I have corresponded with Bob Porter the Star Guru who I consider an expert on Stars who has provided me with the proper color for the Durant/Star motors which is a gray/green color. My question is to the members is I've seen many older cars with red painted engines. was this done later, or was there some models with this color engine? What's your thoughts on this?

At one time the Continental engine was called the Continental Red Seal. I'll bet that the idea of painting even the older engines red came from that bit of advertising. I think that the engines used in the Kaiser and Fraser were red.

Jack & Mike
The later Durants 30 - 32 & Frontenacs with the 22A engine were all painted gray. The movie shows that everything was painted gray under the hood. The Red Seal was on a small piece of metal on one of the side panels covering the valves.
Odus Raymer who has a beautiful 1931 Durant says that his car had a red painted engine when he got it and that was when the car was relatively new and was an original one owner car. So who knows! Maybe they ran out of grey paint!!! That happened on some of the English cars of the 50"s

Gord

hello
my first Durant...a 6-14 1930 sedan had a grey engine...a 22A continental....gary k

MY 26 STAR MODEL R 6 CYL IS ORIGINAL AND HAS NEVER BEEN PAINTED ENGINE OR BODY ENGINE IS RED BUT MY FRIENDS STAR IS PAINTED GREEN-GRY BOYH WERE BUILT AT LEASIDE ONT
BRIAN

It's my understanding that most engines produced from 1927-29 used Gray-green, while all 1930-32 motors used medium-gray.

How long was gray used on the earlier engines 1922-?,
Did gray-green start earlier than 27?

I've unstood that while red was used, it was more the exception than rule, any thoughts?

Rick

Rick
As my dad mentioned the frontenac engie is a medium gray. My 1922 durant touring (leaside car) when I cleaned it up I found the same medium gray paint. This was mainly found on places that normaly wouldn't be seen. I would be interested about what others may have found with teir pride and joy!

I've seen several cars with the red engine. Don shilling has a 23 C frame & Engine from I believe a touring car that is red, and I've seen a 29 model 40 made in Leaside with a red engine. Both are supposedly stock engines. So some of the engines must have been painted red for some reason.

I am not by any means an expert on engines --but my take was that the red seal engine was called that because the makers of the continental engine ran out of blue seals that they put on the motors --and used red seals instead . Same motor --different color seal.Some guy got the ides that the red seal motor was superior to the blue seal. Why i dont know. Has any one heard this same story ?? Still doesnt say anything about color though .
Ken

My 'Original Survivor' '28 Durant M2 has several spots of grey-green on the engine. Made in Elizabeth N.J. August 1928

my grandfather who worked breifly at the leaside plant as a painter then at the ford plant said the red seal continental motor was used in many of the rum runners of the late 2o's early 3o's between ontario and new york state. he live in the beaches area of toronto and said the engines were red posibly many of these block assembly;s found their way to the auto asembly lines when supply was short/???

I heard that they also used the continetal engine in boats and they were painted red.

Where Are You From? www.vancouverdurantstarcarconnection.ca

the rum runner was a small wooden speedboat that transported illegal alcahol from canada to usa durring proabition many ran from the beaches ,frenchmans bay ,whitbyand the kingston area in the thousand islands most of these boats ran chrysler and continental motors they were also direct drive with only a clutch.
brian

Hi Continental motors were popular in boats, pumps, welders etc here in Australia. No doubt because they were reliable. I have a 15L that was converted for boat use. I will post photos to website.
Sid

MY 23 STAR TOURING HAS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE COLOR.IT IS GREY-GREEN.

When we stripped down the 22A engine in the 1922 Durant, the original paint was a gray colour. and the valve cover was black. The advertisements of the day sort of bear this out. The engine was a light colour and the valve cover dark.

Gord,
That is what I have found in regard to engine colors on my 1923 Durant, But are you sure that you have a 22-A engine...Isn't it ironic that Durant had both an A-22 engine and a 22-A engine....Bill

Bill:
Mea Culpa. The Frontenac has the 22 A engine and the 1922 Durant has the A 22.
Just to make things difficult for us old guys.
Gord

ANYONE HAVE THE CORRECT FORMULA AND MANUFACTURER OF THE GREY GREEN PAINT? I AM READY TO PAINT MY 22 STAR ENGINE AND I MIGHT AS WELL DO IT CORRECT
THANKS

Ed I have the paint number and make from Bob Porter, I'll let you know. Also check out the past forum postings within the last month or so. Someone had some paint made up and for sale. I think Rick ordered some. A copy of the color is in the Tech page or Special Interest page. I scanned in the paint chips I got the chips courtesy of Mr. Porter.

I don't profess to be an expert on what colors were used on what year motors, but I know that the correct color for my 29 Durant Model 60 14L is grey / green. I got the correct paint code number and had a case made from Sherman Williams Automotive Finishes. The code number is jx-6386. They will make it up in any amount that you want, but since I have no painting equipment, I needed rattle cans, which they will only do by the case. I don't remember how many cans were in a case, but I sold several cans to club members and kept a few for myself. I remember that it took 2 1/2 cans to do my engine completely. It looks great, in fact. Hope this helps.

Gary Warden
Atlanta