Art & Inspiration That WWII Aero-Engine Look

I've been developing a fondness for the aesthetics of liquid-cooled WWII-era aero engines: lots of gloss black paint and rows of bright fasteners. And so I'm wondering about dressing an automotive engine in line with that kind of vibe. I'm looking for photos of engines in hot rods etc. that have that feel: what have you got?

First, though, this is the look I'm talking about:

Rolls-Royce Griffon


Rolls-Royce Griffon


Rolls-Royce/Packard Merlin


Rolls-Royce Merlin


Allisons had blue-grey crankcases: perhaps appropriate for the block on a Pontiac engine?


Allison


Napier Lion


Junkers Jumo opposed-piston diesel


Daimler-Benz inverted V12


Rolls-Royce stuck with the look for the L410 V8 from 1959 on.


Arguably RR had been doing it that way since before WWII, though.


Lincoln gave black engines a go for a while in the early '60s.


It could be said that the Cadillac Series 452 V16 already epitomized the look in 1930.


Cadillac V16

Now I could image-search "hot rod black engine" and still have to sift through a lot of stuff I'm not after, while my fellow HAMBers might know exactly where to look. Show me some!

 

I wonder if the aero engines were black to help radiate heat?

 

Goerge Poteet's black '32 highboy sedan, built by Alan Johnson.
A little too busy for my tastes but cool none the less.
The George Poteet/Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop 1932 Ford Tudor (motortrend.com)

 

It's pretty cold up there already. Perhaps black was just one of the least expensive paints?

 

It was to hide the leaks....

 

One engine that comes to mind is the OHC Pontiac.
70's Nissans have that look but that wouldn't "fly" here.
Oh, A Jag 6 would be killer!

 

Seen that one in person.
And during the build.
It’s that detailed under the dash

 

Most engines done that way are OT.
I see a lot of builds in shops dressing engines in black, grays, no chrome other that fasteners.
I dig it

 

the wires are tied together and hoses are wire clamped in an aviation style.
Allan’s brother is into old planes. He showed us how to do this.
It’s a very simple, affordable and clean alternative to unsightly hose clamps.
The higher end builds had the headers and some had the entire exhaust porcelain coated.

the block castings were polished smooth/primed and overhangs ground flush, excess gasket material trimmed off.

 

That is one of the best looking flatheads I have ever seen

 

Can you imagine the looks you'd get pulling up to any hot rod meet running a car with an inverted V-8?

 

Back in the '60s, one of my first mentors told me a 'quote' that an old timer had told him years before...........
"There's only one high-performance color and that's black."

 

Was a good bit of work. We had a young helper polish the block. Fit the major pieces and ground em flush or cleaned up any unnecessary casting overhang. Me and Allen sanded the block smooth after epoxy then it was sprayed gloss black. The engine was built by Keith Dorton. (Hope I spelled that correctly). NASCAR engine guru. If memory is correct, it’s 274 inches.
The pumps were cut and stretched downward to line up the inlets with the radiator.
stuff like header and exhaust flanges were usually milled.

 

@Blues4U excellent pics.....I think at the Aces car show.

 

^^That'd be the "Tuxedo Coupe" built by Hot Head Lou.

 

BMW 14 Cylinder .

 

14? Double it!

 

Here’s a video on the aviation style hose clamp

 

This Duesenberg is pure art

Bugatti.
the plumbing, fabricated rocker covers and neat hose clamps either was influenced by aviation or maybe just the craftsmanship of that time period.
Not black as asked by the op but not dressed up with chrome or painted the typical colors for “hot rod” engines.
Aviation and early Indy cars were used as examples for engine “dress up” at my former work place.

 

Another example of black aesthetic inspiration is the engine in Vincent motorcycles. I like the finned cylinders with just the edges polished.

 

Theses gems are posted here.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/black-painted-engines.1074389/

 

I have the Fenton exhaust manifolds on my 265" SBC.

 

That is the corncob engine !

 

One of the best looking Ford Y-Blocks ever!

 

I always liked the look of a black block with shiny bits, so that is what I did on my current PU. 330 Desoto

I like the monochromatic look although there isn't much viewing room once the Hemi is installed. I did paint the intake black and used SS fasteners on it as well.

And it extends to the rest of the drive train. Everything gloss black with SS hardware.

Not as pretty as the RR (Rolls Royce not Rat Rod ) engines but all I have.

 

Look up cable lacing

 

Funny this should pop up, as only just a few weeks ago, I made the decision to do my sbc in black with shiney bits combination.

 

These engines are just dreamy!!! Dang, I just might paint my Chevy 261 Glossy Black!

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_&_Whitney_R-4360_Wasp_Major

 

I like the idea of castings ground smooth and am replicating that look on my Duesenberg-esque Ford crossflow six
but
I'm not a fan of bundling spark plug wires together because of the possibility of inductive cross fire.