NOS Parts Painted Orange

[Monte M.]

This is a set of NOS valve covers. They are correct for a 72-74 big block. I know it is difficult to tell from pictures, but which color looks more correct for that time?

[Ronald L.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Monte, NOS by definition would not be orange, but bare steel from the originals I've seen in GM boxes. Anything on the market orange was either on an engine or someone painted.

[Joe L.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Monte, NOS by definition would not be orange, but bare steel from the originals I've seen in GM boxes. Anything on the market orange was either on an engine or someone painted.

Ron-----

Once-upon-a-time some GM SERVICE "tin" engine components (i.e. valve covers, timing covers, oil pans) were supplied painted engine orange. I believe this practice may have been started to ensure that "tin" parts were supplied without rust to customers. I don't know just when it began or when it ended but it was this way for several years. Then, it went back to "bare" and later to black paint or powder coat.

I've seen quite a few "tin" parts that came out of the GM box in engine orange. Of course, it's very unlikely that any of these parts were painted at the engine plants so there's no real expectation that the color would have exactly matched that used at the engine plants (which varied over the years and among engine plants, anyway).

[Ronald L.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Joe - to be more precise, You need to be specific about the part and where it was made. Air cleaner bases for example were stamped and finished in Flint, none left without the OE paint and or chrome. For engine component stampings made most likely with the 'Chevrolet system' and then supplied to GM PD...never saw a real one, they are likely as rare as a NOS 65 BB lid. From those I have seen in original GM boxes - bare steel, you'd have to look at date codes, and for these I did not as the configuration was not period correct, however those box labels and service part ID system was that in place late in the 70's to mid 80's.

Monte - best place to look is the oil breather, is it bare flat steel, rusted, or look like oil quenched hot steel? ---the later two evidence the parts were on a car. and

[Gene M.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Monte,
Keep in mine the original engines were assembled at the engine plant and painted as an assembly with spray guns NOT rattle cans. So the source of the paint and the type of paint will differ from original. Most rattle cans are some form of enamel (at least most smell of it). I would guess the original engine paint had more thinner added so it would flash off faster.

My opinion is the orange color had a lot of variation as vendor source from lot to lot changed. A good judge would not want to see over amount of reddish hue as well as not a reflective finish. All of your color variations you show would be acceptable to me but with just one single hue on any one engine. Too often I see valve covers with a body paint like finish that far exceeds the rest of the engine........... That's a deduction.

[Monte M.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

I do remember most tin not being painted. I know there were some exceptions.

What made me think they might have come that way is they were still in their original boxes.

I have my original set that was taken off the car in 78. Maybe I will dig them out, if I can find them, and post a picture to compare them. The shades seem to change a bit over the years.

Which I know means nothing. Anybody could have painted them over the years. The person that owns them has had them since the late 70's and he said they were painted when he got them.

They are a real nice find. The big block reproduction covers, for all the years, are so different than originals it is nice to see a real set without all the ripples, the correct oil filler, rubber on the tabs, the tabs in the correct location, "B" stamped on the tabs, gauge of the tab metal, and quite a few more differences I cannot think of off the top of my head.

I know the re-pops ad even say pass flight judging without point deduction.

That is sad if that is true.

[John D.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Would you expect to see the 710 cap on the valve cover painted or not ?

[Terry M.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

Would you expect to see the 710 cap on the valve cover painted or not ?

Painted -- but the paint rarely lasts 40 years probably due to mold release on the 710 cap, There should be some traces of orange paint none the less.

[Ronald L.]

Re: NOS Parts Painted Orange

More like plasticizer bleed over time and the original paint not intended long term to stick to rubber causing loss of adhesion if it was there to begin with.