Art & Inspiration What color SBC?

I'm about to bring home the 47 Ford Tudor I scored, and I'm going to ready a 350 small block race motor I have for street duty on the probability that the old flattie will crap itself eventually.
I'm going to build with the era of 1960-1966, typical high school kid's 47 Tudor hot rod. Most of us in those days would have had to live with the flattie, but I remember some SBC hot rods then.
I've read enough on search to know that most of this high schooler's money would have gone for the lump in the first place, and bling would have been very slight. I rode a bicycle, or bummed rides through high school, I never had enough money for a car until I got a job and started junior college.
Now, since I graduated in 66, I remember a lot of red engines, a few gold, some GM orange. It depended on whether it was a Caddie, or Olds, or what.
I'm leaning toward red. Whatsayyou? What color would the engine probably have been?
Stock valve covers? I don't remember seeing a lot of aluminum valve covers until into the 70's.
I'm thinking of taking my Torker manifold and painting it to match the engine. And... of course, a small cap distributor.
I was into muscle cars when I graduated, and didn't get into real hot rods until I came home from the Army in 69. By then it was getting kind of goofy. But I ran around with guys that were into early rods when we were in school. I wish I had paid more attention.
When the flatty dies, I will stick in the belly button in front of the original three speed, and rear end. I have no intention of dogging this car, I crew on a winged sprint car, and get my joneses there. I love the discussions on the Hamb...if I could, I'd buy enough beer for us all to get together and do some face to face bench racing. I feel like I have friends all over the country.
Thanks, Mike

 

Chebby orange!

As the saying goes...Where were you in '62? A friend of my dads wrecked his '65 vette in 1965. My dad got the 396 that was in it. I could tell you the rest of the story, but since the rule around here is pre '64....it will have to wait until another day.

I voted chevy orange....gotta pay homage.

 

I painted my engine red because it had been orange for 20 years. It looks good but I will paint all my Chevy engines orange from now on.

It just looks right...

 

regardless of ablsolute correctness, I vote orange
http://www.cs.siena.edu/~lederman/truck/Documents/danroyEngineColors/danroyVCCAcolor.html

 

Mike,All the engines we built during the 60s were painted Chevy Orange...and believe it or not ,we sold many sets of Alum Valve covers.mosty Edelbrock and Offy.

 

Bobby,
Could the typical high school kid afford them? If so, I'm going for an old school no name set with orange between the fins!

 

Mike,yes they could,,remember in the 60s,,a pair only cost like 20.00...we sold a complete 3-2 manif,carbs,linkage and air cleaners for 125 to 145 dollars...new manif,Offy or eEdelbrock,rebuilt 97s,Eelco linkage and Cal Custom Aircleaners..
and I forgot to mention the fuel block and lines.

 

I once painted a SBC with spray cans (I don't remember the brand) it came out pink. From then on it was black. I am working on a '56 Sedan Delivery now. Exterior is red. I'd like to be traditional and go orange, but I think the red and orange would clash.

Now that I responded, I will take you up on the beer. I don't get to Dallas but have a sister in Houston. If I fly there will you drop by for a cold one?

 

Chevy orange on every SBC but I would use a Ford Blue SBF in that car.

 

Bobby, there's been three concussions, and a lot of recreational pharmaceutics
since Motley last went cruising by......That's why I'm depending on you guys to provide what my short term memory has lost. Thanks

 

High school kid in 60's? Chevy orange with oil leaks and built up oily film!!!LOL

 

I painted my '48 satin black w/red dash and wheels. Didn't want the chebby orange to klash like gearhead said, so I went with F@&D Red POR 15 (Brush on). turned out great!
I have had Caterpillar yellow, black, blue and red. It's all in what you want and like.

 

All mine are Chevy orange

 

painted a sbf chevy orange,,,made it run better....
painted a 331 hemi chevy orange ...made it look better...

 

i vote gold here is mine.

 

Glendale!
Love that aircleaner! You make that!?!

 

Send me the flattie, I'll send you a case of spray-paint, your choice!

 

I'm a Pontiac guy but I race a Chevy. When I had my Oddy engine built Billy at Oddy's was going to paint it black, I was leaning towards '67 Pontiac Silver-Blue Metallic (cool color look it up). However I just couldn't get myself to paint it any color other than Chevy Orange!

Just my opinion but it's kinda sacrilegious to paint it any other color.

 

I am partial to gold, silver, black, white and other traditional colors rather than the stock chevy orange or the red offset.

I think it depends a LOT on what color the car will be, but I just think it adds some uniqueness to an otherwise somewhat boring engine. I would definitely add finned valve covers and maybe a mushroom style chrome breather for nice clean looks and paint the fin area engine block color. Oh yea, no name valve covers I like. But the original or new polished Edelbrock finned covers with the curved logo would be pretty hard to pass up.

 

Mines copper color, everyone including myself likes it!lol

 

chevy orange ! we ran corvette valve covers since the '50's ............

 

thanks man. kinda made it kinda stole the idea.i really wanted the old school mushroom style. but could not bring myself to break bread on one. so then i saw a thread on here about how in the old days guys would use these. so i went on ebay and bought one and bolted it all together.it is an old cake cover. i picked up a used aircleaner at a swap that would slip inside of. the mushroom style was like 80 bucks. i think i am into mine probably twenty.if you want i can take it apart and snap pics but i doubt you would need me to. it was like a two minute deal.

 

Here is my driver 54 in Chevy orange.

 

Look at that! Isn't it a thing of beauty!

 

" I remember a lot of red engines, a few gold, some GM orange...
I'm leaning toward red. Whatsayyou? ...
Stock valve covers? I don't remember seeing a lot of aluminum valve covers until into the 70's. ..."

I am liking the gold that Glendale posted. If I had a budget to work from, I would have painted my chevy motors Gold. But in reality, my motors, like upspirate said, were " Chevy orange with oil leaks and built up oily film". Honest motors get us to work and back ...dontchaknow.
Aluminum valve covers were cheap back then ( I remember Corvette valve covers at 11.00 ea) but they were not the highest priority. A velocity stack and dual point distributor were first on my list.
Orange, on top of an accumulation of 40 weight Quaker State.
All the best,
Dale
Cleveland OH

 

My dad used to say you can paint your motor what ever color you want as long as its black! That being said I've always liked Chevy orange, but engines like glendale's make me love gold too!

With it being a Ford I would want to steer away from the Orange. I blacked mine out for my Plymouth, and I'm very pleased with the results, I would only change to gold (if I was gonna change at all)!

I used to have the orange/black combo...the engine was built for a 66 impala, but never made it back in there before the car was sold! When my 283 floated an exhaust valve I had to throw the 360 in there.




As far as period correct, I wasn't born till the way past OT time! So all I know is what I've learned here! I'm sure my valve covers are too late but their the best I can afford at this time.

 

The color YOU like.......!

 

old & oily?

 

Red is actually correct for a 56. 55 was orange, 56 was red and back to orange from 57-77

I voted gold, Its just something different. I agree with everyone that said " do what make you happy!"

 

If you are going to make it look like a poor high school kid did it then don't even paint it. Leave it ugly. There is an old saying "Long on motor,short on looks." I am your age and my first car engine was painted with a can of hardware store enamel with a brush.