2mnyvets

LARs, I went to buy the Delstar 60524 H paint you recommended for GM engines. However it is no longer available in my area. The PPG rep said it was a "Hugger Orange" color, paint code 72. Did you ever get a chance to upgrade you post and if not, was the paint you recommended "Hugger Orange".

Thanks for any information you can give me.

My experience with engine paint is
1. I used the VHT orange with the recommended primer and really like the color. it took me about a month to get the engine back in. I had a slight gas drip from the filter that lifted the paint.
2. I used Hirsch's paint for my Mopar and it looks great and has lasted, However, I bought the Chevy orange and it is too white for me.

73racevette

Different manufactures use different names for the same color. If your PPG rep is indicating it is paint code 72, that is most likely correct. The "Hugger Orange" could be different depending upon suppliers.

lars

Chevy engine paint is not Hugger Orange. I'm going to be painting a 327 shortly, and I will get the "crossover" code and mixing formula for the correct color in a catayzed urethane - should have the info updated on my paint paper in a couple of weeks.

Lars

derekderek

The correct Chevy orange paint color is whatever they got the best price on at the time.

Bikespace

According to Urban Dictionary, "Hugger Orange" cross-references with "Monaco Orange" when used on a Corvette. Of note, the targeted ad think's my Mom's name is "Zora" in this cropped but unmodified screenshot. I don't think either color is correct for the engine, though, despite the obvious Corvette connection.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...=hugger+orange

lars

...and when used on the '69 GTO Judge, "Hugger Orange" became "Carousel Red."
...but it's not Chevy engine orange...

Lars

jackson

IIRC ... Delstar "was" PPG's Acrylic Enamel ... but seems it's been discontinued; seems same for its direct competitior Dupont Centari (dupont now Axalta)
.
Both great ... especially so when catalyzed with a hardener / gloss hardener.

More modern systems are faster and apparently more profitable. Also, seems both Delstar & Centari wouldn't meet current EPA constraints.

I have a bike I painted some 40 years ago with two-tone catalyzed Centari, color-sanded & "cleared" w/ Centari mixing clear ... still looks great and as tough as Imron.

Don't know, but maybe now-ubiquitous Acrylic Urethane might do well as engine enamel?

IIRC seems some "farm" stores recently had qts of both alkyd & acrylic enamels on shelf in popular tractor & 2-3 popular auto engine colors ... not sure ... YMMV

2mnyvets

Derek, To your point, I have two Chevy engine orange paints and there is a significant difference in the color.

2mnyvets

Thanks to all of you for your input.

For my engine compartment I used a Chromax Chromapremier single stage paint which was an excellent product. I think I may take a part from the engine I painted with VHT and have them custom blend a color to match that. I don't know if it is the correct color, but I know I like it. I don't know how well it is going to hold up to the heat though. I have both black and white epoxy primer. I think I will use the white since that is closer to the grey color of the VHT primer.

I am using the Chromax because I have left over catalyst and reducer and it really flowed out and covered well in the past.

thanks again.
Greg
. .

DonnieP73

For what it's worth, I used Por-15 chevy orange on my 73 and it is holding up well after more than 3 years.
You use a brush to paint and it is self-leveling.
Here is the engine when first painted:



This is the engine now:



Donnie

lars

Here is the info in currently available product lines:

PPG Omni MTK (Acrylic Urethane) Chevy Engine Orange, color code MTK 60524 D
Mix the paint 4:1:1 Omni/MR186 Reducer/MH167 Hardener and shoot it with a paint gun. If you have a new engine back from the machine shop and it’s bare metal, prime the entire engine, block, heads, etc. with PPG DP40LF Epoxy Primer mixed 2:1 with DP402LF Catalyst.

Other manufacturer color codes for engine orange:

Paint Manufacturer Codes
Dupont 97249, 67229, 4602
Acme/Rogers 17303
Martin Senour 1778, 10092
Sherwin Williams 1778, J5-1778

cheapta

FWIW, GM paint code #72 was for Hugger Orange but that's not engine paint.

lars

I think I mentioned that in 2 of my posts above.
Lars

2mnyvets

Donnie, I wasn't considering brush paint but looking at your engine I am rethinking that decision. Do you see any brush strokes? Using a brush certainly has its advantages. I have had good luck with other POR Products.I will look into this further.

What did you do to your exhaust manifolds? They look much better than mine. I blasted mine and used an Eastwood cast gray manifold paint. That Eastwood product did not work well for me in the past and the Eastwood rep said I didn't blast the manifolds well enough. I made sure I got every spec of black rust off the manifolds this time.

DonnieP73

No, the paint self-levels and you can't believe that you use a brush. Go to the Por-15 website and you will find how to paint over existing paint. On my engine, it was rusty; I used their base for rust and then painted the chevy orange over that. On the manifolds, if you look closely, you will see that they changed to a golden color after a while.
I think that I used a VHT spray on them while they were off the engine. That was 7 years ago that I painted the engine and have been driving for about 5 years now.

Donnie

2mnyvets

Thanks LARs. Isn't it ironic that the paint was a Ford Mustang Color!!

2mnyvets

Thanks for your help guys. I am done with the car and am closing out all the posts I did so the next guy has some starting point. i went with the POR paint. The color (in my opinion) is excellent. It did not hold up to leaking antifreeze at the intake thermostat housing, but otherwise looks great. Seems to resist oil well and held up to the heat at least for the 400 miles I have on it now. I went with POR primarily because of cost. I had about $75 into the paint, instead of about $250. My guess is the LARS suggestions would have worked as good or better, but I thought it was too expensive. I sprayed the engine first with POR15 black primer and then with the orange paint.