Topic: Spray can - Corporate Blue Engine Color Attempts, Results and Attempts

[rrenz]

Used the VHT/Dupli Color myself on my 66. As far as durability its been about 2 years now with occasional driving with only minimal touchups with a fine brush here and there. Only issue I ran into was 1 can of the 3 that I had purchased was a mile off as far as color shade was concerned. Had to buy additional cans and do spray outs first to confirm proper color consistency. Ive always felt that it appeared to be a bit too dark but was very happy with its appearance. Like previously noted the color will look different inside and out, when the sun hits it Etc

[NEFaurora]

 

I've been using PlastiKote's High Heat Engine Paint stuff for the past 20 years with a high rate of success.  It's quality stuff...and I think that the colors are pretty accurate. ../and it sure wears like iron!!  PS: Don't forget to use their Engine Primer for really tough wear...  I just love the stuff.

Just a suggestion!

)

Tony K.

[J_Speegle]

I've been using PlastiKote's High Heat Engine Paint stuff for the past 20 years with a high rate of success.  It's quality stuff...and I think that the colors are pretty accurate. ../and it sure wears like iron!!  PS: Don't forget to use their Engine Primer for really tough wear...  I just love the stuff.

As another suggestion remember that originally no primer was used and its application, along with applying too much paint will lead to produce an unoriginal finish and look.  We see allot of engines both rattle canned and painted that come out looking like they were dipped in paint/plastic whick really stand out as incorrect

[evantugby]

Used POR-15 Ford Corporate Blue.  The first spray came out tacky so we diluted it with mineral spirits (as a reducer) and it went on perfect the second and third coat.  The reducer really helped the paint lay down better.  Check out the pictures.  And the color looks dead on to me.

Pic 1:  Me putting on first coat
Pic 2:  How it looks after first coat with no mineral spirit as reducer.  See the tackiness? 
Pic 3:  After 2-3 coats with mineral spirits as a reducer.  This was in a semi-low light area. 
Pic 4:  Final product in a very high-lit area without any natural light. 
PIc 5:  Updated on 1 April 2018.  I wanted to add another picture in natural light.  Note:  The engine is not even close to concours yet, still have lots to do, but this picture is simply to look at the POR 15 Ford Corporate Blue with a reducer sprayed on a 1965 289 HiPo. 

[Bob Gaines]

Used POR-15 Ford Corporate Blue.  The first spray came out tacky so we diluted it with mineral spirits (as a reducer) and it went on perfect the second and third coat.  The reducer really helped the paint lay down better.  Check out the pictures.  And the color looks dead on to me.

Pic 1:  Me putting on first coat
Pic 2:  How it looks after first coat with no mineral spirit as reducer.  See the tackiness? 
Pic 3:  After 2-3 coats with mineral spirits as a reducer.  This was in a semi-low light area. 
Pic 4:  Final product in a very high-lit area

It is hard to determine if correct shade in my monitor. It depends on lighting and the monitor. For instance in one of your pictures of the painted block the shade appeared to be more like the Ford light blue . In another picture it appeared a little darker. Based on that I for one couldn't make a call one way or the other.

[evantugby]

For those in the future struggling to match paint.  I pulled this information from deadnutson.com

Ford Corp Blue Paint Info:
PPG Delstar Ditzler DAR-TCP 13358 (H)  acrylic enamel
DXR 80 Delthane Ultra Urethane Hardener
Ditzler DX 265 All Purpose Flatting Base (25% to 30%)
DTR-601 Reducer (HVLP gun x 2)

Good rattle can black paint for console: SEM 15013 Landau Black Color Coat


http://www.deadnutson.com/page/page/4586632.htm

[WT8095]

Another factor to consider is that these motors were painted 50 years ago. The paint has aged, been exposed to high and low temperatures (many cycles too), and was subjected to various petroleum products and other chemicals. So comparing new paint to original parts does not guarantee a match to the original color when it was fresh. Plus, the original paint may have varied slighty from batch to batch, especially if multiple paint suppliers were used (I don't know if that happened).

[Bob Gaines]

For those in the future struggling to match paint.  I pulled this information from deadnutson.com

Ford Corp Blue Paint Info:
PPG Delstar Ditzler DAR-TCP 13358 (H)  acrylic enamel
DXR 80 Delthane Ultra Urethane Hardener
Ditzler DX 265 All Purpose Flatting Base (25% to 30%)
DTR-601 Reducer (HVLP gun x 2)

Good rattle can black paint for console: SEM 15013 Landau Black Color Coat


http://www.deadnutson.com/page/page/4586632.htm

I hope you used this PPG product and repainted your engine block. The PPG paint is what I have used and was happy with the results.The POR 15 products shade of blue is noticeably different then what was used at Ford from the times I have seen it in person.

[carlite65]

'The POR 15 products shade of blue is noticeably different then what was used at Ford from the times I have seen it in person.'

agree with bob here. not the proper shade of blue.

[J_Speegle]

PPG paint has been the standard and the most widely used, in my observations, over the last 30 or so years. No reason to reinvent the wheel especially since it can result in something that will stand out in the crowd of other cars you are likely going to be parked next to. 

[mgreene]

Used POR-15 Ford Corporate Blue.  The first spray came out tacky so we diluted it with mineral spirits (as a reducer) and it went on perfect the second and third coat.  The reducer really helped the paint lay down better.  Check out the pictures.  And the color looks dead on to me.

Pic 1:  Me putting on first coat
Pic 2:  How it looks after first coat with no mineral spirit as reducer.  See the tackiness? 
Pic 3:  After 2-3 coats with mineral spirits as a reducer.  This was in a semi-low light area. 
Pic 4:  Final product in a very high-lit area without any natural light. 
PIc 5:  Updated on 1 April 2018.  I wanted to add another picture in natural light.  Note:  The engine is not even close to concours yet, still have lots to do, but this picture is simply to look at the POR 15 Ford Corporate Blue with a reducer sprayed on a 1965 289 HiPo.

Wouldn't a '65 Hi-Po be black? 

[carlite65]

yep.

[Bob Gaines]

Wouldn't a '65 Hi-Po be black? 

Ford documents indicate that Ford would have completed the change over to blue by Aug 15 of 1965 if memory serves. With that said we know of instances that seem to contradict that. Possibly all new engines built from that time on or maybe it took longer to use up supplies I am not sure. Anyway there is document evidence to suggest that very late production built 65 cars could have had blue engines . I wouldn't bet my life that all 65 production engines were black given the factory circumstantial evidence .   

[J_Speegle]

Of course these would likely be cars built in the last weeks of production if it did take place and even proving a car was built during that time can be a challenge.

Don't know if anyone has collected the engine assembly dates from the ID tags on the engines that are claimed to be originally blue from 65 production cars. For the builder, unless you have proof, the general consensus it's likely the best choice. Oddities and the possibility of their existence are fun to discuss but go with the common accepted practices unless you want to be that guy and have something to back it up.

Not sure if we'll ever be able to figure it out for sure - but sometimes it the journey that leads us to new understandings or reinforce what we already know and accept

[rare70cat]

Anybody used Eastwood's 2K engine paint to check color correctness? This is a two stage paint that has the same durability as "spray gun" paint. I have seen the PPG formula here for engine paint/color but not everybody has access to this equipment and regular rattle can (VHT,Plasticote) doesn't have two stage durability.