photo before so it may take a while to get it to display correctly.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/gmc26/p63474-oldsbluemetallic.html
>
> This photo from the files is more like what my engine color looks like.
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/mechanical/p58026-exhaust-gasket-leak.html
> is this just an old and faded version of my new paint link above?

--
1973 23' # 1848 Sky Blue Glacier called Baby Blue and a 1973 26'-3 # 1460 Parrot green Seqouia Known as the Big Green,
And sold my 1973 26'-2 # 581 White Canyon lands under the name Dobbelt trøbbel
in Norway
 
Seems like every time I wash and polish my coach, I break some belts or
hoses or something. So, it gets washed on a semi-annual schedule. But, it
gets it's oil changed and lube service on regular schedules. I wash the
glass every morning before I travel. Walk around and check the lights and
turn signals, etc. every morning. Same with oil, tranny fluid, take a
gander under the front end for torn boots, leaks etc. I thank Uncle Sam for
that habit. If you are driving one of his rigs, and you are stopped, you
better have that hood up and a rag in your hand.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 GMC ROYALE 403

Unless the engine is going into a museum or a concours auto show, who is
going to see it?
Who cares?

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Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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> What year do you have? That makes a difference. I think 73-76 were a metallic blue. 77-78 were corporate blue. You may have to go to an Olds
> vender for the early engine color. Bob Dunahugh

Bob is correct. '70-'76 Olds 455 were a medium metallic blue. Only the Olds 350 in the era were gold. GM switched to "corporate" blue in '77 for
all gasoline engines. It is a similar shade but solid not metallic. I suspect, but do not know, that '77 455s are also 76 Olds blue. I bet the
build date of these engines pre date July '76 when Olds stopped building 455s for passenger cars. Or they might have continued building into the '77
model year until they ran out of parts, but the Lansing engine plant could have cranked out the 1600 of 1700 '77 GMC 455s in a day or two.

--
Chris Geils - Twin Cities
1978 26' Kingsley w/ very few mods; Headers, Progressive Dynamics 9040, aux trans cooler, one repaint in stock colors, R134a, Al rad, 50k mi
 
I WILL every time I open the hatch! :-)

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
USA '77 Kingsley - TZE 267V100808


-----Original Message-----
From: Gmclist [mailto:gmclist-bounces] On Behalf Of David H. Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2017 7:47 AM
To: gmclist
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Engine paint?

Unless the engine is going into a museum or a concours auto show, who is going to see it?
Who cares?

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