79 intake manifold color

[mike cobine]

Re: 79 intake manifold color

Well said, Tom. In the rush to make judging, I wonder how much original information has been destroyed that contradicts the JG.

[mike cobine]

Re: 79 intake manifold color

I've seen several original aluminum Q-Jet manifolds that were painted silver and some blue. Where there was no paint, either never was or had been knocked off, the aluminum had oxidized.

My guess is that the aluminum casting process was different from the '60s and so to prevent oxidation on the manifolds, they were automatically painted with the engine as an assembly. Aren't you the one that said engines were given about 9 seconds or some incredibly short amount of time for painting? Not much time to drop a box, paint blue, drop two other boxes, paint silver.

Then when installed in Corvettes, they were dressed up with silver, since that time would be on another budget (Corvette's).

[Michael H.]

Re: 79 intake manifold color

It was John Hinckley that posted the actual time. I guessed something like 30 seconds, if I remember correctly. I've never been to either the Flint or Tonawanda plants but he was.

[Tom R.]

Re: 79 intake manifold color

Thanks Mike. I suspect at one time or another, most of us have had a tendency to rush into a Corvette project and learned patience is indeed a virtue which would have saved a little history. So, we like to pass that along with our technical knowledge.

See and hear it all the time on the judging field coming from owners with nice original Corvettes but wanted to "get it ready" for judging and did this that and the other. There was a red 80 at BG...low milage purported to be original, one owner car never been touched. I believe mileage was something like 1600. I did chassis and most unusual was the obvious overspray (red) underneath, throughout the wheel wells, seat belt anchors, you get the idea. I guess in getting it ready for judging...they forgot the blackout but were adamant that it came from the factory this way. Sorry...you lose! I don't buy it. Owners (either current or original) forgot to mix in some patience along with restoration "best practices" to preserve its originality.

[John H.]

Re: 79 intake manifold color

Cycle time in the Flint V-8 paint booth was twelve seconds (280-300 per hour)