VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 30 Engine Color

I recently purchased a '30 4 door sedan in nearly original condition. The previous owner had sprayed the engine with blue paint. What is the correct color? Is it possible to remove this paint and have a chance for certifying the engine compartment in HPOCF judging?

Bob Strattan, Tulsa OK

The correct engine color is Dark Blue-Gray.

To qualify for the HPOCF the car must have two of the four judging catagories original (or mostly).They are the engine compartment, chassis, interoir, and exterior.The engine must have the original paint (minor repaint of valve cover OK) so can not be completely repainted.You can still qualify if you have two of the other catagories original .Chek the 37-42 and 46-48 for recent threads on engine color.

Bob,
Congrats on the purchase. Is it the car for sale by Rick Lindsey?

ChevyChip guessed it right. It is the one Rick Lindsay had for sale. When we figured out we knew each other from sports car road rally events, we started describing what we had stashed away in our garages. He started drooling over a condition 5 Lotus Europa I had been saving for a rainy day, plus a similar Alfa Spider he is in the process of resettling to a friend of his, and before long car swapping was underway.

I'm in the process today of trying to clean up the fuel tank and system to get gasoline to that fine carburetor he purchased from Colletor Auto Restoration.

Bob Strattan, Tulsa OK

Bob,
Excellant trade in my book. Now I can be accused of prejudice and would like to refute it but can't.

Chip, I guess you have never driven an Alfa Romeo. Fortunately, my Chevrolets don't have to go fast. For that I have an Alfa Romeo Spider.

d2d2, I did get to drive one of them Alfalfa Romeos once, Reminded me of one of them foreign sport cars......... a Renault?


just kidding.....

Dave,
I was kinda thinking of another French sports car (or that is what the fella that sold it to me called it) a '59 Simca. Now that was one fine car. It got parking fines from resting on the side of the road, loitering over 30 days in lots and several other places. I sold it to a guy that thought Bridget Bardot the French bombshell had bedded down in the back seat. Don't to this day understand how he got that idea in his head. Maybe it was telling him I found a French Franc and BB in the back.

I think the last post was getting a bit far off the initial subject and probably should be deleted. Does one of the moderators agree?

Hi Chip,
I think the 'hard slap with a wet noodle' should be sufficient admonishment to keep the troops in line. We all like to reminisce about racing jalopys, midgets, sprint cars, sporty cars and early NASCAR from time to time.
Herb

From: Home of the Great Tehachapi Railroad Loop

Renaults, Simcas and other French cars were some of the worst junk ever produced in an automobile factory. Their Paris-Rhone and Ducelier electrical systems made them completely unreliable. Please don't ever mention French cars in the same sentence or paragraph as Italian cars like Alfa Romeo.

d2d2 I agree, I was given a Renault Dauphine once and it didn't even make a good dune buggy, Alfa Romeos Spidersare fine cars along with several other Italian cars. The Italian are alas becomeing one of our premier allies, but I have known that since the late 1950s from my Marine days, I trained with some Italian Marines.
It is kinda like getting Bubba to paint your porch and after he is done he informs you it isn't a porch but a Ferrarey anyway........

Yes, I know this isn't about the 1930 Chevrolet engine color.
If you want to believe that Chevrolets are bigger and better, you should know what they are bigger and better than. You should also know what Chevrolets are not bigger and better than.

Well They aren't bigger than a Autocar Truck I owned once, and they aren't bigger than a D 8 Cat dozer but they are bigger than a breadbox!

But as to better, maybe that needs some discussion???

I'm glad I joined the chat room and started a thread on engine color. The furin car discussion is much better than what I expected.

At the risk of propagating the French bashing, I will mention that another of the Condition 5 projects stashed in my garage is a Citroen Mehari, the off-road VW Thing like version of the 2CV. I've never driven it, but the PO claims the PO before him made several trips between Wichita and Florida in it. Not my idea of a turnpike cruiser, but looks like a fun golf cart.

My task on the 30 Chevy today is a starter jam. Apparently the starter pinon is jammed into the ring gear. I haven't been able to break it loose by rocking or to turn it with the crank. Is the Repair Manual hint that lubrication on the Bendix shaft a likely cause for this?

30ChevyOkla,
Dad would have that happen every so often with my '31. He told me to put it in second gear and rock backwards. I haven't had to do it yet, but have been there when he did.
How to keep it from happening? I'll be interested to know.

Good luck,
Dan.

jyd,

rookie question, referring to the original topic of this thread, I often see the color "dark blue-grey"...are there specific brands or vendors that meet this qualification?..

chevgene,

what is considered "minor repaint of valve cover? "

epi

Hey Chevrolet. Yes, the original color was Dark Blue-Gray. There are many suppliers of gray paint around and many have different shades. However, the only supplier that has the correct Dark Blue-Gray engine enamel that I am aware of at the present time is the Filling Station in Lebanon, Oregon. The other major supplier of engine paints is Bill Hirsch, but his six-cylinder engine enamel is incorrect and it is way to light in color. It is sort of a medium gray. I hope that this helps you out some.

Chevrolet.That should read more like engine paint must be original with minor repaint OK such as the valve cover.This pertains to the HPOCF class only.

jyd,

it sure does...doesn't make any sense to me to go to all the trouble to paint something, only to have done it in the wrong color...

thanks,

epi

It would be a great problem solver if someone could post color chips of the older Chevrolet engine colors ,one picture is worth a thousand words.I know they may be a little off in scanning them but they would give a good idea.

Woody I think there aren't too many Engine colors from 1929 thru 1954 gray and blue. but for some paint color chips on the web go to:
http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/
Gray color chips don't show up very well on my monitor.

I have the same problem looking at these color chips on my monitor. I have tried different settings of brightness and contrast but they still don't look right. Someone has suggested taking photos of the chips in bright New Mexico sunshine at noon on June 21 using Fuji Velvia film.

hey mrmack,

nice site, that autocolorlibrary, but too bad only goes back to '57 for truck colors...do you know anywhere to see samples of '40 pick up chips?..

epi