67 Intake Manifold

[Allan J. Wicklund]

The judging guide states that L79 Intake Manifold was "painted" silver. Is this true? If so, paint source and color advice. THX, Al W.

[John Thomas]

Re: 67 Intake Manifold

My L79 intake has never been painted that I can tell, and I am the original owner.

[Keith B.]

Re: 67 Intake Manifold

It all depends all who you talk to but I will tell you how I have Mine completed (and the car is a National TOP L79) but it does not always mean it is right. I sprayed the edge of the manifold where the bolts attach it to the head and including the bolts about three inches total. The machined area of the head should also be painted because the manifold was on the engine when the paint was applied. I did not paint the front of the manifold in any way. I used Krylon Dull Aluminum paint right out of the can. Look at the corvette registry http://www.c2registry.org under the 67 and I have a picture of my engine. Click on the picture to enlarge and you can see where I painted. The paint matches very closely to the point where it is difficult to determine the difference between paint and raw aluminum.

Keith Burmeister

[Michael H.]

Re: 67 Intake Manifold

Allan,

I don't think that the entire intake manifold would have been painted silver for a 67, or for any other year for that matter. From at least 62 through 65, the area between the intake manifold and the valve cover was the target of a silver spray coating to cover the raw cast iron part of the cyl head which would have lightly over sprayed much of the rest of the intake manifold but it certainly didn't completely coat it. By 66 this coating was beginning to be lighter and by 67, it was difficult to see, even on a new engine. If I remember correctly, the closest color match would have been caled "dull aluminum". It was once available from GM in quarts but I believe it was discontinued some time ago. I think it's available in spray cans.

[Allan J. Wicklund]

Re: 67 Intake Manifold

Thank You! I've been hung up on this issue for too long. Time to move forward. I'll spray just the edges as the factory did. Thanks again! Al W.

[John H.]

Re: 67 Intake Manifold

I've had two 65's with aluminum intakes (an L-79 I bought brand new, and an L-76 I bought when it was three years old), and neither one had any trace of silver paint on them anywhere; just some orange overspray on the front and rear edges. I don't buy the "aluminum intake painted silver" story at all.

[Duke W.]

Neither do I...! *NM*

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

I'm not surprised. I usually have to prove everything I post on this board so why should this be any different. I'll do this one more time.

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

Here's a pic of a brand new 63 340 HP engine assembly, shot mid 1963. Ever see a thermostat housing that came painted silver?? How about the studs and nuts holding it in place? Look kinda silver to me, and this housing was black when installed on the engine at Flint. This IS a result of the silver final coat.

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

Here's a shot of a VERY low mileage 63 340 HP, taken in the mid 70's. The car is all original, right down to the belts and hoses. NEVER been messed with, at all. The bypass hose on the water pump clearly shows orange on the front but the last 1/4" at the manifold end is absolutely painted silver. That's where the end of the mask stopped.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

Here's my take on it, for a 1966 327/350 I repainted.

As per Flint, I did orange and then silver.

Patrick

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

This is a cardboard shipping plug that was found under the FI plenum of a 4100 mile unrestored 64 coupe in about 1976. The plug would have been originally installed into the oil filler tube hole in the intake manifold/adapter before engine paint. The plug was obviously flipped out of the hole at the St. Louis plant before the tube was installed and it happened to wind up under the plenum. Note the obvious silver mist overspray. I still have this item.

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

This is the thermostat housing that was removed from a new 1963 FI coupe in 1963. It's a bit rusty today but still clearly shows the silver paint on the rear portion. The forward portion was masked before engine paint at Flint and remains black, the original color of the housing. (later service housings came in blue, then orange and finally plain before being discontinued years later.

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

Distributor cap from a brand new FI coupe that was removed the very first day after delivery. It has aprox 7 miles on it and has been in storage since. Note the obvious orange AND silver marks on the top of the tower. This is a result of the Flint plant operators canvas gloves becomming lightly coated with an eventual combination of orange and silver. This occured most likely immediately after paint when the distributor mask was removed.

[Michael H.]

Re: Neither do I...!

And the list could go on. I have a lot more pictures of new or near new engines that show the same silver over spray. I've been taking pictures of these cars and engines for the last nearly 35 years and that's when most of the cars were still UN. I bought a 64 365 HP coupe new in 64 and the first time I adj the valves and washed the rocker arm covers in solvent, I watched all the silver paint sparkle as it rolled off the covers. I vividly remember new complete engine assemblies that had the same silver paint over sprayed on the bypass hose and other areas described previously. The very well known 1586 mile green 65 FI conv had most of it's silver when I first looked at the car in the 70's. A 4100 mile unrestored 64 FI coupe I once owned had the same.