69' 318 engine paint color

[1969R6RED]

Well this morning I went to a local speed shop here in the Detroit area and picked all of my parts for a full rebuild for my 318. Pistons, bearings etc.. As I'm getting ready to leave the shop I happened to ask the sales guy if they had the correct Chrysler color paint for my 318. I told him that the engine is a red/orange in color. He said that all they had was Hemi orange. I told him that I didn't think that color was right for a small block. So I told him that I would just check with Year One. Then another sales guy came out of the office and told me that the engine in my car MUST have been painted in its lifetime as he says that they were all supposed to be Turquoise. Then I said to him that I still have the original coolant by-pass hose with the original snap hose clamps on it and it is red/orange plus may other parts like the dip stick and tube are red/orange. There is no sign of any Turquoise on any part of the engine. So what is really the correct color for a 69 318 engine?? I'm betting on the red/orange but I've been wrong lots of times before.  Thanks for any help or advise..

JIM

[Pete in NH]

Every stock 69 318 I've ever seen has been the red/orange color. Never seen a turquoise one. I'm pretty sure the turquoise was only used on lower compression big block models, like a 383 2BBL.

[maxwellwedge]

I know All the '69 340's were blue. Turquoise is different. Can't comment on the 69 318's. I don't know why they would be different....but again - not sure. Were they the same red as a '68 340?

The only engines that were ever painted Hemi Orange were.....Hemi's. 3 different shades were used over the years.

Here is an original paint pic of my 69 Swinger 340.

[Dino]

I looked at a bone stock 69 with 318 a few years ago.  The engine was blue.  Turquoise is for 68 only I thought.   

[Troy]

I'd have said Blue or possibly Red - but definitely not Turquoise or Orange. There does seem to be some confusion on the web about it and it might possibly have something to do with a mid-year change from red to blue? I'm pretty sure that 318s in 68 were red and were medium blue in 70 (I've had both) so it's possible that 69 model year cars got engines slated for earlier or later model years(?). The engines were typically in production far ahead of the cars they were going in to (but not sure how close the "assembly" would have been).

Troy

[Pete in NH]

Well, you just never know when it comes to Chrysler production issues. 69 could have very well been a transition year. I have a 69 Barracuda 318 and it is red. I remember going through the same red vs. blue issue with that car. The engine as I got it was red and it was an all original car. The color for blue would be Chrysler blue, but it seems with traces of red paint on the original posters engine, red would be correct.

[69CoronetRT]

So what is really the correct color for a 69 318 engine?

This may help. It's a 69 TSB showing engine colors by CID and application.

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1969/D69-25-1%20page5.jpg

[1969R6RED]

Hi Guys thanks for all of the responces . I took a look in my Year One catalog Friday morning. Under there engine paint section they noted that up untill 69' the 273 and 318 were both painted Red. Also there is not even a hint of Blue or any other color on any part of the engine. Even the plastic spark plug wire looms that sit on top of the rocker covers are red and the harmonic balancer is red so it looks I'm going to go red.

Thanks JIM

[Matthan]

How can you tell if you have a high compresion 383 vs. a lower one?

[69CoronetRT]

How can you tell if you have a high compresion 383 vs. a lower one?

High Compression or High Performance?

An HP assembly will have the HP stamp on the front pad by the distributor.

[cowboy4x4n]

My factory 69 318 in the car still was blue.  Never repainted

[Skull-1]

My 1969 model 318 came from the factory with red paint. It was built in late 1968. 

[fy469rtse]

Every car I have every seen with a 318 for the 69 year red, and a survivor 68 over here with a 318 red also, could be down to which plant engine came out of ?