I'm painting my 390fe ford blue or black for my 64 galaxie. Sent from my SM-N960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Please.... no corporate Ford Blue. That is 1966 up. In 1964 the blocks were black. Different options were shown in the valve cover and air cleaner colors. Example.... The Thunderbird Package used Thunderbird scripted valve covers and air cleaner in gold. Other options would use other colors for those parts but the block was black pre 1966.
Is it a restoration or a hot rod? You can paint it whatever color you want....neither black nor Ford dark blue look very bright.
Block -black. My '64 352 had light blue valve covers and air cleaner. My friends '64 390 had gold valve covers and air cleaner. -Dave
There wasn't really a "Thunderbird Package", all the 390-4V 300hp engines in those years got the gold "Thunderbird" covers, and 352s generally got the light blue FORD covers. The HiPo 352, 390 and 406 got the decals added to the covers, and then came the chrome Baldy covers on the early 427s with the flag emblems and as part of a dress-up kit. Those Bird covers are pretty popular, I have 4 or 5 sets left, sold a bunch- look great on a hoodless car with a 3x2 or 2x4 setu
I painted my 390 (63) all gold with finned aluminum valve covers. The 3X2 air cleaner should be polished aluminum but I chose to paint the top gold as well. Not looking to please anyone but myself with those choices, and I am happy with the look.
My toy. I just looking for it to be a nice driver. Sent from my SM-N960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The internet has spoken. I think I'll call it gold nugget! Sent from my SM-N975U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've just never been a fan of black engines in anything no matter what it is. I always figured it was to hide the oil leaks. It was probably was because I asked my sister and mom to pick up a can of a certain color engine paint for the engine I was working on and they came back with a can of black because they said it didn't clash with the outside color lie the OEM color I wanted did.
In my 63 Galaxie the 390 is gold, and in my 65 F100, the 352 is gold. As far as I know, that is the way they were built. They both look great in gold. It just look right on that old FE.
Mine started its life black block gold valve covers. I also have a 352 done up the same way. Sent from my SM-N975U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
When that "gold" FE has black streaks and all kinds of **** showing, you'll wish you had painted it BLACK.. I Know...
Where do the majority of you leaks come from? Mine was caked in oil and dirt before I cleaned it. Is there anyway to safe guard against it? Sent from my SM-N975U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My 64 Marauder is black with gold covers . Its the way I got it, but I am a big fan of the red that ford used in 57 and 58 and maybe even 59. I am a Ford guy but I have always thought the corperate blue ****'s ! lol Larry
Sorry, but a gold engine to me says "Oldsmobubble." I'm geeked out on this. There's actually a few variations of gold for the valve covers and air cleaner that were used - a gold-bronze color on '60 hipo 352s and '61-'64 hipo 390s-406s, '65 390s and small-block 289s along with late 50s MEL 383s; greenish gold (called Castillian Gold) metallic was used on 300hp '63-'64 390s. I could go on but it'd be a bore since I've covered this pretty thoroughly on Vintage T-bird Club Int'l's message boards.
Having worked on them when fairly new, I fold black to be a real pain when chasing oil leaks. For restorations, paint it black with gold valve covers. For common sense, paint it a lighter color to check for oil leaks, because it will.
The Jalopy Journal
