C1 '58 Mounting for Engine Painting

[Ted S.]

I'm getting the final touches on my '58 engine and am getting ready to paint it. I know they were painted with the bellhousing in place so I was wondering if the engine and bellhousing could be bolted together and the tranmission mounting surface bolted to the engine stand? How did the factory do them to get coverage on the sides and bottom?

Also was the bellhousing covers in place at paint time?

Thanks, Ted

[Dave Suesz]

From what I

understand, this depended on how willing the painter was to bend over, sometimes the bottom of the oil pan was pretty bare.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 '58 Mounting for Engine Painting

Engine and bellhousing (with inspection cover) were assembled at the time of painting. Flint had special fixturing to carry the assembled engine through the paint booth. Paint coverage on the bellhousing and lower portion of the engine (oil pan, Etc.) was notoriously poor/uneven. It depended on how aggressive that particular painter was in terms of bending over while spraying.

Few restorers really take the time (or want to) to re-create the factory original 'sloppy' engine paint job opting execute full + even coverage of the painted areas. Some might consider this 'over restoration' but I've yet to see fellow judges take deduction(s) as SOME production engines DID get painted nicely....