51 super engine bay restoration questions

[chevy_dude97]

Unfortunately my motor has been painted non factory colors.
I have ordered the turquoise paint from hersch and the cast grey what components get these colors?
what components attaching to the motor will I need to paint black?
I figure the block/heads/vlv covers will all be the turq color.
And suspension/brakes/exhaust will be cast color. Is the intake painted turq? do the brackets all get the same?
Also the plug wire cover appears to have been chrome plated, should this be painted or chrome?
All of the tubing is bare metal?
I also have a bunch of pics here if anyone can point out other non factor items that don't match era.

[Pete Phillips]

Spark plug cover should be turquoise like the engine block. Intake manifold should be engine color. Brackets should be semi-gloss black, unless they are bolted through an engine gasket, and then those should be engine color. Brake backing plates and suspension should be semi-gloss black. Oil filter cannister should be blue (not the same shade as the engine) with an A-C orange top.
What is the round thing attached to your firewall? Looks like some sort of vacuum pump???
Pete Phillips, BCA #7338
Leonard, TX.
1949 model 59
1949 model 71
1949 model 51
1950 model 76-R
1954 model 48-D
1959 Electra 2-dr. ht.
1962 Electra 225 4-dr. ht.
1963 Wildcat conv.

[chevy_dude97]

What is the round thing attached to your firewall? Looks like some sort of vacuum pump???

That's a marvel inverse oiler. And thanks on the info.

[First Born]

dude97, the black on your engine seems to be normal for an engine of these years. Buick must have painted them black then overpainted with the turquoise. Too bad the turquoise did not last as well as the black underneath. My '50s both look that way, with reminents of the turquoise.
Nice car, by the way.

Ben

[chevy_dude97]

dude97, the black on your engine seems to be normal for an engine of these years. Buick must have painted them black then overpainted with the turquoise. Too bad the turquoise did not last as well as the black underneath. My '50s both look that way, with reminents of the turquoise.
Nice car, by the way.

Ben

Thanks for the insight Ben.


Another thought I was repainting the firewall items, and it seems that the paint is very thin in some spots, what do you guys think should I color sand then clear coat, or prime and repaint with the Barton Grey? I was kinda liking the clear idea as I want to put a couple things that make it my car like the radiator(I know it was painted) I just scuffed the brass, it looked so cool I decided to shoot some cleared over it. Turned out pretty cool, its clean and yet looks antique.

[chevy_dude97]

Here are some pics how the radiator end cap turned out. does anyone know if the overflow spout can be replaced? Or would I have to replace the whole cap assembly on the end tank?

[First Born]

I would think a radiator shop can replace it. Have you had the radiator cleaned/rodded? if not, might be a good time to have it done.

Ben

[shadetree77]

I think Ben's right about the black primer coat. My entire engine is black where the turquoise should be. As for the overflow tube, when I took my radiator out for cleaning/rodding my original metal tube broke in half. Then I was able to remove the rest of it by gently wiggling it back and forth until it slid out of the hole in the filler neck. It looked to me like it was soldered into place at the neck and on the top of the tank so you might be able to bend a new piece of tubing and solder it on. I was going to do that until the radiator shop informed me my filler neck was cracked and had to be replaced. It was a simple thing for them to do and only cost me $5. However, the new neck has a nipple on it for a rubber hose instead of a hole for a metal tube so it's no longer possible for me to replace the original tube.

[1957buickjim]

Robert,

Why couldn't you expand the ID of the copper overflow tube and solder it right over the nipple on the filler neck? The solder job does not have to be body quality (look at how the factory job backets are attached) It should then work and look just the same as original. Just my thoughts on it.

[shadetree77]

True, I didn't consider expanding the ID. It might be possible. I'll have to take a closer look at just how big around that nipple is. Truth be told, it really did bother me that I couldn't put a metal tube back on. You rarely see the metal tube in place on these cars and I thought it stood out as being a truly original piece. It even still had the wire wrapped around it that used to hold the red antifreeze tag on from the factory! What tool would I use to expand the ID of a small piece of tubing?

[chevy_dude97]

True, I didn't consider expanding the ID. It might be possible. I'll have to take a closer look at just how big around that nipple is. Truth be told, it really did bother me that I couldn't put a metal tube back on. You rarely see the metal tube in place on these cars and I thought it stood out as being a truly original piece. It even still had the wire wrapped around it that used to hold the red antifreeze tag on from the factory! What tool would I use to expand the ID of a small piece of tubing?

My guess is something like this. 900 Series Condenser Tube Expander,900 Series Condenser Tube Expander Manufacturers

[51dyno]

St.8 replacement engines were painted Black:

[chevy_dude97]

St.8 replacement engines were painted Black:

Yeah that's what I thought, kind of like the blue target chevy motors.
The only thing is the motor has turq patches and after I removed the generator and all the grime the lower half of the block was still turq.

Was the replacement motors from the dealerships? they could have painted over before install... Oh well she is back to some what natural colors lol.

Now with the Air cleaner on the pass side do the vlv cover stickers still go on that side?

[First Born]

Yes

[Erik]

St.8 replacement engines were painted Black:

Would that also count for an un-numbered replacement block, if the engine was rebuilt?