Chevrolet Orange

[Gary E.]

Can someone please share with me there experiences regarding the best brand for painting a engine on a C-1. Which manufacture has the best color for correctness and durability for the engine block. And also what about the use of POR-15 and there Chevrolet Orange. Thanks again

[Eric J.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

I always used Krylon Chevy Engine orange. Seemed the closest. Plasticoat was to red. Eric #3,182

[Jim K.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

I just used some of POR-15's Chevy Orange (pint) on my 71 BB and the only way to tell were it was painted and were it was not, was that it was shiny. Maybe a little expensive. Jim

[Patrick H.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

I just used about 4 or 5 cans on my 66 small block. I found that it took a bright orange as a base coat, and a darker orange as a top coat to get the medium color I wanted. It took some experimenting, and no one company had the best.

OK, so maybe I'm anal about getting it right, but I really don't like some of the glow-in-the-dark or "10 mile orange" Chevy engines I've seen.

For only one, I liked a can I used a few years ago from Quanta. It is the closest to the original color on my 72.

Patrick

[Eric J.]

Correction

Correction.. It was the other way around... Platicoat was closer to correct.

[Michael H.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

Patrick,

I know exactly what you mean about the "glow in the dark" paint that's available in spray cans. The reason for this is the fact that spray paint in cans contains a lot of clear as a base with minimum tint added and it definitely shows. It looks way to glossy and also requires several coats to get decent color coverage. I gave up on spray cans years ago and bought "moly orange" enamel in a quart can and used a good spray gun. The results were excellent, looks factory. I would guess that any decent automotive paint store would be able to supply it even today.

Michael

[Mike M.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

i've used VHT brand for 30 years. judges don't dislike it. mike

[Dick W.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

Sure must not be any casting roughness left on that block. One can of paint will duplicate "as left St. Louis" finish. VHT color is very close

[Patrick H.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

Dick,

No one said you had to lay it on thick in order to get a nice shade. Very light coats while stil wet work quite well.

Patrick

[Michael H.]

Re: Chevrolet Orange

Dick,

One quart of moly orange was enough for several motors and the results were deadly accurate. I found that one coat with a spray can just wasn't enough for decent color and the second coat was starting to make the detail of the casting disappear. Also, in the areas that would have gradually turned to a non painted surface, (rear half of clutch housing, behind water pump etc.) the spray can method wasn't able to mist the color on the way a gun would. Spray cans spray little droplets and a spray gun will shoot a fine mist, gradually going from complete coverage to no coverage.

I agree that 99% of restoration engines pass judging for paint but I wanted that extra bit of originality and detail. If you look at an original big block aluminum intake, especially a 435, you can really see the mist effect as the color fades off to zero but if you study that area, you don't see little droplets at all, just less and less color until it's gone. If the engine is painted with a spray can, that effect is nearly impossible to duplicate. I've painted a few engines in some very well known ultra low mileage cars years ago and to this day, it hasn't been caught as not being original. I did it with moly orange and a pressure feed paint system using nearly 100 pounds of air pressure, just exactly like the engine plant did it in the 60's. I agree, it's not for everyone but I wanted that dead on accurate original look.

Michael