MTFCA Forum

Hoping someone has seen an original Fronty head to have seen the color they were painted. I'm trying to get as close as I can on mine if possible for a period build.

I found an old post that said they were painted to a similar color as mid-late 20's chevy which was a gray-green...im almost thinking perhaps even "machine grey" (gray with a tint of green). They problem with that is I have yet to see the correct color of those chevy engines, it appears to me everyone goes way to dark on the green tone.....perhaps because the correct color is made by one company and is $150 / quart.

Here is a very short thread on the topic from 2013 if anyone cares:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/33 ... 1375569095

Chad let me check my color cross reference books on those formulas. You can have mixed single stage enamel custom mixed/blended at any PPG dealer in an aerosol spray can. I believe this color crossed over to a British Land Rover number/code as "Pastel Green". My Dad stated that the single port intake models were this color and the more performance models were similar to a Chevy orange but with more red. If I have the base color, I can mix this formula with toners in a quality two stage enamel as a Nason Brand.

Hank

I looked Chad! That bottom Chevy engine pic of Ed's on RDR's thread and a couple I've seen over the years were painted a similar drab green.
The '28 Chevrolet engines here only show rust, best as I can tell. Hunter Green would be far too dark like you kinda mention.
Shoot, I've never even seen a Fronty head with my own eyes...
Would you tell more about "machine gray"? IF like a Battleship/City of Montreal gray there may be more blue than you wish for.

For the Chevy orange I would use the 1955 56 57 V8 Chevy orange red engine color not the later orange from the 1960's.

Thanks Hank. Im curious what you come up with.

If indeed single port heads such as mine were a different color, I find that very interesting.

I know it probably doesn't matter to most, but now that I have been researching it, it matters to me. No one has documented this to the best of my knowledge.

Another source emailed me stating he researched this over a decade ago and black was the color, but he forgot how that statement was backed up.

The black might make sense, under the layers of paint on mine was indeed much remnants of black paint that was on there like it was welded. Took the bake and blast machine at the machine shop to get the head spotless.

Duey, the "machine grey" I have seen over the years is just your typical grey, but has a slight olive drabe tint to it.


Remnants of black after the initial parts washer cleaning on my "T" Fronty head:

Just for future reference, The paint was mixed and while the color is hard to pickup with a camera and on screen, it is what I call "machine grey", or a very light mossy green. it is a grey green color, popularly seen on large shop machine equipment.

This is to my best research over several weeks, the correct approximate color for all the single port Frontenacs.

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I kind of like the "no-nonsense" industrial look of that... So we have single ports at Greenish Grey, and (I'm assuming) a reddish Chevy Prange (?) on somehting like the R's and SR's?

Curious, as I have an SR head that might start the long road to recovery as time permits. (right now it's just the head itself - no towers, valves, etc.) It looks like it was painted on the outside with white Sherwin Williams House Paint, which I was pretty sure not right.

@Susanne, To the best of what I have found the SR and SOHC / DOCH versions were the more red, reddish-orange.

The R is still a single port head.

All you need is the casting. The valves and guides are probably junk. You can use Big Block Chevy exhaust valves (1.88") at a +.100" length, they might have to be slightly turned down so they don't touch. Rockers there have been many many things written and told. The Ford 223 six Rockers technically are the right length, but the geometry totally sucks. I finally found that MG TD rockers (The straight ones) are a perfect fit---but the ratio is approx 1.30 - 1.35. You will have to make all the rocker stands and such, the shaft size is 15mm, which I obtained from McMaster- Carr, as I wanted a 1 piece shaft for valve train stability.

I am not sure where to get new Fronty valve springs, I found a set on Ebay that the seller was clearing/cleaning up from his old speedster project...I guess I got lucky there.

Putting any of these heads back in shape is alot of work and dedication, My machinist and I have a good relationship and he gives me a fair deal compared to a walk in, and it was still a $500 bill, no parts included. But he has great equipment and build higher end race engines with 50+ years experience. He was the right person for the job. This is why I have a large difficulty when someone wants 3-5 K for a head that is worn out still needs another 1k in work to get it back into proper shape.


BTW, If you think you ever want to sell that SR, give me a jingle.

$500 to bring back an SR head from beyond seems like a bargain, IF you know what they're capable of.... I already have a Rajo BB set-up, which is nice, but I understand the Fronty SR *might* give me an extra 5-10 HP off the top end... over the Rajo.

I REALLY appreciate the info, tho... still weighing the Fronty VS Rajo in my mind for the "grey goose special" but it has to be able to keep up with my lead-encased right hand... --lol--

I don't want to break hearts, but I already had someone try to talk me out of the SR head... and while he was sweet, he wasn't close, and killing his marriage wasn't worth it to me. Just to be upfront. Because if I ever DO decide to sell it, it has to be worth it to me...

Susanne

I do agree, The shop bill wasn't hard to swallow, about what I figured actually. Plus add in all the rest of the parts, It adds up real quick. I don't think alot of the people consider the total costs to do machine shop work. I didn't get the head cheap, but I think the price was definitely fair (even though I had to scrape the couch cushions to come up with the money).

If you don't need dead on accurate period looking fasteners, ARP Fasteners makes quality stuff, I just ordered up head studs, nuts, and washers. Alot of people say the long Model A studs work fine, To me they came up a little short on the length. I bought 6" long studs, everything shipped was $170. It has been pretty well documented that using head bolts usually results in leaks at the head gasket, but the studs work out fine.

Oh, I wasn't trying to talk you out of it, I just wanted to say IF you ever decide, give me a jingle. I know these parts are precious commodities.

Mock up pic from a couple months ago. I just ordered the custom pistons from Ross Pistons, 7.5 to 1 compression.

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OoooHhhhhh Eye Candy! The American Dental Association approves as a "NO CAVITIES"!