Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Was the original color of a 1948 standard eight station sedan engine gray ?

Yes, gray.

Thanks, just had my engine rebuilt and wanted to confirm gray was correct, I've seen many photos that people painted the engines green and wanted to paint mine the original color.
Dave

Owen,

My 23rd series 1949, 288 was painted gray but underneath it was green. It seemed to me that the original color was green.

So my question is, was there a period of time from the factory where some of the engines in some of the series were green? It sure looks that way in my case.

After I had the engine rebuilt, I had it painted Packard gray since the judges suggested it.

A green 22nd series engine has been an on-and-off hot topic for decades, with no absolute resolution.

Every so often a 22nd Series car comes along with a green engine that appears original. In those cases it was perhaps a factory error but more likely the engine was stripped and repainted sometime during it's life. That said, it's possible that a very few early Custom 8s (356 engines) were green. Packard's intention starting with the 22nd Series introduction in April 1947 was that all 3 engines were to be painted gray, and that remained so thru 1954 with the exception of the 1954 359 engine. So, if correctness without controversy is important to you, you really don't have any choice - gray it is.

good summary. I think I've seen a bigfoot too - a 22nd series junior with what appeared to be original green, but certainly the factory norm is gray. If I bought a bathtub with a green engine it wouldn't be my first priority, but if I were painting a worn one I'd use gray

It may have been gray but I couldn't find a speck of gray and I looked in every nook and cranny and all I found seemed to match this green I purchased from Bill Hirsch http://www.hirschauto.com/ENGINE-ENAMEL/productinfo/EE-QUART/PAC%20GREEN/.
It brushed on flat and easy and still looks great today. Highly recommended!
- Sam

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