Wet olive?

[pfarber]

Is this close to the 'wet olive' color of 270 engines?

wetolive.jpg (125.14 KiB) Viewed 13913 times

[WWII TRUCK]

Looks like the pea green associated with European rebuilds. TM9 has an excellent duplicate of the typical 1940 era GMC engine paints. It is their SC munitions can paint. I have seen it used and it compared to new WWII engine covers.

[pfarber]

After seeing other GMC 270 painted up by others, and by examining this picture, I can conclude that this IS GMC OLIVE.

Note that the rocker cover is worn to bare metal, yet there are no other colors. I doubt that the Norwegian/Belgain/NATO reconditioning calls for the removal, sandblasting, and repainting of the engine.

[retro-roco]

Really? What helps you draw that conclusion? I'm questioning "originality" because of what appears to be a copper fuel line, and also what appears to be peeling paint on the part visible upper right (voltage regulator??)...

[pfarber]

There is one OBVIOUS sign that it cold have been a NATO rebuild.. the rebuild tag on the lower block.

It does not fit the style of the US rebuilt motors, and it would indicate that it was either rebuilt or reconditioned at some point post war.

I have seen other pictures of 40-50 GMC trucks (civilian models, restored) and they claim to have used the GMC Olive paint. The paint is close.

The GMC 270 was little more than an original civvy engine warmed over. The paint color in use was standard civvy production colors. There is a paint called GMC Olive and it was specifically used for 39-62 GMC 6 cylinder GMC engines.

It may not be... there is a lot of speculation about what color the engine.

Postby joel gopan » Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:21 pm
Engine is "wet olive" color, just like what you see in a jar of olives, Eastwood, I believe has it. The Intake is the same, exhaust manifold is cast iron color, but I like to paint it OD and the paint cooks into a protective protective color that does not seem to rust. Generator/Starter, Distributor, Oil Filter upper and lower straps are S.G. Black. Oil Filter body/cover is GM Orange, and the Breather for the Oil Fill Pipe can be either Gloss Black, or OD. (There are NOS Oil Filters available in OD with Decal)
Joel

This guy is saying the oil filters were ORANGE or OD. Eastwood does not advertise a GMC Engine Olive anymore.

THen two years later has an epiphany:

Postby joel gopan » Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:10 pm
GMC had it's own factory shade of Olive color in the 40s. Army Depots or Arsenals usually painted them the going shade of Olive Drab for the period.. The 24087 SG OD seems to match up with the rebuilds in my lifetime. 270s from Europe will be many colors, REOME and ERGMA can be Lime Green, Red, or Dark Green, some 270 rebuilds from Norwegian surplus haver been gray.


Jim Carter sells GMC Olive color engine.Paint.



The pictures I am seeing (obviously not this one) are using paints claimed to be EXACT FACTORY MATCHES that GMC used for all engines.

The GMC Olive IS similar to this. Its nowhere near as OD as people think.
As for the copper fuel line, incorrect colors for the oil fill and oil breather... I am not saying that the engine INSTALLATION is correct, but that the paint is close.

And yes, I have ordered a quart of the GMC Engine olive for GMC 6 cylinder engines 39-62 that Jim Carter sells. When I get it I'll spray up an extra valve cover I have and I'll post a picture for comparison.

If you have a sample of what you believe the 'wet olive' to be please post a pic so we can compare the three.

[pfarber]

This picture from http://www.cckw.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=121

Claims French rebuild. Note the rebuild plate is different in style and format.

Paint is close to the picture above, but if you look at the rear of the valve cover you see what looks like OD, or it could simply be rusted metal.

Without color photos or a manual from GM showing the paint color all we can do is keep looking and seeing what we can match up.

It does appear that the civilian trucks from the 40-50's might serve as a guide...

But since they DO sell a paint that claims to be an exact factory match for GMC Olive used on 6 cylinder engines from 39-62 then someone is gonna have to step up and spend the $50 to find out.

[pfarber]

Seems our favorite Army Mechanic is shilling for TM9 paints.

"CCKW ENGINE ENAMEL

Postby Ben Dover » Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:11 am
TM9 SEMI-GLOSS OLIVE DRAB Munitions Can Paint is still the closest to being "spot-on" for your CKW engine. It matches NOS WWII OD engine sheetmetal parts perfectly. The paint from the civilian GM restoration paint vendors is not as close."

I find this odd. He's NOW SAYING that a CCKW engine is the same color as .30 cal ammo cans? I have many orignal .30 cal ammo cans from WWII (a few with the date of repack slip under the cardboard http://www.42gpw.com/ammocan/slip.html and THIS is supposed to be the 'new wet olive'?

FIrst, its a documented FACT that GMC engine color paint is available that MEETS EXACT FACTORY SPECS.

Second, this is the same guy who posted that CCKW oil filter are orange. (see above post)

Third, this guy has not once posted any supporting documentation EVER. Not one picture, not one independent source, not one anything to back up his claims.

Fourth, please see this post:

"Post by joel gopan » Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:10 pm
GMC had it's own factory shade of Olive color in the 40s. Army Depots or Arsenals usually painted them the going shade of Olive Drab for the period.. The 24087 SG OD seems to match up with the rebuilds in my lifetime. 270s from Europe will be many colors, REOME and ERGMA can be Lime Green, Red, or Dark Green, some 270 rebuilds from Norwegian surplus haver been gray.

Jim Carter sells GMC Olive color engine.Paint."

I'm not saying he's wrong.. but other than post whoring on the web sites (I had to boot him of this one) he has not done one thing other than tell stories that no one can research and verify.

WAY TO MANY Chevy/GMC civvy truck owners are telling me the same thing.. the GMC olive color that's being sold is dead on for late 30's. 40's, 50's and early 60's inline 6 cylinder engines produced by GMC.

I have used TM9 blue drab paint. I thinks its a tad dark, but oh well.

I have the GMC Olive paint on order, and will be spraying a valve cover and will post the results.

Please don't take these posts out of context.. I don't dislike the guy.. I've never met him. I do think that he is doing nothing more than muddying the waters though. I am not 100% correct all the time... but I post my info plain as day and its out there for all to see. If I'm wrong, so be it, but I then try to back up the correct information with research to prove that it is correct.

Sad part is the list of things that Gopan/Dover/WWIITruck has been corrected on by hard facts and TM documentation is getting longer and longer. In a way thats a GOOD THING. It makes our trucks that much better. But the downside is that Gopan/Dover/WWIITruck is putting out misinformation that has no basis or documentation, and it put the CCKW into an 'US vs. THEM' mentality becuase my correcting him all the time appears to be like an attack, when in fact it is nothing more than research.

I do hope that Gopan/Dover/WWIITruck finds a way to back up his claims as I have.

[pfarber]

The wait should be over soon.. I ordered a qt of:
ENGINE PAINT 39-48 OLIVE 6 CYL HIGH TEMPERATURE ENAMEL

This is supposed to be spot on GMC factory paint.

I'll do the rocker cover and post pics when it gets here.