MTFCA Forum

I am about ready to paint the engine for my 1919 non starter touring. Is the cylinder head supposed to be the same color as the block? I am using satin black for the block. I intend to paint the exhaust manifold with Eastwood Manifold grey.

I think the authentic color scheme is slightly oily black with rusty red accents.

Satin black for all engine parts would be a good choice.

There is a persistent superstition that Model T engines were never painted. This picture of the 1917 Rip Van Winkle car disagrees.

I agree that satin black is a good choice. I use the Rustoleum version.

I did quite a bit of research on this when I had my engine out of the car recently. In the interest of saving time, I painted everything in one go. I ended up using this product.

https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-45918-Cha ... th=1&psc=1

This stuff is amazing. It is hard as nails once it dries. And it still looks great after several months of use. The trick is to get everything clean, clean, clean. Wire brush, degreaser and carb cleaner. Repeat.

I got 2 medium coats on the engine and a few extra parts with one can. The final results were amazing. Just be careful with this paint. Once it gets on something, it’s next to impossible to get it off.

Jeff

I am not knocking the product POR-15 Top Coat. In fact I plan to use it. BUT since we don't always read directions I thought I make sure you all see this caution for the product "DANGER: RAGS, STEEL WOOL OR WASTE SOAKED WITH POR-15 TOP COAT MAY SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH FIRE IF IMPROPERLY DISCARDED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE, PLACE RAGS, STEEL WOOL, OR WASTE IN A SEALED WATER-FILLED METAL CONTAINER."
Instructions on use
https://por15.com/assets/images/techdat ... CoatLR.pdf

I use Rustoleum Black Rust-reformer for most of my parts. Spray .. let dry for a few minutes and then rub with a cloth for an aged paint luster. I use the red cotton rags sold at the auto parts stores.

TRDxB2 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 2:27 pm

"DANGER: RAGS, STEEL WOOL OR WASTE SOAKED WITH POR-15 TOP COAT MAY SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH FIRE IF IMPROPERLY DISCARDED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE, PLACE RAGS, STEEL WOOL, OR WASTE IN A SEALED WATER-FILLED METAL CONTAINER."
Instructions on use
https://por15.com/assets/images/techdat ... CoatLR.pdf

I used to think this was some corner case that caused this mandated wording on some labels but
Not any more. A couple yrs ago a can of stain soaked rags spontaneously ignited and caused a pretty large garbage pile fire on my property, fire engines and all. The fire chief and I traced the definitive ignition source to the can of used stain soaked rags. I had another unused can of the stain, and sure enough, that warning was on the can. Ever since then I read the warning labels and put used rags in water and seal the containers.

Jeff

After cleaning 2 coats of the wrong green off of a '26 engine I got down to the back "wash" coat that's discussed a number of times here on the Forum. I stood with that.

Charlie: You refer to 'the wrong green stuff' painted on your '26 engine. What color green was that paint? I see a lot of ugly painted Model T engines at car shows that clearly aren't correct, so I'm interested is what color Ford used in '26-'27. (And ugly to me doesn't mean the owners did wrong by their cars, I respect their choices)

Bruce refers to 'Moleskin' paint for engines in the improved Fords? You weren't referring to Moleskin as the wrong paint, were you? I have yet to paint my engine for a '26 coupe, and hope to do it once in the 'original' color. And is the moleskin engine paint different from the engine paint used on the first Model A's? Thanks for any info, jb

There has been considerable discussion about the proper engine paint color on this forum. As I recall, nobody has found a documented original engine that was stored well-enough that the exact color can be determined. In a lengthy thread a while back, the consensus was that "moleskin" was the correct color, but we don't know exactly what color that is. I had the head off of my T and painted it high-temperature rattle can black while it was off. In the absence of certainty of the actual original color, I'd vote for black.

I'd say the Rip Van Winkle engine shown above is a pretty good clue. I'm sure it has never been repainted.
This assembly line photo (1924 if I remember correctly) is another good clue. You can clearly see the "Gilsonite wash" and a place that it missed on the valve cover.


For26-27 I would go by this example at The Henry Ford. In the MTFCI judging/restoration guidelines the color is called "Drake green". It looks very close to military OD to me.

My dad has been in the hobby since 1948. There were many Ford dealers that had NOS Model T parts back then.

In the late 1940s or early 1950s, my dad acquired an NOS 1927 head from a Ford dealer. The head did not have a Ford script or "made in U.S.A" and had its original green paint and factory paper tag.

My father sold the head about 25 years ago. Unfortunately, we never took photos of it.

I guess one way to know for sure what color that would be is to catch a mole, skin it, and see what color it is.

You can't go by the Rip Van Winkle, because a former owner took the whole car apart, and put if back together.

Is there any document evidence that Model T engines were "painted" with Gilsonite ?
I have read that the black cars were dipped in Gilsonite as body paint. This would explain
why period photos show the paint lost its shine quickly, if exposed to the elements.

Gilsonite is a "varnish"-like material, like a thinning tar that hardens like paint. But it
IS a tar kind of material and weathers much the same. If anyone has access to a known
original engine, looking in the nooks and crannies of the castings might show thicker buildups
still holding on, looking like dried grease. In fact, it may prove quite the challenge to tell
the two apart.

Gilsonite was a popular "paint" for many utilitarian metal objects during the steam era.
I have a number of Victorian period items that still wear their original Gilsonite paint.

,,,a former owner took the whole car apart, and put if back together.

Why? Did he give any reason?

That's just nuts!!!!! Why would ANYBODY do that to such of an almost non existent original car? I am beyond amazed!!!!! And saddened as much. What were they thinking??? I can't and probably will never understand that. What a waste. Dave

Jeff, sent you an e-mail.