What colour do I paint my engine?

Discussion in ''Da Nailhead' started by 425 Dual Quad, Nov 4, 2004.

  1. 425 Dual Quad

    425 Dual Quad Restoring 65 'Lark - help

    Chaps,

    A question please - and one that I rememebr a poll being run before.

    As you may remember I'm putting a 425 Super Wildcat into my '65 Skylark 2 door post.
    I've been put on to Bob Hirsh by Ted Nagel [thank's Ted!]. As paint has to be shipped surface and I'm in the UK I'm looking at a 6 week wait, so it's now time to order up the paint. However - red or green???

    Going by the code on the engine and the tag on the SP 300 saying June 1965 the engine is a June '65 LX motor and is already red with no traces of green underneath it. Correct colour for '65 through to late '65 is green, so maybe I'm right on the edge of the change-over.

    With the red trim on the superb chrome Super Wildcat air cleaner and finned alloy BUICK logo'd rocker covers and a finned valley cover I can't help thinking red would look better than green, although the green would perhaps be the more unusual and eye cathcing.

    Were there any 425 Super Wildcats in green or were they all red?

    The car is already satin black car with a white Cadillac Eldorado interior with red seat belts, although I may paint the car back to it's original white if I can get together the neccessary after all the mechanical and trim bits are done.

    If anyone has pictures of a green Super Wildcat 425 I'd love to see them to contrast with the red ones I've seen.

    I'm not 100% for originality but can see the logic of painting the engine the original colour it should have been [and green may look kind of different and cool], never mind what car it is going in.

    Advice, comments and any pictures please!!!

    best regards and thanks to all as always
    Nick :beer
     
  2. Kqqlcat

    Kqqlcat Well-Known Member

    Engine color

    I'm pretty sure all 425 engines were silver thru 65.
     
  3. SpecialWagon65

    SpecialWagon65 Ted Nagel

    65 engines were all green
    66 engines in GS, GS Wildcat were red, others were green
    63 was last year for silver, I'm thhinking in Rivieras only but abdicate to experts :Smarty:
    Here is a Super Wildcat in green link

    http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=32535
     
  4. nailheadina67

    nailheadina67 Official Nailheader

    Paint it red. :bglasses:
     
  5. larkone

    larkone Silver Level contributor

    paint it green!!!!
     

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    Last edited: Nov 5, 2004
  6. 68 LeSabre 4dr

    68 LeSabre 4dr Well-Known Member

    Green

    :Brow: I like......... :TU:
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2004
  7. 65gs76limited

    65gs76limited Well-Known Member

    motor color

    GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-GREEN-GREEN!!!!! did i mention i think it should be GREEN.
     
  8. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    purple?:grin: Looks good on a Buick 455:Brow: Why not a nailhead?
     
  9. lapham3@aol.com

    lapham3@aol.com Well-Known Member

    Maybe be careful if you go with that Hirsch red. I've seen a couple done with it, and it ended looking like a redish purple!?
     
  10. Kqqlcat

    Kqqlcat Well-Known Member

    Engine Color

    I would use the POR-15 Buick Green it looks great and is very durable. I have had it on mine since 94 and it still looks good.
     

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  11. 65V8300

    65V8300 Active Member

    man do i love that green. cant wait to repaint mine :TU:
     
  12. madrivdisease

    madrivdisease Well-Known Member

    I've always been a bigger fan of the green!
     
  13. 425 Dual Quad

    425 Dual Quad Restoring 65 'Lark - help

    Hi Guys,

    Thanks for all the posts - and so quickly too! How about green then?

    Love the pics of the cars Ted - that Sea Foam green in the 'vert looks a mile deep. The quality of your restorations is truly awesome!!

    best regards
    Nick :)
     
  14. wkillgs

    wkillgs Gold Level Contributor

    Yes Nick, Green would be 'more correct' for a '65......The 401 in a '65 GS was green. In 1966 they used red on the 401 Skylark GS, the 425's, and 340's. All others were green.
    I've used the Bill Hirsh Buick Red engine paint....it does have a purple look to it. I have'n't yet tried POR 15, krylon, or Duplicolor engine paints...Anybody know how they compare?.
    I use '66 code 'R' exterior paint in a urethane mix on my engines. Looks nice, and it matches the car! (well, okay, only two of my cars)....
     
  15. 425 Dual Quad

    425 Dual Quad Restoring 65 'Lark - help

    Walt,

    Thanks, think I'll go with the Hirsch green. I wanted to get a body of opinion - and I sure got it! - and to check if a June 1965 425 Dual Quad Super Wildcat engine should be red or green.

    best regards & thanks once again
    Nick
     
  16. nailheadina67

    nailheadina67 Official Nailheader

    Nick, to the best of my knowledge only the '66 cars had red Nailheads........I think yours should be green since it's a '65, but if you are certain red was in fact the original color on yours, why are you changing it? To me that's an interesting factory fluke (for lack of a better word)........that could stir up a lot of interest at a Buick show. :bglasses:
     
  17. 425 Dual Quad

    425 Dual Quad Restoring 65 'Lark - help

    nailheadina67,

    Oh now you've got me thinking!! Over here seeing an engine that is not red, blue or orange would freak people out anyway!

    I'll have to have a further scratch under the red. Being a June 65 engine it was in more that all likelihood built for a model year '66 car to be sold as of 1st August 1965 onwards. - about 6 weeks difference.

    Did the red for '66 425's happen as of 1st August 1965 onwards?

    chrres!

    br
    Nick
     
  18. nailheadina67

    nailheadina67 Official Nailheader

    Beats me :Do No:
     
  19. 65V8300

    65V8300 Active Member

  20. 425 Dual Quad

    425 Dual Quad Restoring 65 'Lark - help

    65V8300

    Now that's got me thinking - Buick Turquoise? Looks similar to the pics of the Buick Green.

    I note they don't do Buick Red anyway.

    BTW - I have a valley pan that I picked up with a load of odd parts and it's cream - off white/ yellow cream!! Looks very old emanel paint to me. Now where could that have come from?

    thanks for all the help
    Best regards Nick
     

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