Hi, I've done a search of the archives, and it appears that the
consensus is that the 235 engine used in trucks was painted gray.
However, I recall the (original as far as I know) engine in my first 59
being "blue" when I rebuilt it in 1977, and the engine from my (very
original) 57 Suburban also appears to be "blue". But the "blue" color
seems to be more like the greenish grayish blueish color that Chevy used
on truck engines in the 60s, not the light blue as used in the mid
70s-mid 80s, nor the blue that was used on car 6 cylinder engines in the
50s.
Of course I should be able to just look at the paint on the engine, and
see what color it is, right? It's not that easy! The only places that
still have paint are where it is covered with dirt and oil, and it
appears that the paint changes colors somewhat under these conditions.
It really is impossible to tell if it is gray, green, or blue...it could
be any, or a combination of all three colors.
Is there any solid info on what color a late 50s 235 1/2 ton pickup
truck engine really ought to be painted?
On a side note, I just picked up the Bill Fisher 6 cyl Speed Secrets
book, a reprint of the 1954 edition. What fun! As we're assembling
Gary's 235, we used a tip from the book and changed the direction that
the lower timing cover bolts go in, they now are 3/8" bolts going in
from the outside, so the pan won't have to come off to change the cam.
Jim F
59s in AZ
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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