Yet another question on engine color

[valkster]

Hello, all again. I searched the forum for the stock color for the engine block and timing chain cover. Most of the results were either black or AMC blue. Mine looks to be a color of blue but I am not use it is stock. I have an '83 258 that I am restoring. Anyone have definitive info on the stock color for the block, timing cover, etc???

Thanks,
Mark

 

[WillyT]

Pretty sure it's black. My 82 was. And I think the aluminum cover is just plain aluminum, unpainted.

 

[trust]

AMC Engine Paint Colors

ENGINE COLOR YEAR PAINT CODES
196 L Head gray 56-65
196 OHV (1) lancelot turquoise 64-66
196 aluminum (1) silver 61-64
250 (2) gray 56-60
287 forum blue 63-66
327 (3) red 64
327 rampart red 64-66
199 cape cod blue 64-67
290 copper 66
232 rampart red 64-67
290 gold 67
343 copper 67
all caravelle blue 68
all blue poly (metallic) 69-72
all AMC engine blue 73-83
V8s (4) rampart red 71-73
151 pontiac blue 79-83 [sic] Ditzler(PPG) #15159
all black 84-up
NOTES:
1. Valve covers are Rampart Red for some or all of these engines.
2. The 250 V-8 is believed to be the same gray as used on the 196 L-head engines
3. Different sources give different paint codes. Possibly used as dealer service paint of slightly different color
4. All 1971 California V-8's and AMC engines used in International Harvester vehicles were red in color to distinguish them from other engines on the assembly line as California engines required different emission controls.

IIRC my 83 SJ had a 258 that was AMC engine blue (sort of blue green) I cant remember what the scrambler is but i'll look, it's an 82 though rather than 83 Plastic valve covers were black i think. Eastwood was making the correct AMC Engine blue but am not sure if that's still the case

 

[valkster]

Engine block color

Thanks to both of you. Thanks for checking on your block color, trust, when you have a chance. I know my engine has been rebuilt at least once and not sure if the color was changed. Mine did have the black plastic valve cover but already had the extra tapped holes in the head beneath for a metal valve cover...not sure if the plastic cover was added later or if the head was just a transition model? Thanks again, I took all the brackets off the engine this past weekend to powder coat black soon. The restoration is progressing...albeit slow.

Sincerely,
Mark

 

[trust]

sorry for the delay, my 82 is the turquoise lovingly protected with the standard AMC anti rust system coating of oil film........ The head and valve cover are 4.0L parts but the head matched the block and the VC was black plastic

How go the Spits? I"m almost ready for paint on a 59 MGA for the past 3 years.....

 

[valkster]

Thanks, Trust. Ah, the Spits...one is still in very long term restoration. It is fully repainted in a nice Viper blue with silver accents. However, since I miss my Jeep 'Bessie' more, I have mothballed it for now. I have a new interior and restored drivetrain (except the engine) ready to reinstall. It is actually closer to being finished than my Jeep. The other Spit is untouched and I drive it some during nice summer months when it runs ;-). How about you? When will the MGA see road again? I love the style on the MGA's...they remind me of the classiness of Healey, Jag 120 and Morgan. Beautiful car! I'd like to see some pics of her sometime!

Thanks,
Mark

 

[trust]

lol ...'when it runs'.... you do know the same words may follow the resurrection of the jeep too right? At one point we had only my CJ 5 and the MGA, people questioned my sanity as well as my judgement but they were both surprising little trouble, but still, a jeep and a British car doesnt exactly raise the image of reliability...

Not sure on the MG, I started with a simple make it safe and reliable (relatively speaking) for my wife (It's her car really) project in an adult ed class at the local HS shop. The more I got into it th emore I found that needed to be fixed, the shop teacher was interested (he drives and 67B) so iit got more involved. Then lost shop space and it sat in black primer (should be a pic) for a while. Got a call from him telling me he had this great class of seniors who would love to finish up the body and get it in paint, so I took it back to the shop and let the kids work on it, that was three years ago...... Now I go up on Monday nights to visit it, do the non body stuff (new wood floor, pulled the dash, etc) and it;s almost ready to paint, again. If the thing gets painted I dont think it will take long to put back together, if I can remember how it all goes

 

[trust]

D'OH! forgot the pic

 

[valkster]

Great, I hope you get it going soon. Post a pic when it's done!

 

[trust]

thanks, I'll do that if I live to see it

 

[valkster]

Well, I repainted the engine block with the AMC metallic color yesterday (paint from Eastwood). Looks pretty good. I took the time to powder coat most of the brackets, pulleys, fan blade, linkages, dipstick tube, etc in black too while I had them off. I powder coated the intake manifold in black, too and high-temp painted the exhaust manifold in cast iron color. Most of it is on the workbench but I'll post a before and after pic when I drop the engine back in the chassis.