Hello! I am currently rebuilding the original 455 in my 1968 98 hardtop coupe. I am attempting to get as close to stock as I can. I know the main engine color is red. I am having trouble finding information on what color certain engine components should be. Can anyone steer me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!

 

Did you try any Oldsmobile parts suppliers like Fusick?

 

Have you looked at VHT products? They have a Rocket Red that looks very close..
http://www.eastwood.com/rocket-red.html

 

If engine components for a 98 are colored the same as other Olds engines of the era, this is what I might expect to see under your hood:

brackets for alternator, power steering, A/C, etc - GM Chassis black by Seymour paints. If car doesn't have A/C, then the lower bracket for the alternator should be installed and painted the engine color.

fan - semi-gloss black (I used Dupli-Color)

A/C compressor - semi-flat black (I used Krylon)

voltage regulator cover - gloss black (Dupli-Color again)

alternator - natural aluminum color (I clear-coated mine for extra protection)

pulleys - all GM chassis black

exhaust manifolds - natural cast iron. I bead-blasted my exhaust manifolds and spray-painted them with a high-heat cast blast color. I believe it's also a Seymour Paints product.

There were some brackets that were a natural metal color that I painted a color called "stainless steel" so they wouldn't rust. I don't recall what the brackets for the coil, accelerator cable bracket, and the dash pot were originally but I painted them semi-flat black. They may have been a natural metal color originally but I just don't recall. Parts that are natural metal color could also be cleaned/blasted and clear-coated for rust protection.

Several Olds parts suppliers provide the correct red engine paint. My favorite is Fusick Automotive Products, Inc. (www.fusick.com). See part number EP110S in their on-line catalog.

Hope this helps.

Randy C.

 

Engine and aircleaner should be Olds Engine Red. It's available thru several suppliers and is correct for 394, 425 and 455 1961-69.

Accessory brackets and fender wells are mostly 60% gloss black as is the firewall and radiator support.

I've seen A/C compressors both gloss black and flat black.

Power steering pump should be 60% gloss black.

Exhaust manifolds are natural iron color. Use hi-heat cast iron gray to duplicate it.

A/C lines and other aluminum pieces can either be scuffed with a Scotchbrite pad to clean and then clearcoated, or can be sprayed dull aluminum.

A little 0000 steel or brass wool and some lacquer thinner will do amazing things to exposed wires. They'll look like new.

Of all things, WD40 does a nice job of cleaning and softening spark plug wires.


As far as disassembly goes, yes you'll have to take some things apart to get the best job. But, cheap aluminum foil is an outstanding paint mask. It's flexible and can be scrunched around things to keep paint where you want it.

The underhood decals are available from several sources too. Better quality ones come from Fusick and Dr. Decal, and I'm told Inline Tube has some of the best available though I don't know how well they cover the big cars.

 

Shouldn't the air cleaner be Olds Air Cleaner Orange?

These are NOT accurate colors, but are quick grabs to show the difference between the air cleaner and the block colors:

Olds Big Block Red

- Eric

 

Great post, very informative.

Was the color information on the various parts derived from an Olds specification manual or a very detailed original car?

Whether manual(s), car(s), or both I'd like to correctly redo my engine compartment when I get to that phase of my resto.

 

I think you're right ... the "reds" are two different colors. I can find engine red on Fusick's site but can't find air cleaner red/orange anywhere - and that's what I need!

 

AF150S - Red Air Filter Assembly Paint.

Fusick Catalogue, Page 8:



- Eric

 

Wow ... how did I miss that?! Thanks!

 

Holy Toledo!

After my rant about paint can sizes, I just noticed that the Fusick catalogue says their paint comes in 16oz cans!

No wonder I was so annoyed - I must have had that in the back of my mind from reading the catalogue.

I know whom I'm calling tomorrow...

- Eric

 

The color info for my '68 4-4-2 was my own documentation as a disassembled (checked for color), cleaned (re-checked for color), painted and reassembled everything. The block and air cleaner are the easiest parts. Most everything else on my car was my judgment call based on what I saw. Somehow, I missed the dashpot bracket and the accelerator cable bracket (didn't document them when I took everything apart) so I just painted them semi-flat black.

GM chassis black does have a gloss element to it. I don't know if it's 60% gloss or 40% gloss, but there is some shine to it. I found that GM chassis black fit the bill for a lot of things under the hood painted black.

Randy C.

 

After a long period of fading out, maybe, but not on any car I've been involved in restoring.

I've got two AACA and three OCA National 1st place winners to my credit, so we must have done something right underhood. One of those OCA winners won its 1st Junior the first time it was ever shown at a National Meet and went to Senior Preservation in three years which was and still is virtually unheard of.

 

I know that the high compression air cleaners were a different orange-red than the big block engines, which were a cherry-red, but I have searched and cannot find an authoritative source that gives the actual color (just a lot of internet yahoos like me pontificating), only the assembly manuals that say "Red" or "Black."

If and when I find properly sourced information, I will post it here.

If anyone else has any documentation of the original air cleaner color, other than their own memory, whether the same as engine color or different, please let us know.

- Eric

 

Wow! Lots of great info! What about the fuel pump? I have seen engine color to black to the natural casting color.

 

The fuel pumps I've removed and worked with on almost any GM car are natural metal - no paint on them at all. The "bowl" piece on some appear to have been cad plated before they were crimpted on. I've only worked with fuel pumps in the 68-71 range but that's what I've seen.

Randy C.

 

Great! I will post some pics here when I have it all painted. Thanks for all the great info! Extremely helpful and informative.

Brian