Engine color ???

[oscar]

Hey Trying to decide what color the engine in my 52 special should be someone painted it gray and the valve cover black.

someone told me blue? is that the hole engine or just the block?

Thanks

Oscar

[Joseph P. Indusi]

Buick straight eight engines from 1942 to 1953 (Special only) were painted turquoise. This includes the block, front cover, side and valve cover and intake manifold.

Joe, BCA 33493

[Guest NikeAjax]

A very close match is "Ford Green", sometimes also called "Apple Green" too! (I prefer apples myself!)

Jaybird

[Guest sconnors]

Here's a picture of my 1950 Buick Special engine

[buick man]

Yes, Sconnor has it right. It is not apple green. It is not blue. It is not one of the current Hirsch colors either as his is too green. It is however, a delicate blended rendering of a sky blue turquoise.

Do some checking around with photos on the net. Try and find original cars or "preservation" cars that still have the OEM paint left on the engine. Because most "restoration" cars have the incorrect hue or wrong color altogether. Try and get an old part that has the paint still on it. That way you can go to your auto local paint jobber and they will match it for you. Use a catalyzed enamel or a urethane.

[oscar]

Thanks for all the replies. it's good to have a source of information like this.

Thank You

Oscar

[buick5563]

Jaybird and Buickman,

He's talking about a straight eight. It's turquoise, not apple green. No disagreement on the current batch of aftermarket nailhead green.

[Cubelodyte]

Here's mine. The original color can be seen on the crankcase below. I didn't take any samples to get a custom-mixed match, but I found a color that was pretty darn close.

I'd also like to reiterate what others have said- the Hirsch color is really too green. Hirsch is supposed to be the end-all of engine paint colors but it doesn't match my original paint at all. And stay away from the CARS paint- that's an even darker green and it looks like it belongs on the V8s, even though they'll tell you it's for a straight eight.

[Cubelodyte]

Also: get the engine-appropriate laser-cut vinyl decals from Bob's- you'll be happy you did. The other decals floating around out there don't look nearly as good (they're just stickers silkscreened on a clear label).

[buick man]

Yeah Mike, that is what we said.

[oscar]

Are the oil filter canisters painted?

mine is not painted just rusty.

I see most are blue and orange.

thanks again for all the info and help.

Oscar

[Cubelodyte]

Yep, they're supposed to be painted in the colors you've noted.

[Guest shadetree77]

Cube, where did you get that paint? Do you remember the brand/color names?

[Cubelodyte]

I'm probably going to be crucified for this, but it isn't a GM color. It's a Mopar enamel, P4120752AB. I purchased a total of seven turquoise rattle-can colors and the Mopar was unquestionably the closest to the extant color on the valve cover, crankcase, and my oil pan (question: were those normally painted the same color as the engine?).

By itself or with Krylon Crystal Clear, it's a tiny bit lighter and bluer than my original paint but I found that the application of a clear engine enamel that dried a little darker than "clear" (I'm pretty sure I used Rust-Oleum 248944, but a nagging little voice in the back of my head is telling me I used Duplicolor DE1636).

It's hard to tell in the picture I attached, but the oil filler cap has been given the clear enamel treatment- the valve and plug covers just have Krylon on 'em. If you saw it in person you'd be able to see that the filler cap is a better match to the color on the crankcase.

[Cubelodyte]

FYI the colors I rejected were:

• Hirsch's Buick Turquoise (too green, as others have noted)
  
• CARS's Buick Turquoise (this was a joke; it was really, really green- it belonged nowhere near a '52 block).
  
• Duplicor "Torque n' Turquoise" (Eye-poppingly loud and bright)
  
• Duplicolor DE 1610 Pontiac Blue
  
• VHT SP122
  

...so I guess it was six colors I tried, not seven. But anyway, there you go.

[60FlatTop]

I have been going through my collection of everything and have some old stock Buford's Engine Paint I plan to list on Ebay.

I opened one of the Buick Green quarts and stirred it real good. This may be the blue-green to make some happy.

This paint is from my grandfathers garage where I worked from 1961-1967 and a short time in the '70's. This paint is from the 1960's, check out the can and the stacked headlights. It has been on a shelf in my garage for close to 30 years. It seems fine and the other quarts are still sealed. I would list it on Ebay for $20 + $8 for shipping. It is a seventh color for Cubelodyte.

[1957buickjim]

Cube, another color choice that I thought was pretty close (to the 57 364 Engine) is the TIP Tools POR15 Buick Green (for the V8), and a Buick Turquoise for the Straight 8. Seems to hold up very well and coloration to me for my 57 matched quite well. Not too green, more of a bluish tint. So, here's another option. And, by the way, it is POR15, so it can be painted over rusty surfaces as well and sticks like no other once it cures, as well as is tough as iron.