engine color, has anybody found a powdercoat that's a close match to Datsun blue?

[pdp8]

Just like that, I'm planning to powder-coat the block and several other parts small and large and thought it would be nice if I could come up with something like the original color.

[iceman510]

For which model?

 

Seems to me anyone who has the color guards the info so they can charge $30 for a spray can of the paint.

[pdp8]

43 minutes ago, iceman510 said:

For which model?

 

Seems to me anyone who has the color guards the info so they can charge $30 for a spray can of the paint.

There were pretty much just two blues used for a huge range of models and years.  In my case, I'm doing a 1500 A-series engine.

 

[datzenmike]

The Pontiac engine block paint it close. Say a '69 GTO with a 400 cu in. It's not perfect but no one is going to see side by side comparison. Do the air filter box as well.

[KELMO]

What Mike said. I have also used Ford blue for blocks. I think the Pontiac blue is the lighter shade and Ford is the darker.

 

I think that is the way it works, I could be wrong, and it should be the other way around.

[datzenmike]

Pontiac slightly lighter is my understanding also. It'll look fine if you do the air filter so there's no comparison. You don't need high heat paint, dosn't get that warm to need it.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Use engine enamel. It has a high ceramic content which makes it more durable. Chemicals won't hurt it. I use Dupli-color engine paint.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I wonder if the AMC V8 blue is close enough. I sprayed my Cherokee AMC 360 last year. Check it out and tell me if you guys think it's close. Maybe too green?

 

[pdp8]

I'm pretty over enamel for it's smell, the mess it makes in the shop, and it's relative softness (both mechanical and chemical).  Powdercoat has held up really well on engine applications for me so was going to do this little motor in that manner.  Thing about powdercoat colors is while you can blend different ones to tint, they don't typically have the same pallet and naming convention as automotive paints, hence the question.

[iceman510]

You will probably have to eyeball it.

[]2eDeYe]

British Standard BS 4800 18 C 39 - Fathom blue / Deep river / Dolphin / #3e5b69 Hex Color Code

The hexadecimal color code #3e5b69 is a medium dark shade of cyan.
In the RGB color model #3e5b69 is comprised of 24.31% red, 35.69% green and 41.18% blue

 

Should be able to get anyone to mix it up for you. Maybe someone has a close powder? 

 

I ordered a few cans from 
https://www.myperfectcolor.com/

 

Turned out great

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

20 hours ago, pdp8 said:

I'm pretty over enamel for it's smell, the mess it makes in the shop, and it's relative softness (both mechanical and chemical).  Powdercoat has held up really well on engine applications for me so was going to do this little motor in that manner.  Thing about powdercoat colors is while you can blend different ones to tint, they don't typically have the same pallet and naming convention as automotive paints, hence the question.

You're going to have the block powder coated? That means it will be blasted too. Not a bad way to go I guess, but I've never had an engine block powder coated. I just recently powder coated a cast iron transfer case. That came out nice.

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Stoffregen Motorsports

[pdp8]

1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

You're going to have the block powder coated? That means it will be blasted too. Not a bad way to go I guess, but I've never had an engine block powder coated. I just recently powder coated a cast iron transfer case. That came out nice.

It's helpful, but not necessary to blast before PC.  Old school hot-tanking would have been a good prep, but we can't do that in CA anymore.

I'm still debating blasting with aggressive media and cleaning really thoroughly vs. blasing with crushed walnut hulls (or even crushed CO2) so I don't have to fear for a stray bit of errant grit getting into the oil galleries.  In retrospect, it might have been good to blast the motor before disassembly, but here we are.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Cleaning the oil galleys is not rocket science, and any builder knows how to do it. Remove all the galley plugs and scrub with long thin brushes. Every blown up race motor I've ever seen had metal in the oil galleys. which was cleaned out with brushes.

 

I use American Stripping for all my blasting and powder needs, and they have trained me on proper prep for a long lasting finish. They insist that blasting with garnet and purging with heat is the only method to ensure a long lasting finish. I've used other shops in the past that did not always blast before powder and a few of those finishes have failed over the years.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Forgot to add, it's the masking before powder that I would be most concerned with. Masking too much leaves bare spots and masking too little and you've got a lot of cleanup to do. Not so easy to sand off powder.

[iceman510]

On 7/25/2023 at 9:15 AM, ]2eDeYe said:

British Standard BS 4800 18 C 39 - Fathom blue / Deep river / Dolphin / #3e5b69 Hex Color Code

The hexadecimal color code #3e5b69 is a medium dark shade of cyan.
In the RGB color model #3e5b69 is comprised of 24.31% red, 35.69% green and 41.18% blue

 

Should be able to get anyone to mix it up for you. Maybe someone has a close powder? 

 

I ordered a few cans from 
https://www.myperfectcolor.com/

 

Turned out great

 

 

 

Wow, the sample you posted and the color in the photo look completely different to me on the screen.  the actual block looks nice.

[]2eDeYe]

The sample card may look different depending on your screen, same with the pic. The actual color is somewhere in between.
 

This should get you what you need from any good coating/paint shop

British Standard Color: BS18C39 Deep River