Help! Correct OE Engine Paint

[CigarDanNC]

This is my last shot. I have tried just about every on-line Corvette supply company (the most popular anyway) including Eastwood, and cannot find the correct ugly aqua/teal colored engine paint for my 78 L-48. Everyone tries to sell me the GM Corporate Blue, which it is not. Does someone have an outlet for the OEM GM color? Thanks! Dan.

 

[mike82]

hey Dan welcome to CAC. i touched up the paint on the dipstick handle and my oil pan drainbolt. i used Duplicolor(spray can) GM blue and it was a match to my existing color.

 

[Mitch]

Dan,
I know exactly what you mean about the aqua/teal look. Mine was the same and I was concerned about the right color shade. I used the same GM Blue as Mike and it matched up real close to the old paint that was on my engine--and after a few hundred miles of driving, the engine heat "aged" the paint, as it were, and is now closer to that aqua/teal shade. The pic below was taken right after I repainted (before the heat cured it)! Later today, I'll get that number off of the paint can, if you wish. Something else...depending on the light, my engine color seems to change shades.

 

[CigarDanNC]

Thanks Guys. Mitch, if you can get that number off your paint can, it would be a great help. The color that I have is way darker than your picture Mitch. Great looking engine and bay, by the way!

 

[Mitch]

Thanks Guys. Mitch, if you can get that number off your paint can, it would be a great help. The color that I have is way darker than your picture Mitch. Great looking engine and bay, by the way!

Thanks, Dan. I don't know if your engine is in or out, but I painted mine with the engine still in the bay. It was one of the most tedious jobs I've ever encountered. I was meticulous about masking off every single spring, wire, or ANYTHING that I didn't dis-assemble to prevent overspray. That was the worse part and it took me hours! But it was worth it in the end. There were some tight spots hard to spray, so what I did was carefully brush the paint on with those little art brushes from Wal-Mart. Any visable brush marks smoothed right out.

What I used was Dupli-color ENGINE ENAMEL - Ceramic 500 Degrees. The Number is DE 1608 G.M. Blue. I bought it at Advanced Auto. Actually they had to order it for me because they can't seem to keep it on the shelf. After priming, I sprayed 2 very light coats (waited about 10 minutes between coats). Finally, I sprayed a good wet coat. I might not need to tell you, but be careful and think ahead about your wrist strokes and distance of spray--to avoid any runs. Good luck!

 

[killain]

78 engine color paint.

When I restored my 79 coupe, I used Plasti-kote Engine enamel (GM Corporate blue No. 221) and after I had done with that job, I submitted the car for flight judging at a NCRS meet in Cape May NJ in 2003. The judges went over the car with a fine tooth comb and I believe they were very fair, I had replacement valve covers, no name on them, which were wrong so I was docked three points, but the engine was painted with the above mentioned paint, WHICH, is not the exact color, ( once it's dry and has heated up a few times you cannot tell the difference) but the NCRS judges Did not deduct any points as the Plasti-kote engine enamel No.221 according to the judges is as close as is humanely possible to attain. I won a second flight award for my work, which felt great after almost ten years of work.

 

[killain]

Mitch, for what it's worth, your engine is missing the alternator belt guide. It attaches to the upper alternator bracket and shows the markings or "Clearence 1/4 inche" on the guide. There's a picture or discription of it in the 1978 Corvette NCRS judging guide.

 

[7t9shark]

RE: Correct engine paint color

Dan,

The correct engine paint color is Plasticote Chevrolet Blue #201. It is a shade darker than the GM Corporate Blue which I, too, found out the hard way. It's subtle, but looks alot better than the #221

I got mine at NAPA.

AJ

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, for what it's worth, your engine is missing the alternator belt guide. It attaches to the upper alternator bracket and shows the markings or "Clearence 1/4 inche" on the guide. There's a picture or discription of it in the 1978 Corvette NCRS judging guide.

Thanks, killain...I never knew, so I never missed it! I may look into purchasing one.