[TR] Block color

[John Macartney]

Hi, Dave
 
I can't comment on block colours post 1972 for any car out of
Standard-Triumph but from 1946 until that date, they were (mainly) black.
Exceptions were on the small 4 cylinder which for a while were painted in
gold. This was the famous Gold Star engine that appeared in about 1957 on the
Standard Eight and Ten saloons. Gold continued for a while on the valve covers
of the same engine until the company was eventually able to get out from under
the paint contract it had signed with Pinchin and Johnson for later models of
the Ferguson tractor which was sold in Grey with a gold engine block and
skidded unit. The company was obliged to run with the contract for some years
after the tractor business was sold to Massey Harris. All that to one side,
factory reconditioned engines that were offered to the UK and European dealer
network and done by Beans Industries (a group company) were painted a 'yucky'
blue that wasn't too dis-similar from Ford Blue. I greatly
 doubt any of this engines ever got to your side of the pond as their release
was entirely dependent on good usable core units being available to rebuild.
AFAIK, Stag and Slant 4 engines were all black with silver valve/cam covers.
Jonmac