What was the original GT40 302 engine color

[Allen English]

:thinking2:

I was talking with a coworker today mainly about the 289 HIPO in 1965 and 1966 Mustangs and told him Ford painted them all black in the K code cars and I figured this may of carried over to the GT40 302 engines? Not sure though about the 302.

Was the 289 HP ever Ford Blue?
Was the 302 GT40 engine ever Ford Blue?

Below is a picture of my engine and what struck up the debate. He says a friend had a HIPo Mustang with a Blue engine that was factory correct. I beg to differ from my past information though.

Correct me if I'm wrong please....

 

[WEGENER Engineering]

Ford changed the engine color to blue for the 1966 model year.
Before that blocks were usually black with different color valve covers and air cleaner to identify the output level of the car.
On 1966 and newer fords valve covers and air cleaners are also corporate blue.
There is a lighter corporate blue for later model engines.
K-code motors were black with gold valve covers in '65 and all blue in '66.
Hope this helps.
Mike

 

[WEGENER Engineering]

Here are pics of 100 point perfect restored Shelby GT-350 motors
The '65 motor is on the left.

 

[Allen English]

Now that looks like my 65 Mustang HIPO Motor.


Blue in 1966 I didn't know and is probably why he was so adamant about the color on his friends 66.

 

[WEGENER Engineering]

Corporate decision Allen - Ford Blue all the way across the model lineup for the '66 and newer.
Shelby was so cheap that he reused the valve cover bolts from the all black or all blue hipo motors. Hence a perfect restoration has painted valve cover bolts holding down the CS-powered by Ford covers.
All 302s are blue also.
If the chrome Dress-up Option was chosen for '65 or '66 Mustangs the air cleaner bottom would still be engine color and only the air cleaner top and the valve covers were chrome.

 

[Allen English]

Mike thanks again. It was several years ago that I was into Mustangs and the 65 Shelby R model was my dream car while I was in hi school. My memory must not be serving me well. I am sure I new the details at one time, but I surely didn't know the GT40 302 was Blue.

 

[WEGENER Engineering]

Allan - only the guys who were there when that pristine no miles GT40 was delivered would know what color those blocks were. Race engine builders use their own colors sometime, a preference may have been there for the old school black as the blue is kinda ugly and after hot tanking and boring the block it needed repainting anyway. I think being all color correct is fun on a Mustang or GT-350 but on a racecar anything goes as far as I am concerned.
Mike

 

[Allen English]

Mike - I agree too. I like the black better and will keep it that way. Now I will go into work today and tell him that I was half right.

 

[Richard]

As far as I can remember all 289 HiPo's all came with the dress up kit at no additional cost so chrome valve covers, I know my brothers did so that means cad plated bolts. If memory serves me the bolts had no marking other than a raised rim around head and a captive lock washer. I am getting old and I've slept since then.

There never was a HiPo 302 at least not like the 289 with special block, rods, heads, cam and carb.

None of the survay questions are correct so I vote "none of the above". Early GT40 engines were black later most were blue but could be anything. IMO

 

[Allen English]

Richard - Thanks for your input.

I new that the 302 was never called a HIPO, and I think the engine looks better black in the chassis. It is also easier to touch up the motor at the end of every driving season if you use BBQ paint and a painters sponge brush. leased:

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

I've only seen one GT40 with what I am fairly sure is the original engine in it. That car is 1072 and the engine is black. FWIW.