Chevy orange engine paint ?

[Seattle Sam]

Micky, Kurt, and RatPack,
I was at our local restoration shop today and he had collected about five different paint samples all called Chevy Engine Orange. Out of the bunch, the POR-15 was much more red than the others. The colors of the others were between the POR-15 and the more yellow "Mopar Hemi" orange.

Do any of you have a color code that you believe is the closest to the original Chevy Orange? Is it the POR-15 color? If not, what is the code for the DuPont Centari paint?

Any help is appreciated, the shop is restoring a 1967 big block Camaro and he wants to get it right..

Thanks in advance!
-Sam

[All American Racer]

Great post, I think the prep is as important as the paint job. When I was a kid the engine came out of my 73 every winter just for paint. It always seemed to peel off the cylinder heads, from the heat I'm sure. I want to pull the 396 from my newly acquired Nova and paint it but this time I have to do my homework on prep as well as paint. Marc

[DaveC68]

I had recently considered starting a similar thread until this one resurfaced!
My 70 and 72 Monte's (BB and SB both original engine paint on the blocks prior to restorations), definately were more red than chevy orange? I was told that it was a result of the paint batches/pigments settling throughout a production paint run. Anyone else seen similar color variations.

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

I used the POR 15 and it has been 2 years,3500 miles and it still looks new.I have never been able to get the regular chevy orange spray paint to stay this nice.Of course my car is not a concourse show car and 100% originality was not a big concern but I will not ever use the spray paint again!I am also doing a 69 mopar 340 and POR 15 will go on it also.
Bobby Dodson

[camarojoe]

[ QUOTE ]
I had recently considered starting a similar thread until this one resurfaced!
My 70 and 72 Monte's (BB and SB both original engine paint on the blocks prior to restorations), definately were more red than chevy orange? I was told that it was a result of the paint batches/pigments settling throughout a production paint run. Anyone else seen similar color variations.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thinkk this is why there has been no definite "best" brand/shade/etc. of Chevy Orange paint... because there wasn't alot of consistency even on the originals. I have seen everything from a very "orangey" orange, to almost red on original blocks, and really the only thing consistent was that it was never very glossy, although that too can have variation and change over time... I've noticed that when you first fire a newly painted engine the paint seems to "gloss up" alot until the paint fully heat-cures, then it dulls back. I'd imagine the factory paint did the same thing, and likely dulled even farther with time. I would think theres a little room for "personal preference" in this area, without being considered "incorrect".