The following information has been verified by Classic AMX Club International, American Motorsport, AMC World Clubs founder and National Director (retired) Larry Mitchell. Author of the books "AMC Buyers Guide" and "AMC Muscle Cars". Owner AMX Enterprises, Inc.


AMC Concours Accepted
Engine Component Colors and Finish


Before color is applied engine parts should be clean and oil free. Use Rust-Oleum Red Oxide primer as it is epoxy paint, no matter if the can says or not. Epoxy is much thicker and far more durable than regular enamels. It is cheap and easy to find. 3-5 coats over a 24 hour period with at least 48 hours to dry until the final color coats are applied. NEVER use the color coat without using this as a base primer as the color will not stay on a bare block for long by itself. There is no need for a "high temp" primer or color coat as "high temp" paint is for 400-degree and up applications and no way is your block, heads, intake, pan, etc going to get hotter than 400 degrees at maximum!

AMC used Acrylic Enamel body paint on their engines. For the very best (show) finish, have your local paint shop mix up AMC body paint in enamel and shoot the final color coats from a small, air powered touch-up gun or regular bodyshop paint gun as you will dispense far more paint in one pass than 10 passes with a spray can. Many coats of a spray can will supply only a thin layer of actual paint each pass and soon puddle and run unlike body paint from a professional touch-up gun or full-sized gun. It is an historic fact from workers who were at the plant in 1968, 69, 70 that 5-gallon sealed buckets of body paint came in from the Milwaukee Plant and was used to paint the engines. Because the engines were painted when nearly fully assembled, head gaskets, timing cover gaskets, etc had colored engine paint on them when new. The paint was not super glossy, nor flat--it was somewhere in between.

1968
1968 AMC 290, 343 V-8
The following engine items should be painted engine color: Caravelle Blue, Metallic (medium) Color Code 44:
Block, heads, intake manifold, oil pan, timing chain cover, water pump, oil fill tube, oil cap, stove pipe, alternator bracket, dipstick tube, dipstick handle, valve covers. Bolt heads should be engine color.

Eastwood's Under Hood Black is a good paint/color choice for the following 290, 343 engine items: Fan pulley, crank pulley, air cleaner tub, snorkel and lid. Lid should have CID decals applied.

Satin black or low-gloss for fan blades and alternator "Z" stand-off bracket.

The following 290, 343 engine items were originally plated, not painted, but a low-gloss silver paint will do for most people: Alternator, alternator pulley, coil clamp.

Fan spacer, A/C Compressor/brackets if equipped should be natural aluminum. Eastwood's Aluma Blast Paint #10109 Z spray finish can be used if desired.

The following 290, 343 engine items should be natural finish: Exhaust manifolds.


1968 AMC 390 V-8
The following engine items should be painted engine color: Caravelle Blue, Metallic (medium) Color Code 44.
Block, heads, intake manifold, oil pan, timing chain cover, water pump, oil fill tube, stove pipe, alternator bracket, dipstick tube, dipstick handle. Bolt heads should be engine color.

Eastwood's 10024 Z Underhood Black Semi Gloss Aerosol 12 oz is a good paint/color choice for the following 390 engine items: Fan pulley, crank pulley, air cleaner tub, snorkel lid. Lid should have High-compression CID decals applied.

Satin black or low-gloss for fan blades alternator "Z" stand-off bracket.

The following 390 engine items were originally plated, not painted, but a low-gloss silver paint will do for most people: Alternator, alternator pulley, coil clamp.

Fan spacer, A/C Compressor/brackets if equipped should be natural aluminum. Eastwood's Aluma Blast Paint #10109 Z spray finish can be used if desired.

The following 390 engine items should be natural finish: Exhaust manifolds.

The following 390 engine items should be chrome finish: Air cleaner lid, valve covers, oil filler cap.

Automatic and 4-speed bellhousings should be painted engine color. AMC did not try and paint any of these items in a complete and thorough way for "show". Most bell housings got only a "partial" color coat to save time and paint as it didn't show when the hood was opened anyway. Transmissions should be natural finish.

1969

1969 AMC 290, 343 V-8
The following engine items should be painted engine color: Alamosa Aqua, Metallic (medium) Color Code 68.
Block, heads, intake manifold, oil pan, timing chain cover, water pump, oil fill tube, oil cap, stove pipe, alternator bracket, dipstick tube, dipstick handle, valve covers. Bolt heads should be engine color.

Eastwood's Under Hood Black is a good paint/color choice for the following 290, 343 engine items: Fan pulley, crank pulley, air cleaner tub, snorkel and lid. Lid should have CID decals applied.

Satin black or low-gloss for fan blades and alternator "Z" stand-off bracket.

The following 290, 343 engine items were originally plated, not painted, but a low-gloss silver paint will do for most people: Alternator, alternator pulley, coil clamp.

Fan spacer, A/C Compressor/brackets if equipped should be natural aluminum. Eastwood's Aluma Blast Paint #10109 Z spray finish can be used if desired.

The following 290, 343 engine items should be natural finish: Exhaust manifolds.

1969 AMC 390 V-8
The following engine items should be painted engine color: Alamosa Aqua, Metallic (medium) Color Code 68.
Block, heads, intake manifold, oil pan, timing chain cover, water pump, oil fill tube, stove pipe, alternator bracket, dipstick tube, dipstick handle. Bolt heads should be engine color.

Eastwood's 10024 Z Underhood Black Semi Gloss Aerosol 12 oz is a good paint/color choice for the following 390 engine items: Fan pulley, crank pulley, air cleaner tub, snorkel lid. Lid should have High-compression CID decals applied.

Satin black or low-gloss for fan blades alternator "Z" stand-off bracket.

The following 390 engine items were originally plated, not painted, but a low-gloss silver paint will do for most people: Alternator, alternator pulley, coil clamp.

Fan spacer, A/C Compressor/brackets if equipped should be natural aluminum. Eastwood's Aluma Blast Paint #10109 Z spray finish can be used if desired.

The following 390 engine items should be natural finish: Exhaust manifolds.

The following 390 engine items should be chrome finish: Air cleaner lid, valve covers, oil filler cap.

Automatic and 4-speed bellhousings should be painted engine color. AMC did not try and paint any of these items in a complete and thorough way for "show". Most bell housings got only a "partial" color coat to save time and paint as it didn't show when the hood was opened anyway. Transmissions should be natural finish.




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