Orange paint on 67 327/300 dist & wire looms

[Joe R.]

My 67 has the 327/300 base engine with a cast iron intake painted engine orange. I have a couple questions about what was installed on the engine when it was painted orange.

I searched the archives and found disagreement on whether the distributor hold-down clamp was installed when the engine was painted. The consensus view was that the distributor and clamp were present during painting, and that the distributor was loosely covered. Therefore, the clamp *should* have orange paint on it if the surrounding area of the intake is orange. Is this correct?

A related question concerns the two black ignition wire looms next to the distributor that are retained by the rear-most intake manifold bolts. Were these wire looms present when the engine was painted? If so, I would expect to see orange paint at the very bottom of the looms where the intake bolts retain them.

Just trying to get these little details correct before the National......

[Joe L.]

Re: Orange paint on 67 327/300 dist & wire looms

Joe-----

1) The distributor clamp was on the engine at the time of painting and was "more-or-less" painted engine orange;

2) For 1967, I believe that the manifold-mounted spark plug wire supports were installed at St. Louis. So, I don't think that they were painted engine color, at all. For 1968 and later, the spark plug wire supports were installed at the engine plant and were painted with the engine.

[Terry M.]

Re: Orange paint on 67 327/300 dist & wire looms

I suspect the disagreement regarding some of these details is due to different practices at the different engine plants and that the build details changed over time.

My interest is in early C3s, so I can't tell you about 1967, but in the original early C3s I have observed the details you ask about change from year to year, and depend on which engine plant built the engine.

If you have Wednesday or Thursday free at the National, sign up for the Advanced Judging School and we will try to find you a Bowtie 1967 to look at -- hopefully wiht the right engine for you.

FWIW: Early C3s had the distributor installed after the engine was painted. No covering the distributor then. YMMV

[William C.]

Re: Orange paint on 67 327/300 dist & wire looms

Look at the assembly manual, All the supports and the sparkplug wires were installed at St Louis for the 63-67 cars.

[Duke W.]

Re: Orange paint on 67 327/300 dist & wire looms

"A related question concerns the two black ignition wire looms next to the distributor that are retained by the rear-most intake manifold bolts. Were these wire looms present when the engine was painted?"

Look at the AIM. If these parts are called out in the AIM, they were installed at St. Louis, so no orange paint. If not, they were installed at Flint and at least got some overspray.

The same "rule" can be used for any other part attached to the engine - St. Louis install, no orange paint or overspray. If the part is not called out in the AIM it was installed by the Flint engine assembly operation, so it will likely have orange paint or overspray.

In '63 those wire loom brackets were installed at St. Louis (They are called out in the AIM) - and probably the same for '67.

Duke

[Joe R.]

Thanks guys!! *NM*