[69gtocv]

I had my paint guy mix me up some PPG Omni using a PPG code for the 71-early 73 engine colors I found on Pontiacpower or some site. It's PPG 14580. He was able to mix it off of that, but didn't have any way to convert the Delstar formula on that chart to the newer stuff. He sent me a picture of what he mixed on his phone to my phone so who knows how close the color is in real life. Just wondering what you 71-72 owners think of the color? Jeff

[necdb3]

Looks too blue to me.

[unruhjonny]

maybe it's the lighting, but from this side of my monitor it looks a little dark.
Maybe it was bad lighting, or it will lighten up when dry?

http://www.pontiacpower.org/enginecolor.htm

[tjs72lemans]

I also thought it a bit dark. Is it sprayable like that or need thinning?

[69gtocv]

Well great. That was my thought on it, that it was too dark and too blue. But again, I'm only seeing it via a phone picture. I won't have it in front of me until tonight. It's supposed to be reduced 6:1. I called and asked him today if when it is reduced whether it would lighten up and he said no. I wonder if that engine color chart is wrong? He mixed it per the PPG 14580 that they have listed at 71-early 73, but it almost looks like the darker late 73-74 color, doesn't it? It's too bad they didn't list the PPG number for the 73-74 mix to compare it to. That or find some way to cross check the Delstar formulas to the new PPG Acrylics. He's been doing this for over 40 years and if he says he can't cross check it, then I would tend to believe him. And of course, he is 2 1/2 hours away from me, so not so easy just to pop down and have him play with the tints on it. I do have some old paint on the valve covers and intake, but I bet they've changed colors over the years due to heat cycles.

[pggto]

I just had this conversation with a couple of other Pontiac friends. I painted my 72 engine but thought it was to light. The picture of the intake is an original paint 71 intake manifold. Apparently Inline Tube sells a series of Pontiac engine paints that are supposed to be closer to the correct colors for the specific years. I might try one over the paint on my engine.

[MescaBug]

Lighting can have a dramatic effect on paint, especially pictures. You cant tell from pictures if the recipe is correct. I had a local paint shop matched the 72 color from original valve covers. They nailed it pretty good. They used PPG 14580 as a base.

Second picture was taken closer. Notice how different it looks.

[69gtocv]

Mesca, I found this old thread today too late. I could have had something else mixed

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=740022&page=6

If you get through to post #100, it shows the PPG14580 as #2 and it's too dark and blue. Looks like Tiemanns custom mix is the closest, OEM is not far off, OER was close, but now they've changed formulas and it's too green

[69gtocv]

Originally Posted by pggto

I just had this conversation with a couple of other Pontiac friends. I painted my 72 engine but thought it was to light. The picture of the intake is an original paint 71 intake manifold. Apparently Inline Tube sells a series of Pontiac engine paints that are supposed to be closer to the correct colors for the specific years. I might try one over the paint on my engine.

Your original manifold compared to my manifold and valve covers look pretty close. I agree, I think your new engine paint needs a touch of green. If you hadn't found it before, check out the thread I posted in Mesca's post. Lots of spray outs to compare.

[pggto]

I prefer it doesn't turn green. I didn't care for the color the previous owner painted the engine. Not sure what they used for paint.

[69gtocv]

I got the paint home and dabbed some on my old valve cover. Not even close. So lesson learned, don't believe the PPG formula given on the pontiacpower site. I really think that PPG14580 might be closer to the late 73-74 color, who knows. I've sent him a PM so that he can make a note on his website. Again, photos can skew the real colors, but it's waaay too blue

[MescaBug]

Remember that the green tint on 72 engines comes from heat, and age. The original paint had not a lot of green in it. Trying to match the green tint will probably look wrong in a few years after many heat cycles.

I will send you the recipe the shop made for me using the PPG system. Maybe you guys can give it a try. I think its a good match.

[unruhjonny]

/\ what he said.

The fact that it's LIGHTER than the paint on your valve cover is at least to me is a good sign;
I'd expect that over time, as well as the green coming out, it would darken on your engine.

[tjs72lemans]

I heated my 72 freshly painted blue intake in an oven , since the exhaust crossover would heat it, to see how it would turn out. It turned green. I repainted it. After dyno run it's still blue.

[69gtocv]

Originally Posted by tjs72lemans

I heated my 72 freshly painted blue intake in an oven , since the exhaust crossover would heat it, to see how it would turn out. It turned green. I repainted it. After dyno run it's still blue.

So after running it on the dyno, it didn't turn green like it had being in the oven. In other words, the surface of the parts didn't reach the same temperature being on the dyno as being cooked in the oven? Do you think that was the only difference? What did you end up using for the paint?

[Paul E]

Here is the paint that I had mixed up for my engine. Was told to prime with Epoxy and then spray top coat. I did use self etch on the Aluminum. Different opinions just saying how I did it. Looks really nice, maybe the wrong color tint??? but looks nice.

[69gtocv]

Originally Posted by Paul E

Here is the paint that I had mixed up for my engine. Was told to prime with Epoxy and then spray top coat. I did use self etch on the Aluminum. Different opinions just saying how I did it. Looks really nice, maybe the wrong color tint??? but looks nice.

That's a metallic light blue from a 1985 Chevy truck/van. That's pretty close to the 66-70 metallic blue engine paint. Is yours a 70? 71-73 was a whole different color

[Paul E]

Car is a 70 lemans but heavily modified with a gto hood, interior, engine, canvas convertible top, and highly upgraded suspension all done on a frame off in my garage. Just trying to make it look closer to stock but a close look not even close. Hydroboost, Edelbrock heads, 461 CI, hyd roller, WATTS link, tubular arms etc. Did not go overboard hiding it just made it blend in. Went with the engine color as it was close but looks very good. After painting this engine and a couple of Fords (blue) I would only do one with an activated paint and spray gun as it really looks nice. I primed and glazed the valve covers, took a needle scaler to the face of the heads to rough them up and it blends very nice to look stock.
Paul