I went with the flat aluminum as Carl and DeesZ suggested. The finish on the thermostat housing was almost an exact match to the unfinished cam cover.

I think I will leave at that for now although I may try Zaks approach with some other small pieces as I move forward.

Thanks all!

John

I bead blasted all the parts in the 510 and then painted with a light coat of aluminum wheel paint followed with poly satin clear by minwax. I have been told that stuff holds up best on aluminim in an engine bay. here are the pix. before and after

Nice results, five&dime! I assume the Minwax poly was a rattle can, or did you brush it on? I didn't ever consider that; wouldn't have thought it would take the heat.... but based on your pictures, I guess it does. Is the poly resistant to petroleum products (e,g. oil/gas/etc.)

I used the rattle can for that. The machine shop we use said that the minwax will not yellow over time with the heat or the oil/grease. I used it on my BMW engine parts as well. I drive that daily and the front cover etc still look great!!

I used the rattle can for that. The machine shop we use said that the minwax will not yellow over time with the heat or the oil/grease. I used it on my BMW engine parts as well. I drive that daily and the front cover etc still look great!!

That's great to know. One problem with some of the clear coats, even the high-temp stuff, is yellowing. I'm seeing a small bit of yellowing on the cam cover I have on my '72. Are there any Minwax product specifics, or is all of their poly satin clear the same stuff? I want to pick some of that up & want to get the correct product.

Thanks!

I went to Lowe's to get it. Just make sure you get satin. I did 3-4 light coats. The can is black and gold.

In an attempt to get this thread back to the title topic, I would like to verify the original OEM finish of the U-shaped water tube that is located behind the engine that is part of the carb heating system.

The one on my Series I 240Z (HLS30-01841) was plated and then painted with the Nissan blue paint.

The one on my '72 shows no traces of paint. I cannot verify it as 'original'.

I took some pics of the motor today and the VHT paints used. One is VHT Flat Aluminum (too dull and dark) and the other is VHT Caliper enamel Cast Aluminum (too bright). I painted everything with the bright one, then gave a light coat of the dark one to take the shine out. The valve cover and distributor body are just blasted and sanded. The valve cover is a tad dark because I havnt cleaned off the metal polish completely, so the distributor is a good color reference.

When I resized the pics it turned them on me..you'll have to tilt your head (and I had to throw in one shot of the new paint job)

It was a really bright day here and the sun is low..I cant imagine this much light will ever hit the engine bay.

In an attempt to get this thread back to the title topic, I would like to verify the original OEM finish of the U-shaped water tube that is located behind the engine that is part of the carb heating system.

The one on my Series I 240Z (HLS30-01841) was plated and then painted with the Nissan blue paint.

Steve,

The tube comes plated cad and was apparently attached to the engine block when it was painted. Original OEM color is blue overspray.

In Zaks pictures above the motor mount brackets are painted blue. Is this correct or should they be satin black like the oil pan?

This was the topic of huge debate some time ago. Mine are black with blue overspray. I have seen all blue. Someone even suggested blue with black overspray.