When you restore your AMC vehicle be sure to paint the engine the correct color,
this chart will give you the insight needed.
Larry Daum mramc@ix.netcom.com assembled the list of AMC engine paints:
TECH: AMC ENGINE COLORS
--------------------------
Engine Color Year Ditzler #/ DuPont #
327 OHV Red 64 70642 /
196 OHV Silver (Alum) 61-64 / DEE-45
196 OHV Red and Gray 61-63
Note: The 61-63 196 engines are believed to have used the L-head gray for
the block and the rampart red for the cylinder head.
196 Lhead Gray 56-65 31946 /
196 OHV Lancelot Turq. Poly 64-66 12828 /
327 OHV Rampart Red 64-66 71394 / 4541
Note: Two different sources give different coded for the 1964 Red on the
327 OHV.
287 OHV Forum Blue Poly 63-64 12826 /
* Editor's note: one source has said that the 287's for 65-66
went to Cape Cod Blue, like the 199's. Anyone
know definitively which is correct?
199 OHV Cape Code Blue 64-67 12675 / 4416
343 OHV Copper 67 22867 /
290 OHV Gold 67 22866 /
232 OHV Red 67 71394 / 4541
ALL Caravelle Blue n/met 68 13416 / 4936DH
ALL Blue Poly METALLIC 69-73 13730 / see note
ALL Engine Blue 74-82 14688 /
Note: There are at least four different paint mixtures for Blue Poly from
the original supplier Seymore Paint of Sycamore Illinois.
All Black or unpainted 83 up
***************************************
Notes : Ditzler paint codes use DQE pre fix on all paint codes for enamal
paint. AMC did not use high temp engine paint just straight enamel.
The change from Caravelle blue to Blue Poly may have taken place when AMC
lowered the compression on its engines for the EPA standards possibly in
the middle of 1972.
[editor's note: I think he might mean from blue poly metallic to Engine
Blue...]
Chris Weigant <crispy@netscape.comsent in this testimonial: Anyone
needing engine paint for a 69-73 AMC, I highly recommend you get it from
fellow list member Ron Waters (addresses below). Just got mine, and the
color is perfect. Just a shade darker than the factory paint on the
engine, but that paint is slightly faded, so the new stuff should look
perfect! Even though it says "AMC Blue" on the can, it's not the post-73
"AMC Blue" blue-green color, it's the correct turquoise color, and hi-temp
engine paint. Just had to pass the word on for anyone who's interested.
Good price, too; $5.95 per can..
Contact info: WSC. Performance & Restoration Parts & Services; Website:
http://www.classicone.com/wsc or email: wsc@classicone.com
---------------------------------------------------------
Notes by Thomas Benvie <tbenvie@bu.edu:
290-401 Engine paint codes:
66: first year of 290 engine. Only 625 cars had it, with 500 of them the
special yellow and black Rogue. There was also 28 American Converts with
the 290: 25 auto, 3 4 spd (1-4 bbl, 2-2bbl. I owned a 2 bbl, still local).
The engine was gold color, Ditzler number 22866.
67: The 343 was intro'd in 67, and the 2 bbl was painted copper-#22867.
The 4 bbl was red, #71394.
68: saw the intro of the 390, and all V8s were now the same color:
Caravelle Blue (Same as the exterior color) #13416.
69-72: engines were painted Engine Blue, (close to Tahiti Torquoise) and is
# 13730. This is the paint Seymor sells for AMC, AM-66.
73 and up: engine color changed to a lighter blue, and is also called
Engine Blue. The # is 14688.
These are all Ditzler numbers. I buy the paint at a body supply shop
(custom mixed) and paint my engine the same as painting a car. As long as
the parts are clean and dry, it lasts forever. Too hot you think? Ever
feel the hood of a car in the desert sun? The only part of the car that
hot is the exhaust manifolds (Which are originally painted engine color.
They get the silvery finish in less than 200 miles of driving. Think about
it-the engine is assembled, then painted as a unit-exhaust manifolds, bell
housing, smog tubes, spark plug shields, air cleaner stove pipe, etc. The
carb, dist, water neck, are added later.)
Hope this helps.
-- end of Benvie's notes --
***************** Another engine color chart ***************
TECH: AMC ENGINE COLORS Editor: Marc Montoni --------------------------------------------------------- YEAR ENGINE COLOR DITZLER # / DUPONT # --------------------------------------------------------- 56-61 250 V8 gray 31946 / ----- --------------------------------------------------------- 61-64 196 OHV (alum) Silver ----- / DEE-45 Notes: natural block, steel parts painted the #45 Silver. --------------------------------------------------------- 56-63 196 OHV Red & Gray ----- / ----- Note: The 61-63 196 engines are believed to have used the L-head gray for the block and the Rampart Red #71394) for the cylinder head. Note: Frank Swygert thinks the Red was #70642, and that the grey/red combo was only from "early ones" (56-60??) but that later ones were all Red (70642) all over. Anyone know who's correct? --------------------------------------------------------- 56-65 196 Lhead Gray 31946 / ----- --------------------------------------------------------- 64-65 196 OHV Lancelot 12828 / ----- Turq. Poly Note: Frank Swygert reports this paint code 1289 / DP 4547. I think his Ditzler number is wrong as they're usually found as 5-digit codes. Anyone know if his DuPont number is right? --------------------------------------------------------- 56-63 327 Red 79642 / ----- Note: I'm not sure the above mix code is correct. Larry Daum says the 64 paint code is 70642 (notice the similarity in digits); but Frank Swygert says 64 went to Rampart Red #71394. I think someone transposed digits, but which? --------------------------------------------------------- 64 327 Red 70642 / ----- (early production??) see notes in previous record... --------------------------------------------------------- 64-66 327 Rampart Red 71394 / 4541 Note: Two different sources give different codes for the 1964 Red on the 327 OHV. see notes in previous record... --------------------------------------------------------- 63-66 287 Forum Blue Poly 12826 / ----- Note: one source says the 287's for 65-66 went to Cape Cod Blue, like the 199's. Anyone know for sure which is correct? Frank Swygert says the DuPont number for Forum Blue (a dark blue) is DP4543. --------------------------------------------------------- 64-67 199 Cape Code Blue 12675 / 4416 --------------------------------------------------------- 67 343 2 bbl Copper 22867 / ----- --------------------------------------------------------- 67 343 4 bbl Red 71394 / ----- --------------------------------------------------------- 66-67 290 Gold 22866 / NOTES from Tom Benvie: first year of 290 engine. Only 625 cars had it, with 500 of them the special yellow and black Rogue. There was also 28 American Converts with the 290: 25 auto, 3 were 4 spd (1-4 bbl, 2-2bbl. I owned a 2 bbl, still local). --------------------------------------------------------- 67 232 Rampart Red 71394 / 4541 --------------------------------------------------------- 68 ALL Caravelle 13416 / 4936DH Blue nonmetallic NOTES from Tom Benvie: This Caravelle Blue was the same as the exterior color offered the same year. --------------------------------------------------------- 69-72 ALL Engine Blue 13730 / ----- (type 1) NOTES from Tom Benvie: This Engine Blue is close to Tahiti Torquoise; and is also known as Blue Poly Metallic. This is the paint Seymor sells for AMC, Seymour part # AM-66. NOTES from Larry DauM: There are at least four different paint mixtures for "Blue Poly" from the original supplier Seymore Paint of Sycamore Illinois. NOTE: Frank Swygert has posted info which does not agree with the Benvie/Daum data, above. Swygert says AMC used Alamosa Aqua (DP 5061), a metallic, for 69-70; and then went to Alamosa Aqua *nonmetallic* from 71-up. I believe the Benvie/Daum data is correct. --------------------------------------------------------- 73-82 ALL Engine Blue 14688 / (type 2) NOTES from Tom Benvie: This Engine Blue is a lighter shade than the type 1. --------------------------------------------------------- 83-87 ALL Black or unpainted ********************************************************* ********************************************************* ********************************************************* Notes : 1. DAUM: Ditzler paint codes use DQE pre fix on all paint codes for enamal paint. 2. DAUM: AMC did not use high temp engine paint just straight enamel. BENVIE: "I buy the paint at a body supply shop (custom mixed) and paint my engine the same as painting a car. As long as the parts are clean and dry, it lasts forever. Too hot you think? Ever feel the hood of a car in the desert sun? The only part of the car that hot is the exhaust manifolds (which are originally painted engine color. They get the silvery finish in less than 200 miles of driving. Think about it-the engine is assembled, then painted as a unit-exhaust manifolds, bell housing, smog tubes, spark plug shields, air cleaner stove pipe, etc. The carb, dist, water neck, are added later.))" 3. DAUM: The change from Engine Blue type 1 to Engine Blue type 2 may have taken place when AMC lowered the compression on its engines for the EPA standards possibly in the middle of 1972. 4. CHRIS WEIGANT <crispy@netscape.com> sent in this testimonial: "Anyone needing engine paint for a 69-73 AMC, I highly recommend you get it from fellow list member Ron Waters (addresses below). Just got mine, and the color is perfect. Just a shade darker than the factory paint on the engine, but that paint is slightly faded, so the new stuff should look perfect! Even though it says "AMC Blue" on the can, it's not the post-73 "AMC Blue" blue-green color, it's the correct turquoise color, and hi-temp engine paint. Just had to pass the word on for anyone who's interested. Good price, too; $5.95 per can. Contact info: WSC. Performance & Restoration Parts & Services; Website: http://www.classicone.com/wsc or email: <wsc@classicone.com> ." ********************************************************* ********************************************************* ********************************************************* CREDITS: 1. Larry Daum <mramc@ix.netcom.com> assembled the initial list of AMC engine paints in 97 or 98, and posted it to the AMC-List. 2. Tom Benvie has also contributed to this list in its current form. 3. Frank Swygert has created engine paint lists of his own. His data doesn't always agree with that provided by Benvie and Daum, but it is mostly incorporated in this table as well, with areas of disagreement noted where known. ********************************************************* ********************************************************* ********************************************************* [Anyone who wishes to republish this info may do so to their heart's content. However, you may not copyright this specific composition, as I hereby release it to the public domain forever and for all time. Language specifically noted as direct quotation belongs to the authors attributed and is not affected by this disclaimer.]