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Old 08-28-2018, 09:08 AM   #1
arc40s
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Default engine colors

Please advise what the correct engine block colors for
37-41 Ford
42 Ford
46-48 Ford
49-53 Ford
thanks
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Old 08-28-2018, 10:03 AM   #2
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Default Re: engine colors

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Originally Posted by arc40s View Post
Please advise what the correct engine block colors for
37-41 Ford GREEN
42 Ford BLUE ?
46-48 Ford BLUE
49-53 Ford BRONZE
thanks
This is for cars trucks are different.
I think Van Pelts website also has that info
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Old 08-28-2018, 01:44 PM   #3
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Default Re: engine colors

I rebuilt a 53 V8 in a Customline that I assumed had the original paint on it. It looked orange but believe it is called "Ford Red". The paint all came off at the machine shop and then repainted it with Bill Hirsch's rattlecans. Hirsch calls it Ford Orange but I think most still call it Ford Red. I can't comment on any other years or colors.
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Old 08-28-2018, 02:05 PM   #4
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Default Re: engine colors

I looked at the Bill Hirsch site and he sells this Ford Orange color for both 52 and 53 motors. I have not researched this.
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Old 08-28-2018, 02:12 PM   #5
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Default Re: engine colors

Also, I believe that early '49 engines are blue.

Last edited by tubman; 08-28-2018 at 03:07 PM.
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Old 08-28-2018, 02:53 PM   #6
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Default Re: engine colors

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1952 and 1953 engines correct engine color is orange.
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Old 08-28-2018, 03:18 PM   #7
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Default Re: engine colors

Bill Hirsch paint has many paint colors and are very helpful, even sent me so color samples!
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Old 08-28-2018, 03:19 PM   #8
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Default Re: engine colors

Sorry so should be some. Senior moment!
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Old 08-28-2018, 03:32 PM   #9
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Default Re: engine colors

And here I was thinking the factory color for flatheads was rust..
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Old 08-28-2018, 03:45 PM   #10
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Default Re: engine colors

I had a bone stock original 50 pickup and the engine was red . At least it was where there was still paint on it.
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Old 08-28-2018, 05:17 PM   #11
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Default Re: engine colors

The 1942 was green at least mine is. Maybe because of the war they had left over 41 engines. The few 42's I have seen, they have been green. You don't see that many.
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Old 08-28-2018, 10:21 PM   #12
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Default Re: engine colors

my 42 Merc motor in my picup is darker blue than the normal Ford Blue. 29A
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Old 08-29-2018, 07:19 AM   #13
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Default Re: engine colors

51 ford engines should be bronze.
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Old 08-29-2018, 08:27 AM   #14
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Default Re: engine colors

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Originally Posted by 42guy View Post
The 1942 was green at least mine is. Maybe because of the war they had left over 41 engines. The few 42's I have seen, they have been green. You don't see that many.
Correct you are.
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Old 08-29-2018, 09:24 AM   #15
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Default Re: engine colors

Ford used that dark green on all 221 engines with a possible exception to the 41A replacement blocks beginning in late 1944. The early 1939 Mercury and truck 239 engines were still the dark green but had the 99 stamped to ID them at Ford plants in the USA. Canadian ones had a 99 casting number on them at least in the early 99A production. They later changed all the 239 engines to the dark blue color to more easily ID them during the vehicle assembly process. The blue stuck around till the end of the 59 era and on into the 8BA for a little while.

Ford changed colors in the 8BA era. 239 engines started out red in 1948 for truck production and all trucks remained that way till 1952 when they went green. The Ford cars started out dark blue in 1949 then changed to bronze in late 49 thru 51. They went tangerine or red in 52 & 53. Mercury 255 engine were green from 1949 thru 51 at least. I'm not as sure on the 52 & 53 Mercury cars Ford seemingly went to green on a lot of engines in those last two years of the flathead.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 08-29-2018 at 09:29 AM.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:10 PM   #16
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Default Re: engine colors

I have a 47 Ford, a week after I bought it I had the Flathead rebuilt when it came back from the builder it was painted green, and I got used to it, so when I cleaned up the engine compartment I decided to refresh the green color over going back to Ford Blue, it just looked a lot cleaner to me.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../400166722.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../403963253.jpg
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:34 PM   #17
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Default Re: engine colors

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Originally Posted by rotorwrench View Post
Ford used that dark green on all 221 engines with a possible exception to the 41A replacement blocks beginning in late 1944. The early 1939 Mercury and truck 239 engines were still the dark green but had the 99 stamped to ID them at Ford plants in the USA. Canadian ones had a 99 casting number on them at least in the early 99A production. They later changed all the 239 engines to the dark blue color to more easily ID them during the vehicle assembly process. The blue stuck around till the end of the 59 era and on into the 8BA for a little while.

Ford changed colors in the 8BA era. 239 engines started out red in 1948 for truck production and all trucks remained that way till 1952 when they went green. The Ford cars started out dark blue in 1949 then changed to bronze in late 49 thru 51. They went tangerine or red in 52 & 53. Mercury 255 engine were green from 1949 thru 51 at least. I'm not as sure on the 52 & 53 Mercury cars Ford seemingly went to green on a lot of engines in those last two years of the flathead.

This seems about as right as it gets. But i thought vanpelts had a link as well. might be more a yr to yr search.
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/f...0to125late.htm
vanpelt addressing the yr it changed. reading not definitive.

Another reference. http://www.telusplanet.net/public/bb...olour_list.htm

Bronze was a nice choice of color, too me anyway.

More random stuff in no order ... The true early green color is debatable. Bill Hirsch has great paint. But I think Roys paint is closer as far as the early green goes. Blue picked up into the yblocks but was a light blue.

It seems like something that could be more available easily from research and documentation???. With obvious exceptions for yr overlap.

Last edited by Tinker; 09-01-2018 at 12:14 AM.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:51 PM   #18
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Default Re: engine colors

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Originally Posted by 34pickup View Post
And here I was thinking the factory color for flatheads was rust..

A color I don't mind.
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Old 09-01-2018, 08:12 AM   #19
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Default Re: engine colors

My pop bought an old 49 F1 at a farm sale when I was a kid. The previous owner liked the bronze color so much that he painted the whole truck that color. It stood out so that everyone in the county knew who owned it. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes not.
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Old 09-01-2018, 09:53 AM   #20
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Default Re: engine colors

I had a '79 Ranchero Squire that was a unique, very recognizable vehicle. When I put it up for sale, the "Town Drunk" just had to have it. It did not end well for him.
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:16 AM   #21
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Default Re: engine colors

My first car was a 49 ford convertible and engine was BLUE. purchased in October of 49. Had to order and wait for delivery, took about 6 weeks.
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Old 09-06-2018, 10:27 AM   #22
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Default Re: engine colors

These threads are always so strange to me. My grandpa bought my F1 brand new in '51. Well actually it was an F2 but we made it into an F1 because you can't buy the long box beds.
Anyway, we pulled the 8BA for a rebuild, and it was red. Like dark red, not even orange-ish. He had never pulled the engine since new, and it only had 40,000miles on it. I painted it red again, and have had multiple people tell me it's the wrong color...LOL
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Old 09-06-2018, 12:54 PM   #23
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Default Re: engine colors

The pickups & trucks with the 239 were red from 1948 up through 1951 at least. They went green in 52. The 52 & 53 Ford cars went to the tangerine (kind of an orange color). The red color for the trucks was same as used on Ford tractors of the late 40s & 50s. My Pop had a 52 F3 and it had the green color when new. It's a very close color to the 49 thru 51 Mercury green.
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Old 09-10-2018, 01:00 AM   #24
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Default Re: engine colors

In Canada the 48-52 trucks were delivered with a beige engine colour. I have tried to find out what the exact colour is, but that information appears to be lost in time.
I contacted Ford heritage Canada but they were unable to find any record of the actual colour used.

In Canada only the V8s were sold. Ford supplied the Canadian military and part of the military spec was that only V8s could be supplied.
Its my belief the beige colour was actually a desert tan camouflage colour matching the military spec at the time.

Today it's typical to use Cummins beige if you are rebuilding a Canadian flathead from that era.

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Old 09-10-2018, 11:26 AM   #25
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Default Re: engine colors

For that beige color, I would suggest checking into the beige color that was used on the Ford tractors in the mid to late 50s and possibly the 8N too. Some folks use light gray or off white but many were actually a beige color with the red belly & running gear. The correct color for them is available from some of the 8N, NAA, & hundred series tractor parts vendors. Tisco TP245SP is the rattle can color. They call it Ford gray and in some cases it is referred to as brownish gray but it is beige in my book.
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Old 09-11-2018, 08:29 AM   #26
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Default Re: engine colors

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Is this the correct "bronze" color? Engine is 53 8BA.
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Old 09-12-2018, 02:29 PM   #27
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Default Re: engine colors

rotowrench,


I've looked at that Ford tractor color in the past. Its an odd grey that can sometimes look almost green under different lighting. I don't believe its what was used on the Canadian V8s from 48-52.


Attached is a picture I made up showing the largest sample of original paint beige that I have. Its been cleaned with soap and water only. Next to it is a cummins beige paint cap for comparison.




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Old 09-12-2018, 02:31 PM   #28
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Default Re: engine colors

Canadian V8 engine color with Cummins Beige Reference
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Old 09-12-2018, 03:47 PM   #29
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Default Re: engine colors

I find the same problem with the lighter green color used on 49/51 Mercury & Some of the Lincoln engines. I need to try the Bill Hirsch Lincoln/Mercury light green. The stuff the others sell is not quite the same as the old original color that was still on my engines originally. It seems a tad bit more blue and a point of shade lighter. Grease coatings can discolor it some since it tends to yellow it a bit but the non-coated OEM paint is generally faded pretty bad so it's somewhere in between. I've seen that beige color on the Canadian engines/transmissions. The transmission stays in the shade but it gets a lot more oil/dirt residue just due to where it is. It seems like the best examples are from the paint remaining on the top rear of the engine where the crud isn't as bad but you never know.

I wanted to add this link: https://www.sheltonclassics.com/vehi...ord-8n-tractor
It's a good Tisco TP245SP brownish light gray color representation. Colors do vary though. Even back when the tractors were new, they would vary slightly from one model year to another.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 09-12-2018 at 04:18 PM.
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Old 09-13-2018, 03:00 AM   #30
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Default Re: engine colors

Quote:
Originally Posted by 34pickup View Post
And here I was thinking the factory color for flatheads was rust..
Greasy black?
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Old 04-24-2021, 03:12 AM   #31
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Default Re: engine colors

Here are some shots of the '53-'54 Flathead I am working on at the moment . Being an Australian delivery the engine is Canadian sourced. The colour on the block and the sump and pictures attached appears similar to that in pictures above in this thread. It does appear to be more white than beige. Any further thoughts on the Canadian paint spec?


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Old 05-06-2021, 03:40 PM   #32
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Default Re: engine colors

1949 8BA passenger car was blue (so was the bell housing)

The color was changed to that bronze, gold, copper whatever, for 1950. I don't kn0w what they did for the bellhousing.

Bronze for 49 is a geezer memory without documentation.

'41 Geezer
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Old 05-16-2021, 11:18 AM   #33
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Default Re: engine colors

Were any early flatheads painted with the lighter green color?
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Old 05-16-2021, 12:14 PM   #34
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I don't know anything about other years or models, just my '49. That was bad enough.

My Grand niece Moved to Sidney from Seattle. She loves Australia and Australians. Me too.
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