I believe that the original color was hunter green...there was lots of variety back then, I could tell partly by the collection of broken flathead blocks in Blair's back shop, black, red, yellow, original hunter green...I agree with the argument that back then guys didn't worry much about painting the block, not much money so just start the machine work and bolt in and on your speed stuff...
My 41 ( originally my Grandpa's from new to 49 ) had a souped up flathead - it was always the factory green color - of course the speed heads were alloy and the Hexagon intake was alloy color - he probably just fit them and did not paint them the green color. My 41 is keeping the same color scheme as grandpa ran in the 40s - factory green except for heads and intake. Most of the regular guys built them to run, not show, which is probaly why most reatined their factory colors on the blocks at least. This is not to say they did not take care of their machines, but they were dual purpose cars to get to school , work and then bomb round the area for fun. Can't beat the factory colors! let us know what you decide. Best, John
The best book I have seen on the subject would be " the birth of hot rodding - the story of the dry lakes era" by Robert Genat and Dan Cox. A remarkable collection of color slide photos taken mostly in 1946 & 1947. kodachrome tells the truth, most are RED.
The engine in my roadster was bright red. i stripped all the paint off of it and found several paint jobs underneath.... another red, a yellow, and a white. It's now going to be dark maroon to match the wheels and some suspensions components. The engine in my sedan is stock ford green. The 8BA behind the sedan is also Ford green including the Offy heads and Fenton intake. personally, I like the green best. i think Neals engine is beauty and the color actually goes with about any traditional, old style color.
I completely forgot, but I have that book too. Yeah, I would say red, followed by black, and a light silver/grey color. Most of those lakes racers had hoods on them, so you didn't see the engine much, except when they were wrenching. Great photos in that book, some are so clear they look like they were taken yesterday.
Thanks for posting, definately more variety in colors as the years progressed 54-59. I'm definately going with either the green or the blue...mine is an 8ba block, so probably keep it stock and go blue....however i'm putting the 59a heads on it... That does look cool !!! Well did I get my answer....I think so. It would probably be safe to say that the average Joe, who took parts from a later model car to put into his '32 probably just left the color of the block alone. However, those who had the means, red was a popular choice, along with other colors such as gold/bronze and black...
Here is my '34 with a gold flattie. There are some better pics in my profile album. I don't have any good ones on my phone. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Before WW 2 and the period just after engines were brush painted. Spray can paint only got popular about 53 to 55. Expensive too. about 1.50 a can............. Not much to paint on a Flathead if you had aluminum intake and heads. My Currently FH is yellow.In the past 6 or so decades they were the colors blue, gold, green,copper and one time flat black as the machine shop told me that flat black cooled better. I think the real reason I was told this so I would not see the oil and water leaks. Any way they showed up on my dad's dirt drive way.
My first car was a 49 Ford coupe. I managed to destroy the first engine and Dad found another FH in a junkyard. (We called them junkyards in the 60's.) He had some silver paint that he brought home from work , it was free, it was there, so I had silver engine.
By percentages throughout the years, stock green would probably win...then red, gold and a hundred various shades of every color imaginable ( in the day ).
Started my first project in 1956/57. It was a Model A Banger and I painted the engine copper with a spray can. (It was a bad choice, but I was young) Next came a 40 with a 59L block. Car was red and as was the engine. I also had a 33 with a flathead that was Ford green. i built a flathead and painted it yellow in 59. Most of the flatheads i built (there were many) I painted Ford green. I think red was most popular a****st my buddies but I tended to go with the Ford green color. If I had to take a guess as to the color of a flathead at the lakes in the fifties I would guess red.
Very true, I read once that many early hot rodders painted their engines light colors specifically to aid in finding/monitoring leakage.
Just found out that my block is a '49 so I'm going to stick with the Dark Blue color, I will post some pics as soon as I have some !!
Don't have any pics to prove it but the 3/4 flatty block in my 48 coupe was white and the fin tips were red on the heads and fuel block,chrome generator cover,chrome water tubes, polished br*** rad. top,2 chrome air cleaners and to top it off the firewall was painted white also. Oh and red plastic fuel lines too. It was spectacular..
I remember red as being the color of choice for a hopped up flathead in the late fifties. Today, I like gold or copper and sometimes a green color looks good on a motor with stock heads.
The biggest difference (error) I see in stock vs. 'restored' engines is level of gloss and thickness of paint. T, A, & B blocks (presumably V8s as well) were painted with a very thin coat of paint. Said paint had little gloss. Here's a photo of an NOS cylinder head to illustrate;
This old block (hotrodded many years ago) was medium red. We painted it the same color when we rebuilt it. .
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