Vance & Mickey,
My '74 brochure shows the water pump housing in black. My brochure
doesn't picture the pump, so I don't know the color of that car's pump.
My recollection (or what I want to believe is my recollection) is that
the pumps were black also when the cars were new.
I've painted mine gloss black with Duracolor Engine Paint like the rest
of the engine because I think it looks good and as Vance notes below, it
keeps the pump from rusting. You could paint it with clear engine paint
if you like the cast appearance.
As I look at the brochure more closely I find it awkward to think about
the fact that the attractive young lady leaning on the Mimosa TR6 on the
front page of the brochure will probably turn 50 this year, if she
hasn't already. As I peruse further, the TR6 Union Jacks on the pictured
cars are much closer to the tail lamps than I recall (too close for my
taste), and that both the female and male snaps on the top were
originally white on the reflective stripe, not black. And that does look
better to me.
Jim Davis
Fortson, GA
CF38690UO
Micky:
I have a '74 sales brochure that shows the water pump in a raw
cast iron finish. Problem is, that rusts in short order. I would paint
it, and if you want it to look stock, then you would paint it in a cast
iron grey color.
I painted mine gloss black, along with the rest of the block and
head. I don't know how long it will last, but I wanted to give it some
rust protection. I used engine enamel.
If you buy a new County water pump, it is delivered in the raw
cast iron finish. At least, that is how mine arrived. The only detailed
photos I have seen have been in Roger
Williams' book, and everything is gloss black, although I don't think
that is stock.
Vance
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