Engine paint... orange?

R

runmikeyrun

Senior Member
I’ve seen this topic hashed to death on other message boards... I’m not looking for anything year-specific, I’d just like to know what paint matches the original orange pictured here. I’d like to find something I can brush on, because I am not in a position to disassemble the engine. I am going to try and get it steam cleaned though.

Thanks in advance!
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Actually called Ford red. Available at Hill's Thunderbird for $9.95 (12 oz.) can. Some of the other Thunderbird suppliers also sell the "Ford red" paint.
 
It might be the 55-57 red/orange. Bill Hirsch in NJ sells the paint, as well as the parts suppliers.
 
Pictures on the computer can be deceiving, but that looks more like Chevy orange to me. The Ford red is a bit on the orange side to my eye, but not that much.

As an aside, whether you’re spraying or brushing, cheap tin foil from WalMart is your best friend to mask things off. Just crumple it on, lots of places you can’t get tape to stick.
 
runmikeyrun said:
... I am not in a position to disassemble the engine. I am going to try and get it steam cleaned though.
Thanks in advance!
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If the engine isn't properly cleaned and prepped it probably won't look as good as you'd like.
"Ford Red" is also available in some rattle can paint brands at your local auto parts store.
They may or may not match each other, or the current color. I went to the parts store and picked the two colors I thought were closest, test sprayed some parts then picked the one I liked best.

FWIW, This brand of Ford Red looked more orange to me than their Chevy Orange-Red, which seemed red in comparison. :confused:

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ngine-spray-paint-with-ceramic/de1605/4268531
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Thanks guys for the advice. “Ford red” is what I was thinking is correct, but you can see it’s definitely orange because the firewall is fire engine red.

The aluminum foil is a great idea! Thanks.

As for prep, I’ve hit it with Gunk and now a degreaser with a toothbrush each time. The tougher grease on the casting I’m going to use a brass bristle brush. I’ll have to sand the edges of those chips on the valve covers. It isn’t the ideal way to paint but it’s what I’ve got to do.


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If you can get a chip off a rocker cover, a full service auto paint supplier can analyze the color, mix it and put it in a fizzy-bomb container.
 
KULTULZ said:
If you can get a chip off a rocker cover, a full service auto paint supplier can analyze the color, mix it and put it in a fizzy-bomb container.
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Kinda what I was thinking, there’s a paint shop locally that has a computer color analyzer. I’d need it in a can so I can brush it on, but I’m sure that’s possible as well. I might just do that since it’s going to be impossible for me to paint the entire motor. Thanks for the good idea.


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FWIW, using tinfoil, a little painters tape, and newspapers, I painted an engine from red to old ford blue in the car. Some I did from underneath, but it came out looking fine. Years later when I pulled it you could see the red in some area, but not with it in the car.
 
So I've got my motor pulled out of the car and disassembled (heads, intake manifold, exhaust manifold all off etc). Can you guys provide some good advice on how to "prep for paint" when you painted your motors? Any kind of primer required or roughing up of the surfaces to ensure the high temp paint sticks properly? Thanks!
 
This is an older thread that seems to have been resurrected, but I will respond anyway.
Runmikeyrun had indicated he wanted to brush the paint on, so spray cans are out of the question. However, most of the resto parts suppliers sell the original color high temp engine paint in quart cans. Most likely, Concours Parts, Mac's and Tee-Bird products sell the quart cans. Some advertise it as Ford red-orange, Ford red, Ford/Chevy orange.
I have always bought the spray cans since I have always painted my engines prior to installing in the car. But the spray cans that I have received from the resto parts suppliers are the exact color match to the original '55 Ford 272 engine color.
If you get your paint from an auto body repair supplier, make sure that you specify ENAMEL. Enamel dries and hardens such that solvents and oil will not harm or dissolve the paint. I would recommend staying away from ceramic paint which has a history of cracking/peeling and quickly and easily wiping away with a cloth soaked in cleaning solvents or any type of engine de-greaser.
 
Thanks for the heads up on the paint type. I think I am going with POR-15 as long as it is an enamel. It’s supposed to flow well when brushed and stick pretty good.


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Red naturally fades over time, especially when exposed to heat and UV radiation (i.e. sunlight). IF memory serves me correctly, Ford's name for the color was Vermillion Red, M-# I have to look up in my research, so I reserve the right to edit this post to correct it later. It definitely wasn't Chevy Orange, but as noted at the beginning the original Ford Engine Red will fade to an orangish hue over an extended period of time - oh, say 50-60 years :-)
 
alt63bird said:
Red naturally fades over time, especially when exposed to heat and UV radiation (i.e. sunlight). IF memory serves me correctly, Ford's name for the color was Vermillion Red, M-# I have to look up in my research, so I reserve the right to edit this post to correct it later. It definitely wasn't Chevy Orange, but as noted at the beginning the original Ford Engine Red will fade to an orangish hue over an extended period of time - oh, say 50-60 years :-)
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Good point! Never thought of fading due to heat. Hmm. Now the internal debate will begin... match it to current color because it’s what people know it to look like, or go to original...


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I recently painted my 292 while it's out of the car for a rebuild. I got a quart of Hi-Temp engine enamel called Thunderbird Red from Dennis Carpenter and he gets it from Bill Hirsch. I think the color is more orange than chevy orange. Weather it would get darker from engine heat, I don't know. In the spring I will cover that orange with a real red heat paint.
 
this may be too late but KBS sells a motor coat kit. the thunderbird red has orange tint. theywill spray out samples for you. also can be brushed on and looks like spray look up on internet.
 
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