Why red motors?

Stretch Cab

Stretch Cab

Well-known member
I have seen several Model A motors painted red. I think that I can say that other than the original green that is the only other color I have seen an A motor. My question is this, is the red just a coincidence or was there a source for A motors that painted theirs red? Just wondering...............
 
Supposedly red was a cool thing to do to motors to make the girls think you had a suped up engine. My Packard had a red head.
Clem
 
Clem, old military saying..."I'd rather be dead, than red on the head, like a di-k of a dog. Did you guys in the USAF use that, we did in the USCG.
 
I have one that I'll be opening up soon. It's painted red and has a rebuilt tag at the rear passenger side.
 
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My Dad always had a thing about painting motors red. Probably his hot rod past.

I'd be too scared to paint a motor blue, in case it would start smoking :)
 
I think I heard somewhere that some of the early Canadian motors were grey. Sorry, no documentation to back this up, just a bad memory.........
 
Jim , You are correct , Most were green but some Canadian exports to NZ were grey, However for judging one should do it as Henry wished it to be not how it ended up. Even our G28T claas engines that we received here & run which were produced in mid 50.s were painted Ford green, Red looks good in a speedster,
 
I'm with CWPASADENA...Red is HOT!!...you can feel the power just looking at a red engine. Originally Winfields highest compression head was red...that might have started it, but I bet it started in the early teens.
 
quickchange said:
Jim , You are correct , Most were green but some Canadian exports to NZ were grey, However for judging one should do it as Henry wished it to be not how it ended up. Even our G28T claas engines that we received here & run which were produced in mid 50.s were painted Ford green, Red looks good in a speedster,
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Some did not make it to the "boat" to NZ, I have found at least three Canadian engines that were originally gray.
 
I have some of the Ford Green paint on the engine that is peeling and I can see where it was painted a lime green at one time. I can't decide which is worse, red or lime green.
 
Two of my dual up draft intake manifolds are red, both are cast iron old stock. The Trojan was painted red the Uniflo (best) appears to be red porcelanized. The 7.1 Winfield heads were red. I think that red symbolizes speed. I still paint my engines Green. If I had one of the new 7.1 winfield aluminum heads I would have to paint it red. I have thought about it several times but I just can't bring myself to run an aluminum head.
 
Someone told me that the light green paint indicated that the engine was rebuilt by Montgomery Ward. I've had several and seen many more that were painted that "wrong" color. Actually, it is a pretty good indication that the rebuilder is proud of his/her work -- everybody will know if the job is less than great!
 
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