VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION VCCA Judging Questions 1956 THRIFTMASTER ENGINE COLOR JUDGING QUESTION

I would suggest that someone from the VCCA Judging Committee contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center and straighten out this issue. With the VCCA telling people that engines were gray and Chevrolet telling them blue there is a strong potential for some really upset folks.

It is a fact that the vehicle owner often is not present and/or does not know before he (or she) gets their judging sheet back that a deduction was made on engine color (or any other deduction for that matter). Even if present the owner does not have the privileged of seeing the judging sheet to know if a deduction is being made. A note attached to the judging form that there is specific documentation on the front seat might be a good idea if the owner suspects that a deduction might be made.

As I have said or written at least 100 times, I have had point deductions for correct items in VCCA judging. In all cases there were incorrect items that were missed (without deduction) far exceeding the incorrect deduction. No harm no foul is my opinion in those cases.

Engine color history.
1929-1952 all engines were gray, car and truck. Truck engines has Thriftmaster or Loadmaster painted on side of valve cover.
1953 passenger car stick and all truck engines were gray. Power Glide car engine were blue in 1953 and had the Blue Flame decal on the valve cover. Truck engines had the engine type on the valve cover.
1954 all passenger car engines were blue and had the Blue Flame decal. For passenger cars and the same blue was used through to the last 235 engine in 1962. NOTE -Blue Flame is teamed with a blue engine.
1954 trucks continued with the gray engine EXCEPT for the new 261 engine. 1/2 thru 1 1/2 ton trucks had Thriftmaster decal, 2 ton had the load master decal. If a 2 ton was equipped with the new 261 engine it was painted green and had the Jobmaster decal. The engine color and decal helped the mechanic ID the engine.
1955-1962 truck engines folowed the same pattern. As per the 1955 Engineering manual 1/2 thru 1 1/2 ton trucks had gray engines. Had the Triftmaster decal. The 2 ton truck (6000 series)had a heavy duty 235 engine and it was painted green and had the New Heavy Duty Loadmaster decal. The 1955 261 engine was yellow and had a New Jobmaster decal.The base (standard) 8 cylinder engines in 1/2 thru 1 1/2 ton trucks used the same gray color as the 6 cylinder.....and this was true from 1955-1962. (above info from 1955 Engineering and various introductary Info.)
There were several other colors used for the optional/larger truck engines made from 1957 and up. There again the colors helped to ID the engine.
NEVER believe any thing Chevrolet says as to the ancient history. They just do not have the facts.
My info. agrees with Bob Hensels finding and Bob collect truck history for many years.

Gene,
I would hope that someone in an official position on the Judging Committee or other VCCA official would contact Chevrolet and set them straight. Most people will tend to believe Chevrolet versus another organization. They assume that Chevrolet has more accurate records than anyone else. Since I was thrown off the Judging Committee, I don't have the authority.

I am glad that Gene has set the record straight.

Thanks Gene

That is great information Gene! I made a copy of it for reference.

I understand this is an older thread, but feel the need to reply, regarding C.C.S. (Chevrolet Customer Service).

The folks employed at the Chevrolet Customer Service are typically younger folks entering the world of the General, in an entry level position.

My SECRETARY at our Chevrolet dealership, where we were employed, was recruited by the local Chevrolet Zone Office.

She accepted, began working for Chevrolet with the C.C.S. center.

Those new recruits may be the same individuals who are telling one and all that all Chevy 6 cylinder engines are blue.

In all probability, those new recruits were born in 1990 or later.

To be fair, I also heard many older "experts" tell me that all Chevy V8 engines were orange and my Dad's 56 265 was painted wrong color.

Chevrolet literature called the 1957 and up orange engines red which is also misleading.
The 1956 car had the only actual red engine.
Note the original thread was from Dec. 2013.

It must be harder to own a yellow '57 265, you'd hear all kinds of things at shows & meets :)

If I had one I would carry the Service News with me noting the color and when it changed from Chartruse to orange.

Yes, you are correct, concerning the older "experts".

My comments were specifically written, concerning C.C.S., because the call was made to C.C.S. by a VCCA member, for engine color verification .... and the info was incorrect from C.C.S. If anyone should be correct, it should be Chevrolet.

As noted in my initial comment, I knew the thread was old, but found the need to add my .02 cents to an old thread.