Correct street Hemi Orange engine paint shade?

[Cuda Cody]

What is the real correct E-Body '70 / '71 Hemi Orange engine color shade?  I know of several respected restoration guys who sell what is labelled "correct" 1969 to 1971 street Hemi Orange paint, but I have very high standard and want to make sure I have a mix that is as perfect as it can be.  I want the factory correct color in today's professional high quality two part durable paint.  That way my engines will look good for a long time.  Yes, that means my engines are going to be much better then the original factory, but I am okay with that.  I like may cars to look like everyone at the factory cared about what they were doing the day they built my car.

I've come to the conclusion that the main reason the original factory engine paint did not look good for very long is because the first time heat is applied to a lacquer (a thermoplastic paint) it will start to dull the sheen.  So as soon as the engine was started on a brand new Cuda or Challenger the original paint on our beloved E-Body engines would start to dull.  That's the well known shortcomings of a thermoplastic paint.  So my goal is to mix the correct factory color in a Thermoset (modern 2 part paint) that is easy to apply.

I've heard rumors that the engine paint and air cleaner lid paint are a different shade of Hemi Orange?  Step 1 for me was to find a good original Hemi Orange air cleaner lid and valve cover sample that I could compare and match. I found an original valve cover that was painted over many years ago and the top layer of paint protected the Hemi Orange paint underneath it.  I used my thumbnail and carefully scraped off the top layer of paint to reveal a perfectly preserved Hemi Orange paint sample under it.  It cost me a good portion of my fingernail, but it will grow back.     I also found an original Hemi Orange air cleaner lid.  At first glance they look like different colors, but with what I know about Thermoplastic paints it's not uncommon for the same paint to look different if it was exposed to different heat temperatures.  I carefully cleaned a section on the lid and valve cover.  After the paint was polished back to like new it appears the lid and valve cover are a perfect match.  I am now confident and comfortable using the same Hemi Orange paint on engines and air cleaner lids.

I spent most of the day at my local automotive paint store custom mixing a perfectly matched batch of Hemi Orange paint so now I have a modern 2 part (paint + hardener) mix that I feel is as close as possible to being perfectly correct.  Here's where I need some help.  I want to test my new paint on an engine.  If you have a engine you would like me to paint I am offering to paint it for free (I'll cover the cost of the paint and do the work) so I can test out my new color and technique. The only catch is you have to bring the Mopar engine (prefer 70 or 71) to me here in beautiful Brush Prairie, WA (about 15 miles from Portland, OR).  I'm only offering to do one engine so once I find one to paint I will not be painting any others (for money or for free).  You also have to let me photograph the engine before, during and after the painting process.  I will also want to check in with you and see the engine after you have it in the car and put some miles on it.

[Cuda Cody]

 

[Plum_crazy_T/A]

Is this a urethane based paint with a clear ?

If I get another "driver" motor for the T/A soon enough I'll let you know. A drive would be good therapy.

[Cuda Cody]

Acrylic Enamel with Hardener.

Is this a urethane based paint with a clear ?

If I get another "driver" motor for the T/A soon enough I'll let you know. A drive would be good therapy.

[Tunis]

Awesome work Cody! If I lived close by, I would jump on this in an instant. Will you sell this paint when you are satisfied with it? I know I want some. What primer(s) will you use?

[Cuda Cody]

I hope to be able to share more details in the very near future.  All I can say is if this works out like I hope it will that E-Bodies.org and it's members will benefit a lot from it.   

Awesome work Cody! If I lived close by, I would jump on this in an instant. Will you sell this paint when you are satisfied with it? I know I want some. What primer(s) will you use?

[Shane Kelley]

This is the formula Roger Gibson uses for his restorations. I noticed it looks different than your motor. My paint supplier at the shop sells paint to Gibson also.  That's how I got it. Like you have seen on old motors they all look a little different. I can't say for sure this is a 100% correct. I do like it and it matches the air cleaner pie tin. It's Sikkens base/clear.

[Cuda Cody]

Very nice Shane!   That looks really good.

My camera phone messes with the colors a bit.  It's always hard to see exact colors on a computer too.  Having these original samples has been a big help.  I'm doing some spray tests today and will continue to dial the color in.  But like you said, it can look a bit different from one original sample to another.

[Tunis]

As with anything made by Chrysler, isn't it possible that more than one shade can be correct? I mean, the guy mixing the paint could have made a slightly different mix every time and of course, more than one person could've been responsible for mixing the paint. Just a thought.

[750-h2]

I used Mopar Performance street Hemi orange in rattle cans. Colour seems good to me. Its a lighter orange than Plasticoat street Hemi orange. In person it is not a bright orange. Looks something like the "Header Orange" paint used on some of the newer Challengers. Much, much lighter than Chevy orange.

[750-h2]

To me it would make sense that the lid and the block would be different shades of orange as they were obviously not painted at the same plant. But looking at Cody's example they do look the same.

[Shane Kelley]

To me it would make sense that the lid and the block would be different shades of orange as they were obviously not painted at the same plant. But looking at Cody's example they do look the same.

I'm just guessing here. But I would think they were intended to be the same orange.
As Tunis referred to. The paint probably changed in hues from batch to batch and other reasons. Same would apply for air cleaner. It's not like they had a inspector on the assembly line checking engine or air cleaner color match.

[headejm]

@Cuda Cody I'm getting ready to paint my 383 using Ditzler EQE-60626 w/ 25% Ditzler DX-265 Flattening Agent. Should I not be using that formula? It's been around for awhile. 

[750-h2]

Here are a few pics of Dave Walden's Challenger 440 engine after it was freshly painted. Looks like he might have used some flattening agent. For anyone that is not familiar with Dave's 70 Challenger R/T it received the highest ever score for an OE restoration.

[6bblgt]

when NEW the colors would've matched a MASTER SAMPLE spec'd by Chrysler Corp. - very little if any variation when NEW

the same color engine & air cleaner makes sense - getting long time enthusiasts/experts to accept a new "idea" may be difficult

myself included