Orange overspray on SB's

[Xplantdad]

I agree John...keep it coming. There's nothing better than hearing it from someone who experienced it first hand. BTW, John sent me a write up on one of his former cars...stay tuned in the Members rides area...it's awesome!

[Kurt S]

Rick,
No problem. The info I posted is from pretty much from John. He doesn't frequent this board, so I had asked him to post cause he always has more details.
Here's a quote from him that clarifies the mask used:

"Both plants used a vacuum-formed plastic mask on aluminum intakes during painting..... Engines that also had aluminum or chrome valve covers used a similar mask that had "wings" on it that also masked the valve covers."

[SS427]

Kurt,
Thanks for the imput. As I have said for years, I learn something new every day. I am just curious why I have seen so many original LS-6 cars with overspray along the intake runners. It would be great to see more assembly line photos if John or anyone else can post them.
Rick

[JohnZ]

There was enough variation and lack of consistency in the engine painting operation at each plant and between the two plants that NCRS (I'm an NCRS Master Judge) doesn't describe the overspray issues in detail in the Judging Guides (which are well over 100 pages long for each year car, and have an astounding level of detail for everything else).

All we refer to in the JG's is "slight overspray may be present on the front and rear of the aluminum intakes and water pump bypass hoses". We have judged hundreds of KNOWN-original cars (we have a "Bowtie" judging class just for unrestored/unmolested/untouched original cars), whose value is as educational tools in providing Originality guidance for the Flight Judging Guides, and they show enough variation that it would be unfair to seize on any one painting/masking configuration as being the only "correct" one.

It takes ten man-hours to Flight Judge a Corvette (five two-man teams, each of which spends 45 minutes to an hour judging Operations, Exterior, Interior, Mechanical, and Chassis), and only about four points (out of 4500 for the whole car) are related to overspray on the intake.

[Belair62]

John do you know anyone who was at Tonawanda or are you comfortable that they did the big blocks the same way over there ? Also could you explain the differences in broaching with a W engine as opposed to a straight broached 396 and later big blocks.

[DarrenX33]

John thanks for chiming in. Great info as always.

[JohnZ]

[ QUOTE ]
John do you know anyone who was at Tonawanda or are you comfortable that they did the big blocks the same way over there ? Also could you explain the differences in broaching with a W engine as opposed to a straight broached 396 and later big blocks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was only at Tonawanda twice in the late 60's, but their paint process was similar to the one at Flint V-8. I recall one of the Tonawanda process engineers commenting during a lunch discussion that the old "W"-blocks were decked using a simple rotary mill process instead of building a huge broach machine like they used for the high-volume small-blocks. I posted a photo of the Tonawanda broach cutters in another thread - that machine was about the size of a large locomotive, and the relatively low volume of the "W"-block didn't justify that kind of tooling investment.

[Belair62]

Thanks for that info John....Did you ever think anyone would give a crap about all that stuff 35 years later !!!! Happy New Year

[mister_copo]

Great post and some more solid info with some great pictures. I know the person who owns the 6K mile LT1 block and have documented it as well. One of these days I'm going to find the right car to transplant that motor into and then i'll make him a stupid offer for that engine.

Either that or i'll be there to roll that engine and stand into his grave when they bury him with the rare parts he has aquired over the years.



Great post guys, and a plathora of info.

[Mr70]

This is a factory photo of an engine compartment from a 1964 Malibu.
283 CID