Series 1 Engine Paint Plan - Details Please

[Zak's Z]

I can tell you I painted those mounts blue. I do remember though that when I cleaned them off originally, they were blue then too. there was alot of grease and fading, but when they were all cleaned off blue was the only color left in some faded spots.

[AZ-240z]

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.

I agree with 26th-z. From what I have seen on many early cars, the only blue engine paint intended was on the engine block, and a few pulleys up front. Any blue paint on oil pans, heater piping and hoses, engine mounts, etc., was factory overspray which varied considerably in degree.

To attempt to duplicate the correct (?) overspray patterns convincingly would be incredibly difficult and could create much more debate over what is correct enough.

To attempt to get it right, I think that one would have to figure out and follow the order of factory assembly of parts and painting as the car progress though the assembly process.

Then, your car may appear to be incomplete unless you had all the little yellow splashes of paint on nuts and bolts, and , yes, evan blue or red dots and splashes of paint on bell housings, and control values. etc bolted to the engine.

I would think that this would only truly be necessary for a concours restoration, and I don't know if the judging criteria is to that point now or will ever be. The judging may think that an admirable degree of resto quality, but for judging(?), Chime in any time, 26th-z.

Just my thoughts

Dan

[JohnnyO]

I have decided that I will go with the block blue paint for the motor mount brackets. It makes sense to me that these may have been installed when the block was painted. So even if they were black to start with they would have been blue when the PO purchased the car. That would explain why he painted them blue again after the last rebuild.

I will post pictures tomorrow.

[JohnnyO]

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

Zak,

Is that the original block color or another shade of blue?

John

[26th-Z]

I dug these engine mounts out of a box yesterday. These are the original mounts from 26th. Blue overspray on one black mount and no overspray on the other.

[JohnnyO]

Well I guess that it all depends on the guy painting the blocks the day your engine rolled down the line.

Mine were painted blue, I assume the PO saw them blue and repainted them the color he saw. I ended up painting mine blue. I will probably leave them like this for a couple of weeks and decide on the color before mounting them.

While we are talking about the color I just wanted to put up a couple pictures of the mounts. I have read in other posts that "old ford blue" is a very close match. I don't think it is a very "close" match at all. You be the judge. The mount on the left is old ford blue, the one on the right is Datsun blue.

The first picture is a comparison shot of old ford blue and Datsun blue paint I purchased from Tower Paint. I ordered a 6 pack of cans and used 1 to paint my block, pulleys and mounts. I will keep 1 can on the shelf just in case. I have 4 available if anyone is interested PM me.

I couldnt believe how well that paint covered. I asked what brand they use and they said it was either PPG or Dupont depending on the color. I will say this, I have never used a spray paint that covered and sprayed that well.

Well, let me know what you think.

Next up is the oil pan then reassembly.

Edited February 9, 2009 by JohnnyO

[26th-Z]

You sure can tell the difference! Datsun Dusty Blue. Tower paint is a great resource. That's what Les and Mike sell. Here is a crank pulley fresh out of the Nissan box for comparison.

[WDILL]

This how my engine currently looks. Originally the painter painted every thing blue. We corrected that mistake.

[Mike B]

I see that you painted your oil pan blue to. I think it and the engine mounts were originally painted black and then had varying amounts of blue overspray as the engine blocks were painted. Here are some pictures of the oil pan on my 1972. Notice the blue engine overspray. I would probably just go all black, unless you are trying to duplicate what you know was the original overspray pattern specific to your car, but that's just me.

-Mike

Edited February 9, 2009 by Mike B

[26th-Z]

Yes; same finish on the oil pan. Seems like the engine was sprayed with a very broad tip to get such a pattern. Notice how the lip of the oil pan "masks" the first inch or so of the pan.

I came across this topic some years ago when I began talking restoration technique. Some restorers enjoy the crisp clean lines and definitions of the finish. Others go to great lenghts, as Mike just pointed out, to replicate the exact original finish. This came up when we were talking paint dabs on the suspension bolts and manufacturing techniques. That was the first time I encountered the term 'bling'.

[JohnnyO]

I see that you painted your oil pan blue to.

-Mike

I plan on painting mine black this week. Maybe you were talking to Wally. I think somebody said "satin black".

[JohnnyO]

This how my engine currently looks. Originally the painter painted every thing blue. We corrected that mistake.

Is this the corrected picture? Looks like everything is still blue. As Mike says below, oil pan should be black and I think the timing cover and oil pump are supposed to be natural.