[Firedup6975]

Can anyone tell me what color blue is the correct one for my car. My 69 is the metallic light blue, and my 75 TA was the same blue as a 442 olds engine, but what is correct for my 78?

Any pictures too please.

[78w72]

gm corporate blue. they sell it in spray cans... its not a perfect match & wont match an original faded color, but its the closest thing in a can.

heres a pic of the gm corp blue.

[Skip Fix]

GM corporate is as close as it gets. My 78 had painted valve covers I still have and the original had a slightly greener tint blue, but not as green tint as some 455 SDs I've seen.

[Aus78Formula]

blue naturally goes green with heat and age so you don't want to base a paint match off a used engine

[Firedup6975]

We’re completely re doing the engine compartment, so I’m sure Mike will want to strip it and get the paint from an automotive paint store and spray it with his paint guns, not aerosol cans. Here’s what it looks like now, maybe it is correct, but it appears darker in person. All that chrome junk is going. Edlebrock? Going!

[Firedup6975]

So GM corporate blue, are the valve covers that same color? I’m assuming they should be?

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by Aus78Formula

blue naturally goes green with heat and age so you don't want to base a paint match off a used engine

If you look at my picture, it appears light blue.

[78w72]

yes gm corp blue is the correct color... not sure if a paint supply store will have the code for that though. another thing to consider, is that automotive body paint is not designed for high heat situations like an engine & won't be as resistant to oil/fuel, but many people have used it so im sure its ok. engine enamel paint in a can is very good stuff & when applied right will last a very long time.

yes valve covers are the same blue, but for a W72 engine, which it looks like you have, they are chrome. pretty sure the covers in the pic are the original w72 covers for the car.

your pic is definitely the wrong color, that looks more like the sky blue from early 70's engines. common mistake for later 70's cars because the cans just call that color pontiac blue.

[Skip Fix]

I'm original owner it was a different tint from the get go off the lot. Valve covers were removed after 20K miles(for M/Ts) and 2 years so not too much heat/time to discolor. I compared them to an SD intake I had that was painted with new custom mixed to match stock 73 455SD color. Not near as green/blue as that was, but still a hint of green. I'll see if I can dig them up in the garage.
180 HP motors had painted valve covers 220 HP TA 6.6s had semi shiny /matte chrome valve covers.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

I'm original owner it was a different tint from the get go off the lot. Valve covers were removed after 20K miles(for M/Ts) and 2 years so not too much heat/time to discolor. I compared them to an SD intake I had that was painted with new custom mixed to match stock 73 455SD color. Not near as green/blue as that was, but still a hint of green. I'll see if I can dig them up in the garage.
180 HP motors had painted valve covers 220 HP TA 6.6s had semi shiny /matte chrome valve covers.

Wait...original owner to your 78 in your sig? Because I have no idea who owned my car originally. I bought this bird from John Kraft and he from someone else.

[Skip Fix]

Yep first "new" car ever when I graduated college on a 6 month deferred payment loan Bank of College Station. Bought it from Gay Pontiac in Dickinson TX as they had a good price many dealers wanted sticker due to Smokey and the Bandit . Found a build sheet taped to the firewall as well as one under the driver's seat . Too late to get the 220 HP and an auto and dealer forgot to check the WS6 box so it came with just the Rally IIs. Added all the WS6 stuff over the years and even found a X7 motor if I ever want it how I really ordered it. 76K miles moved from Texas to Florida then to N CA then back to Texas and daily driver for a long time. Now mainly a 1/4 at a time.

[Grand73Am]

The PPG number for 78-79 Corporate blue engine color is 15159. Maybe a local PPG automotive paint and body supply store can mix it up from that code. I have used PPG single stage urethane automotive paint on engines for 30 years and it works great for engine paint. So, if you want to spray with a gun, which I prefer myself, you could see if your PPG auto paint store can still mix that code.

Otherwise, the spray can paint that they sell as corporate blue is not really very faithful to the original corp blue. It's usually too blue, and/or too light. There's a better match. It's Duplicolor DE1619, which is labeled as a Chrysler green, but it's really blue with a slight tinge of green to it. Fellow PY forum member BentwheelBob used the DE1619 as Corp Blue on this 78 400 engine. I've used it too, and it looks really good.

37A09C51-C230-47D7-B87A-EA653DD34993_zpshr6acvfg by grand73am, on Flickr

86470093-FC3A-439C-8205-03DFF5C3CCE7_zpsutox5iei by grand73am, on Flickr

[Aus78Formula]

NOS 400 cover in Corporate Blue

GM Blue NOS 400 valvecover1 by Aus78Formula, on Flickr

GM Blue NOS 400 valvecover2 by Aus78Formula, on Flickr

x2 on the Chrysler Green being a good match, wish it was available here.

[77 Canamman]

X3 on the Chrysler Green. Much much closer to the correct hue than the available GM Corporate Blues..

[Skip Fix]

"Otherwise, the spray can paint that they sell as corporate blue is not really very faithful to the original corp blue. It's usually too blue, and/or too light. "

Sometimes you have to shake the heck out of it to mix it or it comes out too light then too dark. But that is what I was basing my comparison to not the I guess official Corporate blue and green tint.

[bs78ta]

W72 valve covers are not "shiny" like chrome. The ones pictured are way to shiny to be stock W72 covers.

Originally Posted by 78w72

yes gm corp blue is the correct color... not sure if a paint supply store will have the code for that though. another thing to consider, is that automotive body paint is not designed for high heat situations like an engine & won't be as resistant to oil/fuel, but many people have used it so im sure its ok. engine enamel paint in a can is very good stuff & when applied right will last a very long time.

yes valve covers are the same blue, but for a W72 engine, which it looks like you have, they are chrome. pretty sure the covers in the pic are the original w72 covers for the car.

your pic is definitely the wrong color, that looks more like the sky blue from early 70's engines. common mistake for later 70's cars because the cans just call that color pontiac blue.

[Bentwheelbob]

That’s my stroked W72 engine pictured on the stand. The Duplicolor Chrysler Green is a very close match and sprays out well. You are correct that the W72 valve covers were a flash chrome that was textured and not high gloss. Flash Chrome covers in good shape are very difficult to find. The shiny chrome covers in the stand picture were sacrificial covers that got swapped out for the originals once the engine was in the car and risk of damage was minimal. Here’s a couple pictures in the car with flash chrome.






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Skip Fix]

That looks more like the color to me also in the pictures in the car.

Nice resto!

[78w72]

Originally Posted by bs78ta

W72 valve covers are not "shiny" like chrome. The ones pictured are way to shiny to be stock W72 covers.

yes im aware of what w72 covers look like, i have my originals from a 50k mile car still & i've seen some in person on a 5k mile car. the covers in firedup6975's pic could be the originals, they are not shiny like the pic on the stand... but the pic doesnt show much detail & they look dusty/dirty so hard to tell for sure. was just guessing they might be original since the shape is right, just have push in breathers.

[Firedup6975]

Great pics and info guys! Think I have what I need here.

Thank you all