Hot Rods Need Color Cordination Help - Please

We are doing final assembly on my 1930 Model A Tudor sedan Project and I need some H.A.M.B. help. The frame and body will be a very dark blue. Firewall, vinyl top, split wishbones, spreader bars, radiator and other misc. will be black, I'm having trouble choosing a color for the small block Chevy. The car will have a minimum of chrome, with no chrome on the engine. Painted Script valve covers, ram horn exhaust, painted oil bath air cleaner. So what color to paint the engine? Wheels will be changed to black. Interior will be distressed oxblood red. Thanks for the input. Gary

 

Based on your description & pictures...
Chevrolet orange is what color it would've been back in the day.

 

have to admit that with exterior colors early Chevrolet orange would look good - but, for something different how about oxblood red?

 

I'll stand in the Chevy orange line too. You've made a statement by putting it in there, now finish it. Trying to use a different color might look like you're trying too hard. Just my 2 pennies...

 

I've always loved Early 50's Pontiac Blue..

 

Pink is the new orange, what color drawers do you plan to wear while driving it..

 

PURPLE!

 

I agree with the orange,hard to beat the simple clean look of a stock style engine. HRP

 

I think it should have an orange engine, but you gotta paint the frame black if you do that.

 

Im on the dark red bandwagon. That way it will tie in with the interior.

 

265 chevy engine red.... (1956 only year used)

 

Black or chevy orange

 

Hotrodprimer gave a good photo of what i beleive will be the best idea. Chevy orange and black

 

Match the interior!

 

Ford Blue.

 

I'd go with a Black block. Keeps everything on a level playing field.

What might be good, is to have a small pop of color show up throughout the car. I usually like red, blue, or silver.
(plug wires, dash knobs, etc.), to visually draw your eye around the entire car.

 

Trying to color coordinate is closer to modern hot rodding. When something different was done it usually added some flash to the "business office" in the form of wild colors. Bright yellow was a favorite, copper, gold, yet to make those ideas flash best involves some chrome here n there. Making the engine of choice look as new as possible always meant factory colors, which in turn ensured that the casual observer didn't miss the point. You saw a lot of Cadillacs painted their factory blue, some Hemi choices in bright red, flatheads in almost any color but many were blue to denote Mercury (more power) or the later bigger versions. I wouldn't be impressedby the engine and interior being the same color, equally unimpressed with the same blue as the car, might miss the point completely in black.

 

Orange for many reasons as already pointed out. Only other color would be the red that's on your wheels. Don't over think it.

 

Thanks highlander for explaining my earlier comment...that's what I was thinking. Engine to look like it was just removed from a late model wreck, frame to look like it was removed from a deuce, body like it was a nice old A.

 

Yep if one is shooting for a vintage hot rod look Orange was the color of choice for Chevy engines and many were never even painted when they came out of the donor car.

I paint my small blocks black , and have since the days of orange motors. I just like them better that way but for the proper look the mill needs to be orange.

 

Or the chartreuse 57 chevy engine.

 

Uh I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

 

Thanks for the replies, I agree with the "don't over think it" idea. Looks like Chevy orange it will be. With as much original detailing as we can do. Gary

 

Why not ask on the Pshop thread you can see if you like the color.

 

if the engine won't be receiving any chrome, then are you shooting for the 'just yanked out of a donor car' look?

 

I'm looking for clean, detailed, and simple......but simple is never as easy as you think. Simple takes more work than throwing a bunch of finned aluminum at it. But yes I want that "donor car" look, only fresh and new. Don't get me wrong finned aluminum is very cool(been there/done that). I'm just trying something different for me. The engine is a new 290 h.p. G.M. crate motor, single 4 jet Rochester carb with 2" exhaust. Gary

 

Well there is nothing simpler nor cleaner than a fresh all shot of orange paint.

 

I don't know what year Chevy went away from the oil bath air cleaner to the filter element style, but I'd say your candidate appearance years are likely '55 through... '59? '60? '61? google images should find you a number of properly restored engine compartments to give you the visual cues you are looking for. As was already pointed out, '56 was a one year only red color, while '55 and the rest were chevy orange, along with the '57 265 chartreuse. One other note about the '55 details is there was no oil filter boss on the block. It had an optional manifold(?) mounted oil filter.

The oil bath air cleaner years may have also been generator years also. If you haven't already gotten your Chevrolet script valve covers, make sure you get the ones with the bolt holes straight across from each other to work on your crate engine heads. the ones up to? through? '59(?) were the staggered holed ones - my memory is fuzzy on that one.

Gotta56forme/Scott

 

I say blue and black to match the frame...