Tune Up Parts

[nads75]

Hello All. Driving a 1975 H/O with a 350 engine. In general, does everyone recommend sticking to AC DELCO parts for everything, such as plugs, wires, brake pads etc.?

Also, anyone know the color code for the 1975 350 engine? I've gotten three answers so far: Gold, Corporate Blue, and mystery blue. The color on the original valve covers looks different than the GM Blue. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Nads75

[73cutlass]

sticking to AC DELCO parts for everything, such as plugs, wires, brake pads etc.?

If your going for a 100% show only car that would be the way to go. But with a driver those oil filters will add up. I have been out of the states oh. The gentleman i bought my third 73 from did, but he was retired. My father did on my first one but that was in the late 80's and early 90's. I try to

[nads75]

Thanks 73Cutlass. The car is a driver, but I do intend to go to some local shows and cruises so I will probably use as many AC Delco parts as I can come by.

[73cutlass]

with the price tags, i know a lot of folks that will drive with aftermarket, but have a nice set of a/c delco on hand for shows. But there still are cheap a/c parts out there at old car parts stores. The main thing is to have fun.

[damaged442]

Hello All. Driving a 1975 H/O with a 350 engine. In general, does everyone recommend sticking to AC DELCO parts for everything, such as plugs, wires, brake pads etc.?

Also, anyone know the color code for the 1975 350 engine? I've gotten three answers so far: Gold, Corporate Blue, and mystery blue. The color on the original valve covers looks different than the GM Blue. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Nads75

I use AC Delco plugs and oil filters. Brake pads are your choice. I can't remember what type of pads I have on the cars. They only see about 500-600 miles a year though. I can't help with the engine color. My 73 is gold, my 77 is blue. I don't remember what the color should be for 75.

[nads75]

OK- found a dusty box of AC DELCO R-46SZ spark plugs at a country auto parts store today. My Chilton's shows an R-46SX , so I'm wondering what everybody thinks. Thanks for all the useful info.

[77-442]

The correct color for the 1975 Olds 350 engine is the 1970 to 1976 Olds 455 blue. Olds, Pontiac as well as Buick used this color in 75 and 76 on their V8 engines.
The best color match is from Supercars Unlimited in Portland Or. www.supercarsunlimited.com, the part number for the paint is 14-216

Jim

[58thndy]

350s thru 1974 were gold. All engines were metallic blue starting 1975, thru about 1979 when GM corporate blue (read Chevy blue) appeared. My experience is that 75-later metallic blue is different from 70-74- more of a turquoise. Seymour paints had the closest match for that I ever found.

I like to stick with NOS AC-D parts when I can find them, meaning old American-made stock. Not crazy about the later made-in-wherever AC-D stuff.

You should be OK with the SZ plugs in an HEI application. They started using those in 1977. Set the gap around .050-.060 and they should work fine. I think the 1975 and early 76 HEI calls for .080 gap, but the factory changed that to .060 early in the 76 model year and sent out a tech bulletin recommending earlier engines use .060 gap.

Why are you using a Chilton's manual, when a factory manual is easy to find? Chilton and Motor Professional Trades editions are excellent general purpose manuals, but for the real skinny on your car, get the Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual for it. I'd be surprised if you had to pay more than $25-30 for a nice one.

[jds1976cutlassS]

I just bought a '74 olds dealership service manual,a little rough around the edges but still very useable for $5.00 on E-bay,so they can still be had for a reasonable price.:)

[77-442]

Here is a excerpt from 442.com regarding engine color usage:

All GM engines were painted black starting in 1983. It was due to better heat dissipation. From early 1977 to 1982, all GM engines were "corporate blue". Early 1977 and back, each division had their own unique engine colors, combinations, and usage (low & high compression, low & high performance, etc).

Jim

[58thndy]

I've learned to take 442.com info with a grain of salt. A friend has a 1978 Buick Estate Wagon, 72k and totally original, and its 403 is definitely the same metallic blue as my 1976 Ninety Eight which also has its original engine paint. My 78 Custom Cruiser's original Olds 350 was also metallic blue.

[nads75]

WOW! Thanks for all the great info. 58thndy, those are great suggestions that I will certainly try. I bought a can of Duplicolor Corp. blue yesterday just to compare- no way... The previous owner re-painted the block with the 455 metallic blue and that doesn't match either (too dark). I have no idea how I can match to the original color, but I'll keep looking.

[jds1976cutlassS]

My vintage PPG color chart shows an Oldsmobile "Blue Poly" engine color #2083 for 1975-1977,and "Blue" #15159 for 1978-1981.1974-back engine colors are not listed.If you have some parts that still have some origional paint on them,a good automotive paint jobber store could match it if the #2083 is too dark.Some of them can put paint into spray cans for you if you dont have access to spray equipment.If the store doesnt sell PPG they can convert that number to their line (DuPont,BASF,Sherwin-Williams,ECT.).Hope this helps:D

[texxas8902]

I don't know about all these paint colors. I thought we already had a thread that had just as much conflicting information about this.:confused:
My 76 442 has a corporate blue engine. It came this way and hadn't been repainted before I bought the car with 53,000 miles. It was built in Arlington. I understand that Arlington and maybe Doraville starting using the corporate blue painted engines before some of the other assembly plants. My 76 Monte Carlo has a Chevy orange 400 in it and was built in Arlington but I have owned 2 76 Camaros one had a corporate blue painted 305 and one orange, in them. Was the orange one a 350? or the other way around? I don't remember for sure and on these 2 Camaros can't be 100% certain the engines were original but they sure looked to be. I have never seen a pre 76 GM car with a corporate blue engine from new.
My 74 H/O had a gold 350. Both of my 79 Trans Ams with 403s have corporate blue motors. They haven't been repainted and still have the inspection stamp visable on the valve covers. I have seen a metallic blue 403 in a 77 Delta 88 that my friend's dad owned from new. He didn't take good care of that car and most certainly never painted the engine before it died from a massive carb fire.
Both of my 78 Z/28s had corporate blue 350 LM-1 power plants too. The corporate blue paint was in use before 1979 with out a doubt.
I don't think there are any hard and fast rules regarding engine paint and just exactly when they started using a particular color. Different plants and different displacements and engine build dates that in some cases may be a couple of years before an engine was installed. I read somewhere that the Trans Am was selling so well in 1978-79 that there was a shortage of Pontiac 400 engines and GM had a glut of the Olds 403 engines they started building for 1977 so they used these "corporate motors" in all the auto trans T/As up to and including 1979 except California where they wouldn't pass emissions.
It seems that I remember my parents coming home from Doran Chevrolet in Dallas in a new 1976 Caprice Classic and the first thing I did was ask what size engine did they get and then opening the hood expecting a Chevy orange 350 and getting to see my first blue one. I could be wrong on this recollection but that sure seems to be what I remember, but the car was a light metallic blue so maybe I just "think" blue when remembering that car. I'm certainly not trying to mislead anyone just some stuff I remember, possibly inaccurately. Of course some of what I wrote conflicts too. I think GM used what ever paint was available to keep the assembly line moving along. Of course some of this stuff is just as close as opening the hood, because I still own the car, so it's easy to refresh the memories.
AND as someone mentioned, the super cars unlimited metallic blue should be spot on for the 75 455. I have used them and that paint in the past on a 71 Cutlass SX and it was a perfect match to original.

[texxas8902]

My vintage PPG color chart shows an Oldsmobile "Blue Poly" engine color #2083 for 1975-1977,and "Blue" #15159 for 1978-1981.1974-back engine colors are not listed.If you have some parts that still have some origional paint on them,a good automotive paint jobber store could match it if the #2083 is too dark.Some of them can put paint into spray cans for you if you dont have access to spray equipment.If the store doesnt sell PPG they can convert that number to their line (DuPont,BASF,Sherwin-Williams,ECT.).Hope this helps:D

Cool, I wonder how that blue poly compares to the GM corporate blue? Slightly darker?

[jds1976cutlassS]

I looked up the formula for the blue poly(PPG for blue metallic) and it looked like it would come out medium blue.I might make up a little bit later and compare it to the blue metallic on the '76 455 in the Supreme,I know it has the origional engine paint.:) I have some valve covers that are corprate blue and I'll compare the blue poly to them.

[77-442]

My 77 442 is a perfect orig 33k mile car, the engine is corperate blue with the timing stamp still on the LH valve cover. The water pump had been replaced and had to be painted, I bought 4 different brands of corperate blue and none were even close! I ended up going to the auto paint store and custom mixing the color.

Jim

[442oldslawyer]

My 77 442 has a 260 and a 5 speed. Corporate Blue with timing decal also 27k miles.

[texxas8902]

After much thought on this subject while riding around today, I will say that my 350 engine in my 76 442 may not have been corporate blue but it isn't metallic blue. It was a non metallic blue from the factory, I just always figured it was corporate blue and the corporate blue was a very close match when I repainted it, and that's all I have to say about that.:D

[texxas8902]

My 77 442 is a perfect orig 33k mile car, the engine is corperate blue with the timing stamp still on the LH valve cover. The water pump had been replaced and had to be painted, I bought 4 different brands of corperate blue and none were even close! I ended up going to the auto paint store and custom mixing the color.

Jim

Hey, What displacement engine does your car have?

[77-442]

The engine in my 77 is a 350.

Jim

[Stocker]

My 77 350 is corporate blue, definitely not metallic. The Cutlass is a Lansing car.

I'd guess the 403 I bought for the Regal has been repainted, but if not we'll see what that shows.

[77-442]

I Bought a 76 Starfire brand new (Buick 231 V6) and shortly after, I installed a 4bbl and Offy intake, I kept the orig intake and carb all these years and just found it in my storage room, and sure enough, it is painted corperate blue.

Jim

[texxas8902]

Found a car on eBay for sale with a good engine picture and what I'm pretty sure is original engine paint. 76 Cutlass Bro-ham with the factory valve cover stamp in view. Looks like metallic blue on the 350 to me. I still say mine came with corporate blue when new though. No it didn't,:mad: yes it did,:p Seems like I'm argueing with myself over this.:confused:
Besides all that, nice car.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1976-OLDSMOBILE-CUTLASS-T-TOPS-BLACK_W0QQitemZ190175559068QQihZ009QQcategoryZ6405 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[77-442]

I saw the pics as well, very interesting.

Jim

[sumrof75]

My 76 with the 455, also with the engine stamp visible, is the Olds met. blue.

[nads75]

OK- the color on that 76 Supreme on Ebay is the color on my original valve covers- now the hard part-finding that paint code and the paint!

Thanks to everyone for all the great information.

[Stocker]

Hmm...

The 403 is a '78 and hasn't been repainted.

But it looks to me to be turquoise. When I take the valve covers off I'll check them against the '77, but they definitely look greener than Corporate Blue... :confused:

[Firethorne77]

Dean,

The correct color for the engine for your year Hurst Olds is the metalic blue that 77-442 refered to in his post. Supercarsunlimited has a great paint for it. I found an interesting link to an original 75 H/O for sale at this site which has a video and photos of the car ext, int, and engine bay. You can see the correct metalic-like blue on the block and valve covers.
http://www.classicmusclecars.com/images/showroom/2320_3.jpg
A/C Delco is the way to go as for parts where you can get them and use them. I got a ton of them cross referenced thru my local GM dealer from later year cars after they changed the serial numbers on them, as the General used parts interchagibly thru the 90's believe it or not.
Take care.
Pete

[nads75]

Thanks Pete. I will be giving the Supercars Olds Blue nt a try. I'll let you know how it works out. And I've been stocking up on AC Delco parts whenever I can find them. Thanks again. Dean