Hi all, I havn't posted in forever, but check in time to time, anyway, I have a question. What is the original correct paint code for engine gray in my half ton 1956 chevy pickup with its original strait 6 235? Gray is the only trace of color I found on the engine, trans, bellhousing, etc.. so I gather it should be a gray of some sort. I am finally getting to rebuilding it, (my uncle picked up the parts to bring them to get cooked out and machined last weekend) and need to know what color paint to get in the near future. PPG codes would be nice, as that is what I have used in the past and what I can get locally. OMNI is what I believe I have used without going to look at the can. (but at this point any codes would be a start, keep reading) ps-I have asked this on other sites and not really gotten an answer, It sounds like most people buy there paint from one of the various magazines, etc.. selling them, but in this case I would rather support my local paint supplier store and simutaniously skip the shipping and hazerdous material costs. But I cant find anyone that knows the paint codes?! Someone must have them right? They cant be that top secret, its not like I want to know the secret 11 herbs and spices or cokes recipie or anything Otherwise, what did you all use (that is original in this case, sorry...) Can anyone help? Thanks in advance, Feel free to email me too if you'd like jacoba.swanson@gmail.com Thanks, Jacob
bought a can from a resto place, it's kind of grayish blue....for a 57 engine in a 59 truck. I have a bit over half a quart left, but I don't want to mail it.
Thanks for the response squirrel. I apreciate the pics. I know different years were differnt colors, that is why I ask about a 56 235 specifically. The color on my engine,trans etc appears to be more of a gray than a blue, and as far as I can tell hasn't been repainted... This is the general answer I have been getting, everyone bought a can from someplace else, and no one knows what the codes are But thanks anyway, I still appreciate it. Any other suggestions on where to find the codes? I have feelers out at chevys of the 40's, chevytalk.org, and plan to go over to stovebolt.com next. I never thought this part of the restoration would be so hard!
The engine in a 56 should be gray, no blue color, more of a battleship gray. http://books.google.com/books?id=Sl...lient=firefox-a&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0
I know which grey you are talking about, it was on my 216 when I bought my car. I used rattle can engine paint from autozone and the closest match I found I believe was called "ford grey"
If you can find someone with some leftover paint that's the right color for a 56, see if they'll slosh some on a piece of metal and mail it to you...have your local paint shop match it. I hear they have a spiffy machine now that can look at a sample and spit out a perfect formula.
Thanks henry, thats what I thought about the color and what I have heard from other people too, but the color and code is still a mystery, So far the HAMB has been the most help though I thought of that option squirrel, but would really prefer to get back to the source and have the original code that the paint started from, and cut out the middle man, but this is always a last resort option. There had to be a code to begin with right? WHERE IS IT?? Thanks again for the help all!
Not necessarily, it was probably mixed by a paint store to match what was left on an old engine. The paint store made a deal with the resto place to sell them a lot of cans of paint of that color. engine paint would not have shown up in a paint code book.
You are right I believe squirrel, there are no known engine paint codes. (at least at the sites that should know this kind of thing) The best option that I know of from all my research today is to break down and buy some from a vendor. I would have never guessed it would be this hard to find "engine gray" in a code. If I had known this I would have matched a paint to the reminants I had on the block. tranny, etc... before I stripped it all down. I guess I have to learn some things the hard way... So I guess unless someone comes up with some amazing old documentation, my next step is to ask, WHICH supplier of 56 engine gray paint should I go with?? Any advice? Thanks again for the replies everyone, I appriciate it! Jacob
You should register vat the VCCA club site. Those guys know all the answers . Anyway you can get what u want from The Filling Station http://www.fillingstation.com Dedicated to chevies and they have a link to Chevy Chatter. The VCCA chat room
You see the dark gray on those 6's in the foreground? That's what I think I see under the grease and dirt on the 6 in the original '55 second series in my driveway.
I checked out the filling station and they seem to have the best description of how they came to there engine gray color here http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb...~S2PG0R5W9Q69179317414a~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000014x Any other recomendation as to sources of engine gray paint? Any good, bad, ugly stories for various suppliers? Thanks again all!
In other words, there's no way to get the right color, so you might as well buy some Ford Grey krylon engine paint and have at it!
Here are more pics from the LIFE magazine photo archive of the Chevrolet Factory in Tarrytown, NY showing blue 235s: Tarrytown Chevy factory circa 1959 I have used 'cast iron gray' on both my 235 and 261.
All the 6s in the pictures there that have normal lighting, are blue. And they ran trucks on that line.
The Jalopy Journal
