304 Engine Color

7

77SSII

Member
Hi all,
have a '77 SSII w/a 304.
Can anyone please tell me what color the motor should be? Pictures would be cool too.
Should the valve covers, heads, intake manifold, block & oil pan all be IH red?
What about brackets for the alternator & power steering pump? Pulleys?
Water pump?
I know that by now most are "dirty oil black".
Thanks!
 
Everything was simply painted..."IH red". Some mounts, pullies, etc. Were painted black using a very poor quality/thin type of semi-gloss material. I don't screw with the black, everything gets red.

But there are several variations of red used by ihc back when (at least seven iirc).

I currently use the "case/IH" red from van sickle, code number 455 70. This stuff is an extremely "high solids" material and will appear to be the same finish as powder coat once it cures. It is very slow to dry and must be protected well in the interim. It flashes under a heat temp off around 200*f so on the small parts it can be cured in the oven.

This stuff is an excellent engine paint and will cure onto anything except right at the exhaust heat crossover tubes on an sv intake manifold. Nothing will stick permanently at that point anyway.

Van sickle products are normally found in farm/ranch supply outlets and used as an implement paint.
 
Plain old super-duty industrial enamel. I normally use the spray cans, but it also comes in pints/quarts/gallons/five gallons. Has it's own line of thinner.

It is not any kind of environmentally-friendly material, therefore it really lasts a long time with absolutely no deterioration in finish quality. I don't even put it over primer most of the time on the engine systems, I see no need to do so.
 
I called van sickle and I would have to find a distributor. The closest stocking distributor is in ohio and I'm in mass.
I saw this on eastwood's website. Any thoughts on how close these colors are to one another? I know it's a tough question w/everyone's monitor set up a little differently and all.

ew ceramic engine paint qt 64-83 chrysler red
 
This is my 392 painted with the van sickle paint.

hpim0653.jpg
 
Por-15 makes an engine enamel in Ford t-bird red that works really well. You can buy it as an engine kit but it doesn't give you enough to do one of these engines. It is more affordable to buy everything by the quart if you can but only if you are going to use a lot of it at one time. Otherwise stick with the pints because the stuff is sensitive to contamination and drying out once you open it. It is not easy on the wallet or the environment and the prep times are considerable but if you want something to really last and look good its worth it. I don't ever plan on painting my frame, axles, springs or engine ever again.http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.223204951023245.68360.100000012249500#!/photo.php?fbid=223204974356576&set=a.223204951023245.68360.100000012249500&type=1&theater
 
Thanks!
I can't check those pix 'cause I don't have a facebook acct. I used "metal mask" by por15 that looks like bare cast metal. I put it on the block, brackets, tranny and x-fer case about 10 years ago but the truck only has 1500 miles or so on it.
 
You can find that line of paint at a lot of places. Try the tractor supply store. Just look for a feed and farm supply house in your town.
 
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