Best color match for engine?
 

Closest i can find is Chevy red. Local paint guru basically said good luck. :/

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Most of the guys say Duplicolor 1605 Ford Red. I used that, they are correct, it looks pretty close.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Thanks AZKen! I think I'm gonna owe you a 12 pack of non-shwilly beer by the time I'm done with this! :D :D :D

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

As AZKen stated Ford red is similar. NAPA will match colors for you for free as well if the old color is still visible. If you succeed and find a good match please share the code with the group.

Have a great evening,

-Jeannie

6066 GMC Club

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I get pleasure out of regurgitating what I learn here and from outside guru's. Personally, I know nothing....or very little. Nice to see you are wanting to get the color right and are asking for help. As Jeannie says, color matching a good original painted part would be neat.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Hey Ancient, You might want to talk to BigBlockV6,, a member of this forum. He helped me with paint color issues in the past. I have often wondered, given that GMC was very thrifty by nature, why they would use a separate color for motors. Body colors I can see, to have something exclusive to offer. But motor color seems like it would be cheaper to go with whatever they had been using to that time. I have a thread with all the 6066GMC paint chips. I do not think the motor color was ever discussed within them. I also have a few sets of paint regulations for 6066 GMC. Again, no mention of motor color. Some piece of paper out there has the color code that GMC used on the motors, but I know of no one who has found it to date. I am always looking for this kind of stuff. If I get a code ,I will post it here. Good Luck,GM

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Thanks for ask the info and advice. Since this is to be engine paint i can't get a color match in regular paint it'd just burn off. :\ I've checked around.
I've got good paint, mostly, under all the grease. But as i want to do some touch up i was hoping I'd get lucky.
I'll go ask NAPA some questions tomorrow. If no dice, i guess its ferd red.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I guess we better put in this thread that 1605 Ford Red is an Engine Enamel.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Hey Ancient, I have been digging and came up with a GMC part number for the red engine paint.
The number is: 2233843.
This GMC number for this color appears in the 1960 and 1965 GMC Accessories Catalogs. I bet you can plug that number in to PaintRef and get a match. Good Luck,GM

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Thanks! That'll help a lot. :)

On another related note; as this is the 1st time I've done this, what's the best way of painting this beast?

Should i cut some little plywood covers& bolt them on to cover the intake/exhaust ports? Should i just use some good tape trimmed to fit?

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I should also mention my plan is to soda blast it down to remove any surface rust.

Sure as h@ll don't want any of that getting in the motor.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Tape and gently hammer edge to trim. It's not a big deal to get paint on the surface anyway. It will wire wheel off. Just not inside. Leave valve covers on as a mask. Then blast and paint them after. Time to change all expansion plugs.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Expansion plugs being the correct term for "freeze" plugs?
Wouldn't the blasting media cut the tape? Multilayer? Or just be careful? :)

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Yes freeze plugs. Blast with manifolds on, paint with them off and masked, is what I'm thinking, but just a thought. Never blasted a motor. Don't like the idea much.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Did you ever find anything on the GM engine paint number or current matching color other than the Dupli color mentioned in the thread?

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Far as I know, Ford red or Cadillac Red is the closest. I got ford red for mine and it seems close, little to orange imop though. Manifold was painted ford red.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

OEM Paints makes the correct color but their prices are outrageous. I looked into it several years back, you have to buy a whole case of spray cans which will run close to $300. I've made my own custom mix in Catalyzed Acrylic Urethane, matched to a very low mileage later model V6 crate engine. Somewhere there is a formula for the color, I've seen restored 55-59 GMC's with their version of the Pontiac V8 painted the same color as the later GMC V6's. Otherwise Duplicolor 1605 Ford Red is the easiest way to go:ok:

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I have the formula. Any paint store can match..And why would you use auto paint?? Catalyzed acrylic urethane??? On an engine. Really!

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I been using it automotive acrylic urethane for years on engines with success and I know many others that do too. Automotive paint manufacturers actually do have paint formulas for most engine colors too. , overall it's better than anything in a spray can.:ahhhh:

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I will ask my supplier about that. Considering I buy $150,000 in engine parts a year from him. And he sells me engine paint in gallons. I am sure we will get a giggle out of this post.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Well Dupont, PPG and Sherwinn Williams all have paint Formulas in the Automotive line of paint for engine colors, it used to be in Alkyd Enamel, then went on to Acrylic Enamels as well as Acrylic Urethane, All hold up just fine:teehee:

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

You and your supplier can giggle all you want but both of you are not Dupont or PPG, there are legitimate reasons why these two exceptionally large corporations make formulas for engine colors in their automotive line of paints. In their research they expose painted steel panels and place them in the hot desert sun for months to test the durability of the product, So if it will hold up to that it will hold up to the heat of an engine. There are restoration websites that even recommend using these paints because many colors can't be bought on the shelf. Myself and a few engine builders that I know have been using these products. I've been doing it for 32 years and never had problems!

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I buy 50 thousand dollars of DuPont products per year. All the 2k stuff is rated to about 300 degrees. The high temp ceramic engine coatings are rated to 650. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I will stick with the right one.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Also from what I understand. Solvent based 2k paints and all solvent based automotive finishes are illegal in California.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

In certain areas solvent base paints are not legal unless they meet the proper VOC levels and there are some that do. PPG's Omni line, Dupont's Nason Line , Valspar and Matrix System are solvent based that meet the compliant VOC levels. I'm only about 7 miles south of the break off point for VOC levels, those area don't even have to comply:teehee:

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I've used the duplicolor engine paint with no issues. Simple spray can paint and it's held up well for me. :thumbsup:

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

No, I haven't. :/ If I can't find it soon, I'll have to go with a suggested approximation.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I took some senior member advice and used Dupli color DE1605 for my engine clean-up. I am busy painted pulleys and motor mounts black. Hope to put this in soon so I have a solid winter driver. Many thanks to BigBlockV6 for the assist. Now to get that VHT yellow for the headers.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

NICE!!!! :thumbsup:

Yellow headers? That outta be interesting! lol Would like to see some picture of the headers!

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

I'll add more pictures as things happen. I plan on cleaning up the engine compartment and fixing some other front end issues when I put things back together.

Re: Best color match for engine?
 

Just finished painting my motor. found Chevrolet (orange-red-DE1607) at Napa.
Forgot to paint my dipstick, But it looks the same. lost a little sheen after 54 years. I will post some pics if I can figure out how.
Mel