Ok, this is the first thing I want to do. So I mask off the plugs, bottom (ring where oil pan would go), top ( where intake gasket would cover and just spray away? Please give me tips all of you that have painted blocks.

Secondly, help me choose a color please!!!! I pretty much narrowed to silver(Alum) or chevy orange. Since this isnt a stock or numbers matching replacement motor, I'm thinking silver, on a black engine compartment (Viper blue body). But I stilll havnt made up my mind, let me know pls...

If I have all the parts I like to bolt the oil pan on with 4 bolts, sit the heads on the block, put an old timing cover, valve covers, and intake on the engine, put some old plugs in the heads, tape over the front and rear main holes, carb and dist hole, and water pump holes, then paint the whole thing

If I dont have all the parts like that. I'll trace out all the gaskets onto cardboard, cut em out, and put them on the block, then paint.


As far as color. I like chevy orange but its starting to be over done. Over 70% of the rebuilds are chevy orange.

I think silver would look pretty cool in a black engine compartment myself.

Also, if you haven't picked up the paint already then check out POR-15's engine enamels http://www.por-15.com/product.asp?productid=284 . I've never used it personally, but I have used their basic black paint and was happy with the results.

Just a word of warning: silver will show grease and dirt more than just about any other color. My car and engine bay were black so it was the natural choice for my block. Even though its dirty now you really can't tell unless your down under it.

go with the classic orange, it looks good in a camaro(or any chevy for that matter)

I painted my transmission silver, and it never dried. If I go out and touch my transmission right now, I will get paint on my hands. It may just be that I painted it in the garage last winter and it was too cold even with my kerosene heater, but it would really suck to paint your engine and have it not stick correctly, with a transmission its no big deal.

Mask off the gasket surfaces with masking tape, and spray. Give it a couple of coats to give that deep luster. I'd go with Classic Chevy Orange. Looks great in a black engine bay. I used Alum. on my first heads, and it looked like crap in a short period of time. The orange stays brilliant.

Go with Chevy orange..

I was leaning towards alum but I think you guys are right, the orange should look great.

B.T.W. I shouldnt paint the area thats gonna be covered by the intake right?

What brands of engine paint would be reccomended? Or are they all the same?

How many cans to do a 350, 2?

my camaro is also Viper blue and I am in the process of building my motor. It is ready for paint and I am planning on doing it viper blue like the body, It should look sweet in the black engine compartment.

I wouldn't go with chevy orange it is over done and black looks really nice, especially with alum intake and chrome or alum valve covers and air cleaner.

can you post a picture of your car or add it to your profile?

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72 RS, 327, soon to be Vortec roller 350, 700R-4, Cowl hood
Dark blue pearl w/white stripes "See picture"

check out my website or picture to see my viper blue camaro and my Black engine, kind of hard to see engine color but you can tell that orange just wouldn't look right (IMHO).



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72 RS, 327, soon to be Vortec roller 350, 700R-4, Cowl hood
Dark blue pearl w/white stripes "See picture"

i'm going to do mine red, on my black body and interior,the car is going to be all black ecept for the red engine, red seatbelts, and the red stripe in the seats... Crome roll cage, crome trim, crome valve covers... later.

i got the paint in a spray can from autzone and wal-mart... they have pontiac blue,ford blue, GM corprate blue, and Chevy orange and many more... i used 3 cans but i did the oil pan,valve covers and time chain cover also...

My current engine is black, I dont like it cus it's hard to determine where leaks are coming from. I'm in no hurry to do this but i would like to get it done soon. Red sounds like a good idea, and there was a car posted in the bs section a couple weeks ago with a red block, looked pretty good.

Anyone have pics of anything nice?

jerfunk, I'm workin on getting a digi cam to snap off some pics. B.T.W. you pic/www is not workin at least not at the moment.

O, and are you just going to spray the block, or how are u mixing up a high heat tolerant paint in Viper blue? You cant just spray the block can you?

i was told by my painter that you can use a high temp primer, and then use any paint over top...

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Paul Przyborski
mailto:1981paul@nastyz28.com1981paul@nastyz28.com</A>
AOL Instant Message GREYSQRL80
1981 V6 Camaro now with a Vortec headed 355.
My 1981 Camaro, Band, and Live Web Cam Page. (http://members.aol.com/greysqrl80/index.html)
It's the Swiss Army Knife of useless webstuff.

I did a search on engine paint and there was quite a few posts about certain paints that will take the heat. My neighbor has his block painted the same color as his car it is the paint that changes like 10 different colors, looks real nice. My site is on cardomain.com it sucks because you can't search down to a 1972 the years stop at 75. here is the link if the picture still doesn't work. '

http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=387720

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72 RS, 327, soon to be Vortec roller 350, 700R-4, Cowl hood
Dark blue pearl w/white stripes "See picture"

That link won't work either, says I am Forbidden...

Here is an example. Terrible pic but you will get the hint "GO CHEVY ORANGE" http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/328564/untitled26.jpg
Shawn

I am thinking of the orange but wont it clash horribly bad with a blue car? Or am I being too much of a woman?

Will the engine compartment be blue also? I would think It would look nice as long as you dont have a lot of other coluors,such as red intior. When someone looks at your car you could say "Honey does this go together?" "Should have I did the blue" http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

take a look at my enine and car pics, my engine is orange and my car is dark blue, but mt engine bay is black. I think it looks great. With all the accessories on the engine, the orange won't stick out that much either.

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Life is a tragedy to one who feels, and a comedy to one who thinks.
community.webshots.com/user/strokermotor (http://community.webshots.com/user/strokermotor)

My car is blue too! And my motor is orange!

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1980 Camaro Berlinetta 175X
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Will be back with faster time silps
Time to Beat 14.27@98.12mph

alright finally here it is

http://www.cardomain.com/id/funks72

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72 RS, 327, soon to be Vortec roller 350, 700R-4, Cowl hood
Dark blue pearl w/white stripes "See picture"

Definately NOT black. The only reason GM went to black is to hide all of the leaks. I made the mistake of painting one engine (a .060" over 283) black. I finally pulled the engine back out, paited it GM corperate blue and never looked back.

If you apply aluminum paint, try drying it with a heat gun (like a Wagner power stripper). I also use the heat gun to preheat the metal to be painted. Gives it that baked on enamel look and it is dry in no time (I can't wait most of the time for the paint to dry).

I like the GM corperate blue. It does highlight any leaks. But having said that, so does the Chevy Orange. Both are stand out colors.

I wish that I knew how to upload pictures of my son's 89 S10 The Blue Beast III. You can see one picture of it on prestage.com, member pages if you'd like. As you can tell from it's name, it is 99% blue. GM corperate blue engine, blue wire covers, blue RHS seats and 5 point harnesses, any panel that could be taken out is blue, and the truck is painted (what I call) pearl Blue metalic. Wheels are Gen III 16" X 8" five star Z28 that are powder coated bright white.

POR, VHT, and Plasticoat all make good engine enamels.

Cardinal

I can't believe you pulled the engine just to paint it! just to spot oil leaks? They sell oil dye so if you really want to find your leaks it is super easy.

if you have a little seepage the black hides it nicley until you can get it fixed. It is near impossible on a daily driver to not have oil leaks or seepage black will hide these orange will make them stick out always.

I'm pretty sure I dont want to go back to black. I want to change from what I currently have in there, the black makes for a real dull compartment. Well at least with the stock snorkle and such. I have liked the looks of the orange blocks with chrome/aluminum trim, however I guess I still have time to decide as the block might be going back to the machine shop for some roller work...

Here are a couple pics of my head. It is the viper blue that my Camaro is. I just told a paint shop that my car is 97 Viper Blue and they made me two spray paint style cans of the paint. Said it should be fine with the engine temps and it only cost me 39 bucks.

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/387000-387999/387720_15_full.jpg

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/387000-387999/387720_16_full.jpg

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72 RS, 327, soon to be Vortec roller 350, 700R-4, Cowl hood
Dark blue pearl w/white stripes "See picture"

[This message has been edited by jerfunk (edited October 19, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by jerfunk (edited October 19, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by jerfunk (edited October 19, 2003).]

Just recently did a customers engine in caast grey. I was reluctant at first but after everything was bolted up it looked real sharp. Jeff

Black retains heat and heat is not good.

I used VHS 'chevy orange' spray paint using two cans. As a primer I used some 'cold zinc galvanized' paint which electrically bonds itself to the metal and prevents rust. The VHS paint needs to be heated to keep it from being messed up by chemicals, so I used a heat gun (by Milwaukee) to heat each coat of the orange paint. The block looks fantastic now. It feels like the paint is really hard, sort of like its been baked on. I just used newspapers and masking tape to tape off the areas not needing paint.

Chevy orange...I have a blue and white Viper and the engine is red. Go orange. My camaro is black and silver and the engine is going Orange. I think it will offer a nice contrast. Pat

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73 RS Black w/Silver stripes going to the dark side with a 468. 96 GTS Viper Blue w/white stripes (wifes). www.corteco-na.com (http://www.corteco-na.com)