1964 390 engine colors

[red dog]

Help! I am looking to buy a 64 TBird. The one I am looking at is in pretty good shape but one thing scared me away.
The engine looks like it is not the original. The whole thing is painted Ford blue including the valve covers. The air filter cover is gold but everything else is blue.
I could not get the data plate info as the seller was standing in my hip pocket the whole time and the car was parked in a snowbank.
Any info you could give me on engine color will be greatly appreciated.

[simplyconnected]

Welcome Red Dog. Are the stickers still visible on the rocker covers? That can be a good indication that the color is original to that engine.

I got a '73 390 out of a F100 and it is Ford Blue. Ray may know the correct colors for your 'bird. - Dave

[YellowRose]

1964 390 engine colors

Here is what Alan Tast has to say about this.

Information provide by: Alan H. Tast, AIA Technical Director/Past President, Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l. Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years", and member of this Forum.

Valve Covers Color - Castillain Gold used on '63-'64 390-4v engines

Engine Color - Black Ditzler/PPG listed DQE-9000 appear to be engine gloss/semi-gloss black as being used in 1964-1965.

According to Thunderbird Ranch, here is the color breakdown for the engine bay.

http://www.tbirdranch.com/6466concours.html

Since you are looking at buying a '64, take a look at the Check List our users have created to help their fellow users check out a Tbird that they are considering buying. You will find it at the bottom of the Technical Resource Library, a link to which can always be found under my signature element on any post I make. You might want to print it out and go over the list before buying that Tbird....

Just because the whole engine and valve covers are painted Ford Blue does not necessarily mean that the engine has been swapped out. Someone might have just painted the original one that way. In 1964, the factory had two 390CI engines, one for Export (Code 9), dual exhaust and the Code Z 390CI Special, dual exhaust.

I hope the above information helps.