1949 Engine Paint Colors

[JoeKeys2010]

Got a question on engine paint colors.  I plan on pulling the engine out of my Kaiser to deal with a rear main seal and while it is out I want to clean up and paint the engine box and engine.  I did a search of the web site and saw where someone said the motor should be painted silver if it is a 1 barrel and light green if it is a two barrel.  My engine is painted silver (someone used a spray can) but under the silver paint the engine and the oil pan are clearly light green.  I do have a 1 barrel.

Is light green the correct color for my engine.  The car is a 492-1 if that makes any difference.  I want to paint it the correct color, again green is what is under the silver.  What happens to the exhaust manifolds, do they get painted as well?  I would assume all accessories, like starter, generator and oil filter get painted black.

The final question, the fire wall gets painted Caribbean Coral (paint 195) but what about inter finders and the radiator (as brackets) do they get painted black or Caribbean Coral.  I've already been told all frame and front end parts get painted black including the shocks.

If anyone has a picture of a correctly painted motor/engine box or diagram I would appreciate it.  I only want to do this once and I want it original.  Thanks.

[joefrazer]

If your car is a 492 then it should have a 2bbl carb on it and the engine would be a light green.

The 491 cars had a 1bbl carb and had engines painted a medium gray.

On all 226 equipped cars:
The intake is painted engine color but the exhaust stays a natural iron color.

The starter, generator, fan, oil cap, air cleaner, air cleaner support, and distributor body are all painted black.

The fan pulley, harmonic balancer, dip stick, and generator mount brackets (both) are painted engine color. The transmission should engine color with the exception of the inspection pan. It should be black. If your car has overdrive, all of the electrical components that mount to the transmission should be natural color (no paint).

The distributor base, the part that actually mounts to the head, can be either natural color or engine color. I've seen both in factory photos.

If your car has a heater, the adapter block that threads into the water pump should be a natural brass color. The water distribution tube that runs along the head should be natural cad color (silver).

[JoeKeys2010]

Thanks that is very helpful.  What about the firewall, inter fenders, radiator and the underside of hood as well as the hood springs?

[JoeKeys2010]

I went under the car again today and continued to scrape grease.  When I go to the transmission part of it is the engine color and part of it is grey.  Here is a picture if what I have so far.  There does not seem to be a coat of green beneath the gray so either someone completely stripped the transmission and painted it grey or it was originally grey.  Your thoughts?

Also, where can I get the engine paint at? 

[JoeKeys2010]

forgot to add the picture

[joefrazer]

The firewall should be body color.

The inner fenders, radiator and shroud are all black.

The hood springs are natural cad color.

The underside of the hood wasn't completely painted at the factory so it should be a mix of prime and overspray. Most restorers paint them and that's OK.

I used Duplicolor's medium grey truck paint on the engine. It's not high heat but it's never blistered or peeled on my car.

The light green is available from a few KFOCI club vendors.

[JoeKeys2010]

Thanks Joe.  When you say you use Duplicolor's medium grey on the engine did you mean to say transmission (since the engine is light green).  BTW I don't think it is the rear main that is leaking.  There was no gasket on the back side of the oil pan around the crank.  I ordered a new oil pan gasket set that will be here on Tuesday.  Already have the oil pan off.  If I can find the right color I will get it painted before reinstalling it. 

Been scraping old grease all day and wiping with gas all day. 

[84RabbitGTI]

When we cleaned the gunk off of our transmission, it was a grey color, not the same as the motor.  The inspection plate seemed to be grey also.  Your other references fit with what we found as well, but of course in the darker green of the '51's.  Thanks!

[joefrazer]

It has been noted...and here's another example...where the transmission is not the same color as the engine and bell housing. According to a KF retiree with whom I spoke at a UAW luncheon several years ago who did the work, the engine block assembly including head, pan, water pump, fan pulley, generator brackets, distributor mount base, bell housing (but not the inspection pan), and transmission (but not O/D electrical components) were assembled and then the whole thing was painted. The intake was painted separately and then mated to the exhaust manifold and attached to the block after it was painted. He did not mention that some were not done this way, but then again, his job was to assemble and paint, I would guess that as engines were picked from the bank, if a transmission choice was changed, a swap occurred and colors could change. Or, perhaps your transmission was changed by a previous owner. After 60-odd years, about anything is possible.

[JoeKeys2010]

Joe you are right anything could happen in 60 years. If you were me what color would you paint the now grey portion of my transmission if you wanted it correct?

[joefrazer]

Technically, because your car is using a 1bbl carb and manifold, the engine should be gray to match the transmission. But, I think someone made some changes under the hood...probably due to parts availability. I would repaint everything the same colors...leave the engine light green and the transmission gray.

[JoeKeys2010]

Ok I am paint the motor as I write this and wanted to check on one point that JoeFrazer makes concerning the intake.  He says the intake gets painted the engine color but I found another guy who posted a picture and his intake and exhaust were painted grey.  Can someone verify which is correct.  I would prefer the engine color but want to get it right. 

[joefrazer]

The intake should be painted the same color as the block.

[JoeKeys2010]

Good because that's what I did. What about the oil filter and the various medal lines?  Like the vaccum line an the lines from the oil filter?  And linkage?

[joefrazer]

All linkage and lines on the 1947-50 cars should be natural color. The oil filter can vary depending upon the brand. If its a Fram, orange body with a black lid and bracket, if it's a Purolator, everything is black.