engine paint colors

M

Model A Apprentice

Member
Does anyone know if there was a second shade of Ford green for engine paint?

I have found references that speak of "two shades of green paint." The passage goes on to say that "only the darker shade is in production today".

The engine color on my 31 roadster is much lighter than the paints I have found. I would like to stay with the existing color if I can find it.
 
I have read somewhere that "Engine Green" was made from waste paint and the exact colour was not to any given standard. Any original "Engine Green" that I have found, and it was in bad shape, was a dark green somewhat like Brewster Green. I have also heard of a blue being used, but I have never seen any. Hope this is a help.
 
It has been documented by people writing for the Standards that the color could slightly vary however, the lattitude was very, very slight. In personally seeing several original unmolested Model 'A's, the color was the same basic shade.

What I am having trouble understanding from what Model A Apprentice is saying is whether he feels his engine color is original to the engine and authentic, --or whether he is trying to match what a restorer/rebuilder painted within the past decate or so. I am going to go out on a limb and say that if you feel like your paint is the original paint, I would ask you how thick it is on the engine? All original engines and NOS pieces that I have seen looked like it had one coat of "water consistancy" paint sprayed on. Maybe others have seen original paint thicker but it always appeared to me that it was so thin it made you wonder how it even protected against rust.

As for Ford engine Green in production today, IMO any varying shade you want of that color is still in production because it is as close as a paint jobber who can mix paint. For me personally, I use my own formula that was taken from Roy Nacewicz ( fordbolts.com ) paint. Many years ago when he worked at Ford, he was able to match his paint color to the paint that was on some of the original archived engines. Since I wanted paint in the brand we use at the shop, I had Roy's color matched to my line at the paint store and I know the formula. For you, just take a piece of your existing paint to your local paint jobber and have them mix a pint for you to match what you have.

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What I'm about to tell you may be quite disturbing to some of you, I just hope you won't hold it against me for too long. I have the Model A Ford paint and finish guide with the sample chip for engine color. So here's what I have done, I mixed 1 part John Deere green and 1 part gloss black, it's a perfect match for the engine color.
nick
 
Nick, it doesn't disturb me. If you are suggesting using cheap impliment paints as a foundation for your color, using the same quality level of paint I can probably mix something that will cost about the same $$. It IS neat, however, that you were able to experiment to you found something you liked.

I guess my view on this is that most people do not have JD Green setting around in a can, --nor a compatible Black paint to mix with it so if they must purchase a quart of JD Green and then Black to mix with it, now they have about 4 times the amount of paint for what they need. My thoughts are why not just purchase a ½-pint of good quality mixed paint with a little bit of flattener added by the paint store for about the same price as buying the two qt. cans and then mixing yourself where you will have equal to better results.

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One point to suggest; if you buy the spray cans of engine paint from the suppliers and are doing the engine and transmission, you should need about two cans. Make sure they both have the same batch numbers on them. While the paint may come from the same supplier, each batch is just a little different shade.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
What I am having trouble understanding from what Model A Apprentice is saying is whether he feels his engine color is original to the engine and authentic, --or whether he is trying to match what a restorer/rebuilder painted within the past decate or so.

Brent, I am not sure that the color on this engine is the original engine paint. The car has been in the family for over 40 years. I can say it was not repainted in that time span. I have tried several paints, and they have all been such a deep shade of green. And the Standards state that the Engine Green is neither a light nor dark shade of green.

In THE MODEL A ENGINE (p40), the author states, "There were two shades of Engine Green available during the Madel A era... The Engine Green paint that is currently avaialbel on the market is of the darker shade."

I am curious about the reference to a second shade of green.
Click to expand...
 
To quote the MAF "Paint and Finish Guide," "...color shade varied during production." It previously stated two light coats were applied and depending on the quality of the engine casting the paint could appear dull and rough or smooth and semi-glossy. MAAppren, I'm guessing your engine has a light tone. I used to think this was post A but maybe not. Check your other components like the flywheel housing, bell housing ******, covers, head, intake manifold, etc. All of these parts should be painted the same.
 
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