Correct Engine Color for a '72 455 HO
 

I recently purchase engine paint color from the Part Place for my 1972 T/A 455 HO. It appears that the color is not the correct shade of Pontiac blue as on the unrestored untouched motor in my T/A. Was the engine paint color for the subject motor unique? If so, where can the correct color be obtained? I recollect reading somewhere on the blog that a correct share of blue is available. Is it possible I am just looking at a faded and discolored original engine paint?

The '71-'72 engine paint was unique to those two model years. Most of the repro cans you will find have a little too much powder blue and not enough teal in them. The only spray can available that was correct that I've seen is the OEM brand that priced itself out of the catalogs of pretty much every Pontiac parts company around. It was running about $60 a can up until around 2008 in most catalogs. Since then the only way to get it is direct from OEM in 3 can minimum runs for about $210 total with shipping.
The other way is to have it mixed with the formula that is posted on the link below which will give you the correct color or as close as I've seen similar to the OEM brand.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=719594&page=2

You can also order it in pints from Scott Tiemann at Supercar Specialties at 517-647-2433

Pontiac's inspiration?

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...psd12a1e39.jpg

Scott Tiemann's mix:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...oshoot0009.jpg

Several of the pics from the referenced thread were missing due to photobucket reorganization. The first picture following compares the paint mixed according the Pontiac power website to the Tieman mix. The Tieman mix is the lighter, more correct color. He was very helpful, and I received the paint from him within a week or so of calling.

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...12C431893E.jpg

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8f761606.jpg

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2716937b.jpg

Nice!

OEM has the 71-2 teal as close to any color I have seen. I 2x Rick on this one. I was under the assumption they quit making their colors?? guess I was wrong.not sure why this is a color so difficult to match, but really seems to be. Scotts color looks good, but per your pictures, is still not correct. I bought 4 cans from one of the repo houses a few years back. Glad I have these..and yes, OEM is/was expensive, but $200 to have the correct color..considering the total cost to do a full rest that requires repainting of engine.. guys.. I don't think it is even a close call .. OEM ends up being $150 or so more... yes, think I would buy again if needed.. correct color seems to be more of a green blue vs differing shades of powder blue that all the repo colors are-including Scotts color.... Below are pictures of 71 intake and water neck. These were painted yrs ago, had to wipe dust off surface so color may not come out perfect. This is the OEM color. Looks greener in person vs in these pictures..

I would say OEM looks the most off based on pictures.

So, in conclusion pictures are hard to judge color.

But, I can tell you both are probably good choices to come close.

Judge.. As I posted, in person looks greener than the pics show. But probably same for all these colors.But anyone who has seen OEM in person will agree, it is the closest and I will go as far as to say, it is dead on..

Look at the up close picture of the oil pan, where Brentwheelbob put three stripes of repo colors.. The color of the pan looks just like the pictures I presented, but when he takes a picture far away next to the freshly painted oil pan, it looks different. This is a hard color to take pictures of.. But again, anyone who has sprayed OEM , will agree. Seems like all of OEM colors were dead on, be it Pontiac or CHevrolet or Mopar..

If you will double click my last picture, opening it in a seperate window, then minimize the picture and the thread. SLide the thread to the close up pic of the original oil pan, put the pic of OEM over the oil pan and you will see what I am talking about., It is perfect and this is against the 3 test stripes as well. Judge, I have to disagree.

One thing that bothers me.. Before long colors like Scotts baby plue'sh shade will be seen on more and more cars to the point where everyone will believe this is the correct hue.. Try what I just did and look at the comparisons on top of each other.

Come on guys we all know comparing pictures is really useless....Trust the color of my car has not changed in 40 years yet I can post 10 pictures and it may look a bit different in everyone. But its NOT, so much has to do with lighting, shading, even the camera and about a million other variables.

Yeah what he said...My opinion is they are close. Yours is yours.

Mine is mine.......;)

So what is the correct paint code?

62210 from OEM

Brew..look at the intake manifold picture RicksGTO posted on the link below. That is the right color Teal and he apparently got the light right where the green come through in the picture. My intake looks just like that in person.That is the OEM paint Yes, the OEM is expensive, but someone quoted Scotts color is $100, well as I stated earlier, in the scope of a restoration a couple hundred to have correct color really isn't that big of a deal.Looks like differnece in OEM vs Scotts color ends up being $100 or so.. When you look at the per can cost for OEM comparing to $15 cans at auto stores, yes seems outrageous..When you compare to Scotts cost, not really that horrible.. This is a color that is extremely difficult to get right for some reason. Personally I cannot stand the baby powder blue look of most of these other colros. The greenish blue is correct. No one will argue the original color is greenish blue, not powder blue..
And seen many comment on how good the engine pictuires look using the color Scott has. Any newly painted engine looks too good to fire up.. Doesn't mean it is correct.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=719594

FWIW - Tiemann's mix is dead-nuts on, IMHO.

[QUOTE=70RAlll;5050700]
If you will double click my last picture, opening it in a seperate window, then minimize the picture and the thread. SLide the thread to the close up pic of the original oil pan, put the pic of OEM over the oil pan and you will see what I am talking about., It is is the correct hue.. /QUOTE]

""If I am away from home for more than two days, hang out in a bar until two in the morning, drink a lot of beer, and shut my left eye, the girl at the end of the bar looks just like....wait, wait, wrong forum..."

Sorry, but my juvenile self is hard to contain most days.

Has anyone looked at Horst's paint page?

Pontiac Engine Color

:)

The darker blue swipe on the oil pan was mixed based on the PontiacPower codes from the referenced website. the other two swipes were both Tieman's.

70RAIII and I are going to do a double blind, round robin test. He is going to send me a can of OEM with a few vapors left, and I am going to send him some of the Pontiac Power and Tieman mixes. Once he and I each have multiple objects, painted with multiple mixes, with pictures taken in variable lighting with different cameras, we are really going to have fun with this debate.

here is the shipping invoice on the Tieman paint.:usa2:

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3edff786.jpg

and a few more oil pan shots...

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...12BFC83EEA.jpg


http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...12CA107A5B.jpg


Glad I am not going to get carried away with the whole originality thing...

I'm the one that resurrected this discussion. Thanks for all the reply's. Cant wait to see the results once and for all.

Wouldn't heat from engine affect the color?

Many times I paint my engines with the BEST blue metallic color and after a couple heat cycles, it looks different.
Probably same for this color?

Seems it would look a little more 'greenish' with heat cycles?

:confused: