All of my engines have been chevy orange, right now I am restoring a 70. I have a VortecPro 505 big block and I had it done in orange.

 

I like Chevy Orange...

 

I have restored several Chevelles. The numbers correct cars I painted the engine orange. A couple of cars I painted the inner metal fenders and underside of hood, and core support body color and the engine body color also. It sure got a lot of complements.
Ed

 

I am a numbers guy, so orange is my preference.

I had a small block that came with my Chevelle that was a bright green color, metallic. I assume someone painted it body color in a previous car. Boy did it look funny, not my bag at all.

 

Orange, Chevy orange, you know nothing rhymes with the word orange? And if you say it enough, it starts to not even sound like a word.

 

or purple

 

for me on my 70 it will be a numbers thing,it will go factory,on the 69 malibu it will go body color or what ever suites me at the time,its yours do what makes you happy.

 

Like other mentioned, it depends on the type of build. If it's a numbers build or close too it, I've always preferred Chevy Orange. For our resto-mod, we went black because it ties with our theme a little better and we've changed so many other things. The whole suspension, smoothed firewall, sway bars, control arms, rotors, calipers, interior, etc. are black. In our case, if it isn't black, it's chrome or polished billet. It could also be that we haven't finalized an exterior color so black was a safer bet.

 

Black, I painted mine orange and it shows oil and little stuff and black would hide it
My next engine will be black
Michael

 

Same reason why mine is now black. The orange just got too nasty looking after a while.

 

This car will not be a numbers matching car. It was originally a malibu shell that is being cloned to a custom SS. The car will have some modern things like electric cooling fans etc. but will be kept classic looking. Thanks for all the input thus far. Keep it coming!

 

I think that it should be orange.....

 

black and shiney stuff (vc, intake aircleaner etc..)
as others said it hides the dirt better and looks good longer!!

 

I like black myself

 

My crate engine came black, but i shot it bright red to be a little different than just orange and love it.

 

I painted my small block 350 red too... used the Bill Hearsh engine paint. IMO it looks better than the duplicolor orange spray bombs that tend to flatten out over time. Besides that didn't chevy use red before the chevy orange came about? Red may not be period correct, but at least chevy used it on some of their earlier motors.

 

I always like the stock color on an engine. Unless it is done exceptionally well, and there are other overwhelming features, another color always looks like someone tried a spray can to make it look different, or they were too cheap or in a hurry and could not get a can of orange. Usually the sign of a low rent romance.

Guess I am old, set in my ways and boring.

 

I voted body color.
If you want any paint to look nice and stay nice, spray it with Single Stage urethane, much durable then some spray bomb...Eric

 

I vote for Chevrolet orange.



Eric - is it a good idea to prime the engine with say, epoxy, before spraying urethane, or does it matter? Or just a REAL good cleaning before the urethane?

Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

I would clean the engine real good then spray one coat of epoxy for adhesion and corrosion protection then spray the urethane.

 

Thanks, Eric.

 

I cleaned my eninge with brake cleaner and small wire brush and then painted it with hi-temp paint and then clear coated it.:yes: Keep's the engine shiney and does not fade or burn off. :thumbsup: As long as you don't do the header's or manifold's with clear coat.:noway: The clear will burn right off and leave the paint on the header's and manifold's. Don't ask me how i know. Larry

 

I have always liked baby blue and when I put a big block in my Elky I painted it the same color blue that came on a lot of 454s in the 1970s. JB2wheeler

 

I painted mine Cummins beige---but it matches my interior and other tan accents on my truck.

 

Wow, everyone has such great suggestions and reasons for their particular color! I love it, keep it coming! And thanks for taking the time to help me decide. I love the can't see the oil and grease argument, but sometimes, don't you want to be able to see things before a small problem becomes a large one? Something I hadn't really thought about before, but thanks to all the tips and comments is allowing me to see things a little differently.

 

... I love the can't see the oil and grease argument, but sometimes, don't you want to be able to see things before a small problem becomes a large one? Something I hadn't really thought about before, but thanks to all the tips and comments is allowing me to see things a little differently.

Just look for shiny spots of oil lol Mainly on my old chevy orange block, it was just dirt, oil vapor collecting the dirt, street grime and whatever else that over time just makes it look like crap. Then when you go to wash it off, you really have to get everywhere for it to look good again. If you don't, you'll have this bright spot of color right next to some dingy color. I don't know about you but for me, I didn't want to sit there with a toothbrush and get all those spots. The black block I have now is just easier to maintain a cleaner look.

 

I voted Chevy Orange.

 

i actually have different colors for different cars, went with orange for my 68 camaro cause the bodies orange.

black with the vette with blue accents cause its blue with black interior

the chevelle engine is red as it was in my red 69 camaro prior to removal and I didnt think it through but the car is green and the wife said it looks christmassy!!!
so it will be redone in black eventually!

 

Really digging the beige, simple yet very different, very cool color choice.

 

I had my VortecPro 468 painted red and love it.

 

Am I late to the game??? RED WHITE AND BLUE BUD! RED!

 

He's been waiting 12 years for your answer...