Orange overspray on SB's

[Jacsey 70Z]

Here's another cool thing I found, the spark plug wire stansions were painted on the engine after the valve covers were installed, brush marks on the cover. They were painted with a brush and the bolts are orange also, there is no paint where the brush couldn't get. I've seen this on all survivor LT1 just never saw this much paint on the valve cover, The passenger side valve cover is much neater job, maybe two different people one on each side.



This is a 4000 mile survivor 70 Z28 notice the Orange bolts and the paint on the intake.

[Mr70]

That's pretty interesting Jack.
Can you tell if your PCV Valve has #746C stamped along the side and is it tinted purple?

[Salvatore]

Show us more!!

[CamarosRus]

Surely Jack will answer any and all questions. His is the most documented, photographed, original, unrestored, survivor 1970 Camaro Z-28 WE know of.....and surely the best model for any 70 Camaro resto in progress.....and YES, I am a big fan, admirer and friend of Jacks.

[Jacsey 70Z]

I didn't notice any purple tint on the PCV valve, This is how it reads...
AC SPARK PLUG
Type CV-746C
When talking to this engine plant paint guy he told me that he very seldom painted the bottom of the oil pan very well because you really had to get on one knee to do it. Quality control would come down with complaints of oil pans rusting out from no paint, so they would paint them while they were standing there as soon as they left they would go back to the easy way. He told me he could paint an entire engine and never leave his stool and not miss a word in his book!!
Also told me he didn't paint a bellhousing in thirty years, just hit it across the top. I asked him if I got a engine ready would he come over and paint it the way he did in 70, he said sure but he also guarenteed me I wouldn't like it.
Thanks for the nice comments Chuck!!

You can tell which side was down on the harmonic balancer.


CTB in crayon on block Z28 4 Speed

[DarrenX33]

Overspray? Looks like we are all using way too much paint.

Excellent pictures Jack. Keep them coming. What a great lesson this is.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Very good info Jack, looks like I have some more items to work on

[JohnZ]

I worked at the Chevrolet Pilot Line from '66-'70, just a couple of hundred yards down Van Slyke Road from the Flint V-8 plant, and I spent a lot of time at Flint V-8 during that time; a friend of mine ran the Piston Department.

Both Flint and Tonawanda used vacuum-formed plastic masks on aluminum intakes and on aluminum or chrome valve covers during painting, and the intake mask was pretty much open at the front to accommodate the water pump bypass fitting and hoses - that's why you see more overspray at the front of the intake than at the rear. Engines came through the paint booth at Flint V-8 at nearly 300 per hour, and it was hardly a "concours" operation - the last guy at the exit of the booth was plenty busy removing masks, cardboard tubes from the spark plugs and water pump hub, the can over the distributor, tape from the stamp pad, etc., and I never saw anyone doing any "silver touch-up" at the front of any intakes. This operation varied a lot from hour to hour and from day to day, and it wasn't precise or consistent by any stretch of the imagination, as each guy had less than twelve seconds to do his assigned job, and engines with aluminum intakes and valve covers had twice the work content for them than standard engines.

The way we restore engines today, we wouldn't be satisfied with the way aluminum-intake engines actually looked when they left Flint V-8 or Tonawanda in the 60's.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I would like to duplicate the original factory look as close as possible! So, I will be overspraying, dabbing, etc... in order to do a true 'concourse' resto. ( I will also have a copy of this thread with me at the Nationals in '06 )

Thanks for the pics, & the info - keep it coming!

[SS427]

[ QUOTE ]
The mask used on non-painted valve covers and Al intakes engines covered the complete top of engine.
So there could be minor overspray at the front and rear, depending on the mask and the painter. But as Mosport says, there shouldn't be any on the intake sides. I've seen several L78's painted on the intake sides, they are wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kurt,
No disrespect but I would like to hear John's take on this. I have inspected MANY survivor LS-6's and the overspray on the intake sides and valve cover lips was very obvious though very faint as well unlike the ends. I am currently restoring an X-drag LS-6 that had all it's original parts pulled off the engine and stored in a box when it was brand new and replaced with racing Day 2 parts. These valve covers clearly showed overspray on them as well as all the bolts and plates under the bolts. I do not believe I photographed them but will double check as the owner provided me with several hundred photos of the car and parts before he shipped the car to me and I think some of them showed it.

Again, I could be totally wrong but my research shows the contrary to the overspray. I would love to hear more about the assembly line procedures and see possible photos. This stuff is priceless and thanks again John.
Rick