'63 Riv 401 torque converter cover

[JanZverina]

Quick question on a '63 Riv w/ a 401: Was the torque converter cover painted silver or left unpainted from the factory?

[Turbinator]

Jan, I have many reasons to believe my 63 was pretty much the same as when it left the factory. Now I could be wrong but my torque converter cover was silver. 
I’ve got a lift and spend more time under the car than I want to admit. I noticed it was silver when I first got the car and nothing was done to the car. But, there are others who probably have better proof what the converter looked like when it left the factory.

[RivNut]

Are the Wildcats and Electra Buick Green?  I’d say that because the transmissions came from the transmission plant rather than the engine plant, and transmissions were not painted, then the inspection cover would not be painted either.

[JanZverina]

Good question and observations. My trans shows no signs of being painted and neither does the inspection/converter cover.

-Jan

 

[RivNut]

Another scenario would be that when transmissions were mated to the transmission, the cover was not installed until after the torque converter was bolted to the flex plate.  Covers were probably on a shelf and installed later.  Not knowing which engines were coming down the line, pans were not painted because they were not “assigned” to a specific engine.  They were just a parts bin item.