when did corvettes strat coming with there engines painted blue???

thanks

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1973 corvette yellow met.

Not sure of the exact model year, but it was mid-'70s. GM changed to "corporate" engine colors instead of each division having its own.

Pretty sure it was 77. I remember Oldsmobile buyers in 78 getting the surprise that their blue painted motors were not Olds but Chevy motors. Caused quite a stir! Mike

well thats what i thought but a freind of mine has a 73 with supposeably matching numbers with a blue engine and i saw a 73 vette on ebay advertised with matching #'s and the pics showed a blue engine. but MY 73 HAS orange motor matching numbers.

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1973 corvette yellow met.

I believe it was 77. I have a 77 L-82, and it has the Corporate Blue motor paint. I remember reading also that it was 1977 that the change took place. Not really much to go on, but that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Guys you are right. 1977 beyond doubt. I was working for Chevrolet twisting wrenches then.

In 76 there was a big stink due to the fact some Oldmobiles had orange Chevrolet engines. There were some court cases files, and huckster lawyers filing class action suits with ads on TV looking for people to join the class action suit.

The basis was you got a lowly Chevy motor in your Olds. You were ripped. At the time there was quite a bit of different engine lines in different cars.
Chevrolet... Orange
Pontiac..... Green Mist
Oldsmobile.. Gold
You get the idea. So instead of there being different line engines, GM painted them all blue and called them all corporate engines. Many of the window stickers said engine supplied by General Motors. This covered their butts no matter what engine they put in what.
If you have a 76 or older with a blue engine, it was either repainted or it's a newer engine.

Marc that blue number matching engine in a 73? NOT! Somebody telling lies man!

Ken Styer

|UPDATED|4/2/2004 9:43:03 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Ken---

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!

I bow to the Corvette Gods that you're staying on this site.

That onfo right there is worth $10.00,,,and then some.

now i am wondering.. i have a vette 78 .. matching numbers.. but orange painted engine......... from what i could figure out they started building the vette78 in late (october?) 77 .. and mine was surely built in the 77 periode.....did they change the color already with the building of the first 78 models (late 77 )or just with the new year?

All of the 77 and 78 cars had blue engines. IF your numbers are right the engine was repainted. If the engine has not been repainted, take a close look at the numbers. There were a few old school folks who wanted the orange engine, and repainted from the original blue.

Ken Styer

I was under the impression that when Chevy went with "Blue", in the Corvette, if you ordered/bought the L-82, it came in orange, where as the L-48 was blue.

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'76 L48 Auto Project |IMG|http://www.freewebs.com/privategod/Mine2a.JPG |/IMG|

Negative-I have a 77 L-82, original engine, and it's corporate blue.
I guess, to them, a block's a block.

it could have explained my orange block since i have an L-82

My 79 has a blue engine. By the way, where can you buy blue engine paint?

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My '76 was orange when I pulled it. It is now black, but matching numbers... I agree with Ken. All the info I have read has '76 and earlier with orange engines, and '77 and later with blue. Doesn't matter whether it is L82 or L48.

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sstanford '76 L48

Jim, you can buy blue engine paint at most parts stores (Twilight Zone, Napper, etc.). Comes in a spray bomb and says "Engine Paint" or "Engine Enamel" or "Hi-Temp Engine Enamel". You get the idea. Caps are marked for Chevy, Ford, Chrysler.

Eckler's and Corvette Central sell the stuff also in all the correct colors. It'll run you about $7.00 a can.

Happy trails.

John