Correct Engine Color

[O2sled]

Hey guys I was getting ready to paint my engine "73 302" and was wanting to make sure it is the correct color for the year. It looks like it was orginally the dark Ford Blue, but the PO had covered it up with the lighter old ford blue.
So what is the correct color for a 73 302?
From what I have found in rattle cans...



VHT Engine Enamel Numbers
1. New Ford Blue (light blue) SP138 New Ford Blue
2. Old Ford Blue (this is a shade between #1 & #2) SP134 Ford Light Blue
3. Dark Ford Blue SP125 Ford Dark Blue

 

[Kyle.malone]

Standard Ford Blue. You can find it at any autozone or Oreilly's.

 

[DirtDonk]

Your '73 should be the Dark Blue. However, there is some variation there too. Seems to me that for awhile there was a VERY dark blue color that was used, but that was a bit darker than the old "dark blue" that I'm familiar with.
At any rate, Ford went from light to dark sometime around '70, so yours would never have had the earlier lighter of the blues.

Sorry I don't know what each of those part numbers signifies. I'll go check their website out just for curiosity to see if it's obvious.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Interesting. Looks like they may finally be trying to standardize their Ford Blues, but they're not there yet. They have one set of names for the Ceramic lineup, and another for the VHT lineup.
Oh well...

Hopefully some manufacturer or the other will promote some sort of standard. Heck, maybe this is where Ford should step in and clear up the mess.
The last ten years or so have been nothing, if not confusing, when it comes to Ford Blue paints.

Didn't see the SP numbers yet, but in the CE series (Ceramic Engine enamels) they call them "Old Ford Blue" "Ford Blue" and "Dark Ford Blue".
Sort of consistent, but the pictures make the first two look somewhat the same. Seems like the Dark Blue is definitely the much later super dark one that's too dark for an EB engine.

In looking at the VHT Engine colors (no part numbers listed on the page I was viewing), as you mentioned, they have "New Ford Blue", "Dark Ford Blue" and "Light Ford Blue" showing.
I'd say that the "New" is definitely looking too dark. Unlike the ceramic versions then, it looks like like just the "Dark Ford Blue" is the one you need, if you stick with the VHT branded stuff.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Ok, I take back what I just said about them actually trying.
Just went to VHT's website and the little color swatches they show don't look anything like the ones I looked at over on another website.
This sucks.

The site with the larger pics showed a distinctly too-dark shade for the New blue. While on VHT's own site the "New" blue looks similar to the old "Light" blue.
So someone screwed up and put up the wrong image. I'm guessing it was VHT, but I'd hate to have someone paint their engine based on one of my guesses!

Sorry for the confusion sled.
Have you found a site with good (large) color examples?

Paul

 

[O2sled]

I have not found any place except for the VHT website you mentioned. I was going to go with VHT just because it is readily available at the local cut-rate auto parts stores.

You correct on the dark blue color for mine. I got the air cleaner out and it is the darker blue.

I was just wondering what everyone else found to be close to the right color in a high temp paint and if it stayed on for them.

Thanks for the information!!!

 

[DirtDonk]

I've had really good luck with the Dupli-Color Ceramic Engine paint myself.
I really like the way it sprays, and it seems to last pretty well.
Of course, I'm comparing that to some paints that didn't work for crap, but I still like it enough to recommend it.
The VHT brand is now owned by Dupli-Color (or the other way 'round, I can never remember) but the chemistries and formulas and performances would all still be unique to each name. While I've heard generally good things about VHT stuff, I've never used it.

Paul

 

[Jeff76]

I have not found any place except for the VHT website you mentioned. I was going to go with VHT just because it is readily available at the local cut-rate auto parts stores.

You correct on the dark blue color for mine. I got the air cleaner out and it is the darker blue.

I was just wondering what everyone else found to be close to the right color in a high temp paint and if it stayed on for them.

Thanks for the information!!!

I recently used the Duplicolor Dark Ford Blue engine paint on an Oil Pan, and it turned out nice. I originally tried it because of recommendations read on a Mustang board.

 

[O2sled]

THANKS Jeff,
That the type of information I was looking for

 

[rustbucket]

Here you go: http://www.eastwood.com/ew-ceramic-engine-paint-qt-66-80-ford-dk-bl.html