Color of Pontiac 409 when shipped from the factory bolted in the car? Not replacement.

[1964SuperStocker]

Can anyone tell me the actual color these Pontiac 409s were? Isn't there any paperwork confirming the color code and name? I keep hearing guys say that Pontiacs with 409's in them came from the factory with orange paint when blue would seem correct to me. That sounds like bad information to me. WHY would GM ever let a Pontiac motor leave the plant looking the same as a Chevy?

 

[tenxal]

The couple I've seen were Chevy orange. Both were unrestored original '65's...this was in the late '70's. Don't know about the earlier years.

 

[Don Jacks]

The Canadian Poncho's used Chevrolet engines built at a Chevrolet engine plant and would have been painted Chevrolet colors.The GM car lines back in those days were seperate divisions that shared very little with each other.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

The Canadian Poncho's used Chevrolet engines built at a Chevrolet engine plant and would have been painted Chevrolet colors.The GM car lines back in those days were seperate divisions that shared very little with each other.

So then the blue seen on some Pontiac 409s are wrong?

 

[Don Jacks]

Since all W motors were built at only one engine plant,I'd say yes.I can't see them[Pontiac] spending the extra resources for a color change to an already painted engine.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

Since all W motors were built at only one engine plant,I'd say yes.I can't see them[Pontiac] spending the extra resources for a color change to an already painted engine.

That is to assume that they all left the plant painted and not bare or partially disassembled for painting somewhere else. I'd like to see the original paperwork on one of the Pontiac cars.

 

[DonSSDD]

If you google Parisienne brochures for any given year, you will see the V8 engines were Chevy orange in most years they were orange in Chevies. They had valve covers with no stamped Chevy bowtie. The only coloured 409’s I’ve seen were truck or industrial.

The 6’s were 261’s instead of 235’s.
Got pics of any Cdn Pontiac’s with 409’s that were not orange?

My car has a Chevy 63 409, 340hp.

 

[Don Jacks]

You'd need to see the engineering paper work.The paper work that came with the car won't say anything about engine color.Completed engine assemblies ready to be installed into the vehicle were painted at the engine plant not the car assembly plant.

 

[quik9r]

If you google Parisienne brochures for any given year, you will see the V8 engines were Chevy orange in most years they were orange in Chevies. They had valve covers with no stamped Chevy bowtie. The only coloured 409’s I’ve seen were truck or industrial.

The 6’s were 261’s instead of 235’s.
Got pics of any Cdn Pontiac’s with 409’s that were not orange?

My car has a Chevy 63 409, 340hp.

Winner! Orange and comment on valve covers 100% correct no bowties

 

[1964SuperStocker]

If you google Parisienne brochures for any given year, you will see the V8 engines were Chevy orange in most years they were orange in Chevies. They had valve covers with no stamped Chevy bowtie. The only coloured 409’s I’ve seen were truck or industrial.

The 6’s were 261’s instead of 235’s.
Got pics of any Cdn Pontiac’s with 409’s that were not orange?

My car has a Chevy 63 409, 340hp.

Came across the Pontiac Canadian Poncho board and there was talk about blue 409 but seems even there they were certain that all motors were just orange.

 

[1958 delivery]

I can't see why GM would care if same color. I would say different color was only used if the engine(s) were different internally, such as marine engines. If the Canadian 409's were same spec as USA then same assembly line=same color but this is just my opinion.

 

[quik9r]

I have seen in person unrestored 409 64 cdn pontiac Parisienne with orange motor. Many other canadian pontiacs with small blocks that were orange They are chevy chassis and drivetrain 100%, not even close to the US pontiac. Even the suggestion is just talk from the uninformed. example 1969 cdn Pontiac Parisienne 2+2 factory 427 390 hp with 4 factory 4 speed, 1 of 12 built with cdn docs had an orange block.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

I have seen in person unrestored 409 64 cdn pontiac Parisienne with orange motor. Many other canadian pontiacs with small blocks that were orange They are chevy chassis and drivetrain 100%, not even close to the US pontiac. Even the suggestion is just talk from the uninformed. example 1969 cdn Pontiac Parisienne 2+2 factory 427 390 hp with 4 factory 4 speed, 1 of 12 built with cdn docs had an orange block.

Makes sense! Thanks guys! I hate having bad or misleading information.

 

[61BUBBLE348]

I have a pair of Canadian W valve covers, to be fair I think they are 348, I was of the understanding they were NOS replacements, painted a light olive green colour, again I feel this was a primer/undercoat colour to protect them or they were for a truck maybe, not real sure.

 

[quik9r]

Truck

 

[Skip FIx]

I know the 6 cylinder in my friend's 67 Acadian was Chevy orange. Has a Chevy orange 377 SBC in it now. We were surprised how heavy that 6 banger was when we pulled it!

 

[BRYAN FUGATE]

I know the 6 cylinder in my friend's 67 Acadian was Chevy orange. Has a Chevy orange 377 SBC in it now. We were surprised how heavy that 6 banger was when we pulled it!

Pretty sure I heard somewhere that the 6 was as heavy as the 409

 

[427John]

While I could believe the older 235/261 sixes or the tall deck 292 maybe could be that heavy,I would think that the modern short deck 194/230's would be somewhwere between the sbc and the w weight wise.The introduction of the sbc in 55 forced the engineers designing new engines for all manufacturers to keep weight foremost in their minds,with the possible exception of the designers of the 58 introduced Lincoln MEL.

 

[Skip FIx]

Tghose old 6s were not too bad for torque with a stick though. He just bought a 67 Nova(Acadian just has different front and rear) with a 6 and put a Muncie in it. Smaller 6 that the Acadians so it will probably get that one.

 

[427John]

If he's going to build a six for it I think theres stuff available to put a 292 crank into a 250 block to make a large displacement short deck six.