chevy engine paint

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

James: See http://www.hirschauto.com/ENGINE-ENA...info/EE-QUART/ Bill HIRSCH.

Tom------


Many years ago I used the Bill Hirsch Chevrolet Orange. This is very high quality paint and the gloss level is perfect and better than any other engine paint I have ever used. However, the color was absolutely not right, at all. I regret ever having used it. They claim that it's formulated according to the original GM specs but it was unlike ANY original Chevrolet orange I've ever seen. Maybe they've corrected it by now as my use was a long time ago----at least 15 years.

[James W.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Tom------


Many years ago I used the Bill Hirsch Chevrolet Orange. This is very high quality paint and the gloss level is perfect and better than any other engine paint I have ever used. However, the color was absolutely not right, at all. I regret ever having used it. They claim that it's formulated according to the original GM specs but it was unlike ANY original Chevrolet orange I've ever seen. Maybe they've corrected it by now as my use was a long time ago----at least 15 years.

Joe,

This is the 396 I painted with the Bill Hirsch Chevrolet Orange paint back in 2010. The car has been through all the NCRS judging within the last three years with no deductions for incorrect color or gloss level. The first picture was taken in the shop under florescent lighting and the second is outside.


Regards,

James West

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Joe,

This is the 396 I painted with the Bill Hirsch Chevrolet Orange paint back in 2010. The car has been through all the NCRS judging within the last three years with no deductions for incorrect color or gloss level. The first picture was taken in the shop under florescent lighting and the second is outside.


Regards,

James West

James------


I guess they must have reformulated it since I used it. Attached are photos of the engine I painted with it (my original 1969 350). The color is just way off from the original color and unlike any I've ever seen on a Chevrolet engine. Among other problems, there is absolutely no red in it whatsoever.


DSCN3279.jpgDSCN3280.jpg

[Domenic T.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Rich & guys,
I found that if you use a Primer (Rustolium Red) that the coverage is much more even and you use less paint. It holds up to the heat. I have seen so much paint on engines to get coverage that the paint cracked. I have done it this way for years. Also found Rustolium color inside the engine. It was in the lifter valley and the owner said it was for oil run off. I don't go that far.

Dom

[Larry M.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Rich & guys,
I found that if you use a Primer (Rustolium Red) that the coverage is much more even and you use less paint. It holds up to the heat. I have seen so much paint on engines to get coverage that the paint cracked. I have done it this way for years. Also found Rustolium color inside the engine. It was in the lifter valley and the owner said it was for oil run off. I don't go that far.

Dom

Dom:

The paint in the lifter valley is very likely a product called GLYPTAL. http://www.eastwood.com/glyptal-red-brush-on-1-qt.html This special paint has been around for decades and is/was used to improve oil return from the engine lifter area. I believe it was first developed/used for electric motors. I first read about it back in the 1960's in Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding. That was the "hot tip" back then for engine building, and was very well known and used out there in California by the hot-rodders.

Hope all is well and you are doing fine..............and keeping our old A6 compressors rebuilt and working.

Larry

[Domenic T.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Hello Larry,
Just gettin older by the day. I actually have a very old spray can of GLYPTAL I have saved forever. I used it to insulate electric motors. Also noticed that Rustolium is selling engine enamel now. I baked many enamels in the oven and found that they hold up to heat very well. I have friends that use auto enamel on engines for custom colors and it also holds up well. I read some cans and they have a heat limit, but I have baked and used them without any problems. Yep, going to the shop today to finish another A6.

Dom

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Rich & guys,
I found that if you use a Primer (Rustolium Red) that the coverage is much more even and you use less paint. It holds up to the heat. I have seen so much paint on engines to get coverage that the paint cracked. I have done it this way for years. Also found Rustolium color inside the engine. It was in the lifter valley and the owner said it was for oil run off. I don't go that far.

Dom

Dom------


The main problem with using primer is that after the finish coat is applied, the paint looks too thick and very non-original.

[Domenic T.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Joe,
Actually I use the primer so the paint won't look to thick. Using the primer to start with, gives it a uniform color and reduces the amount of top coat needed. Without the primer, the cast iron (sand casting) would peak thru the color and additional coats were needed to get the color uniform and that made the paint to thick which also made it crack at a later date.

Dom

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Joe,
Actually I use the primer so the paint won't look to thick. Using the primer to start with, gives it a uniform color and reduces the amount of top coat needed. Without the primer, the cast iron (sand casting) would peak thru the color and additional coats were needed to get the color uniform and that made the paint to thick which also made it crack at a later date.

Dom

Dom------


The engine I pictured above was painted with 1 coat of paint and no use of primer. As far as paint thickness goes, it looks very "factory" to me.

Once-upon-a-time I painted a replacement oil pan for a small block using primer followed by one coat of engine enamel. The finished product looked way too thick and non-original.

[Timothy B.]

Re: chevy engine paint

It's my understanding the engine alkaloid enamel paint does not require any primer.

You guys may laugh but I always liked the old Seymour chevy orange in the spray rattle can, it's hard to find now-a-days. I do think the gloss level on Joe's engine paint looks good as well as the color. I would be happy with that all day long.

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

It's my understanding the engine alkaloid enamel paint does not require any primer.

You guys may laugh but I always liked the old Seymour chevy orange in the spray rattle can, it's hard to find now-a-days. I do think the gloss level on Joe's engine paint looks good as well as the color. I would be happy with that all day long.

Timothy------


The color might be right for other year engines. However, for 1969, if not other years, there was much more red in the Chevy orange.

[Richard S.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Thank you
Rich

[Joe L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Here are some photos of the original paint on my 1969 small block valve covers. These valve covers were taken off my engine very early in its life so there are very little heat-related effects. These are scans of hard-copy photos so they might be less than perfect. However, they should illustrate how much more red was in the 1969 small block engine paint.


1969valvecovers(a) 001.jpg1969valvecovers(b) 001.jpg

[Robert L.]

Re: chevy engine paint

My experience with all rattle can Chevy Orange paints that I've tested is that they are too shinny and do not lay out consistently based on the 15 seconds that the factory worker had to spray the engine assembly with a spray gun. The only Chevy engine paint I have ever used is from Bill Hirsch Automotive (800) 828-2061, 396 Littleton Ave. Newark, NJ 07103 and sold in 1 quart cans. However, this product requires some flattening (15% to 20% - you will have to experiment) in order to achieve the same lower level of gloss similar to the factory application. Regardless, 10 NCRS judges will tell you 20 different opinions on whether the paint is too shinny, too flat, too thin or too thick. Based on the time the factory worker had to spray the engine assembly, there would be a fair amount of overspray that would have minimal gloss to it.

[Patrick H.]

Re: chevy engine paint

Here are some photos of the original paint on my 1969 small block valve covers. These valve covers were taken off my engine very early in its life so there are very little heat-related effects. These are scans of hard-copy photos so they might be less than perfect. However, they should illustrate how much more red was in the 1969 small block engine paint.


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Those look very close to the original 71/72 valve covers I own, both on and off cars.