Engine paint colors
- Thread starter Lenoxx
- Start date
Here’s a ‘74 with a black air cleaner, looks the same as mine, are these not correct as stock?
They were never black and that coupe has body paint overspray everywhere.
This picture of an M30 engine prompted my question with regard to the black vs grey air cleaner. The picture below is from Wikipedia and shows an original M30 engine on display at the BMW museum in Munich.
Using my awesome Google Pixel* phone to view the air cleaner, it appeared to me as black with a clear coat. But, my air cleaner was a sort of industrial grey color. So I wondered if the grey was an etching primer, or if BMW used both black and grey.
Anyway, I just looked at that same picture on my computer and the air cleaner is clearly grey.
The oil canister color also looks orange or red depending on the computer screen. I do understand color gamut, but the canister colors also look different to my eye under natural light. So, maybe the color varied according to which red they had on the shelf. Or, maybe the red color fades to orange over time?
My goal is to determine which paint and color was used on the museum engine so that I can make mine look like that after I pull it out and mothball it. I can eyeball it or get the RGB colors from the image and mix up close match, but what fun is that?
Maybe the color is a Purolator brand color and not BMW?
Thanks for all the feedback. I will post if I discover anything about the oil canister.
* The worst thing about the Pixel is that it's waterproof.
Using my awesome Google Pixel* phone to view the air cleaner, it appeared to me as black with a clear coat. But, my air cleaner was a sort of industrial grey color. So I wondered if the grey was an etching primer, or if BMW used both black and grey.
Anyway, I just looked at that same picture on my computer and the air cleaner is clearly grey.
The oil canister color also looks orange or red depending on the computer screen. I do understand color gamut, but the canister colors also look different to my eye under natural light. So, maybe the color varied according to which red they had on the shelf. Or, maybe the red color fades to orange over time?
My goal is to determine which paint and color was used on the museum engine so that I can make mine look like that after I pull it out and mothball it. I can eyeball it or get the RGB colors from the image and mix up close match, but what fun is that?
Maybe the color is a Purolator brand color and not BMW?
Thanks for all the feedback. I will post if I discover anything about the oil canister.
* The worst thing about the Pixel is that it's waterproof.
I’ve seen that motor in person and it has many non-original parts/finishes on it.
...Foiled again
They used both olive green and grey for air cleaners.
I haven't seen olive yet, but the texture looks like spray paint in that picture.They used both olive green and grey for air cleaners.
It's my original air cleaner, the top was matched to the sides and inside. So top is respray, sides are original. Also appears to be the same color that my and some others I've seen painted on the rear subframes
Steve, It would be great to try and match it to a RAL code. All of the grey covers had some green in them, over the years owners just paint them grey. I have seen the greenish subframes, even the black ones are really a very dark grey I think.
Per German Forum posted by Christoph (CS-werke)
the paint Color for the Airfilter boxes, both top and bottom for CS & CSI are:
RAL 7011 Eisengrau (Iron grey) or RAL 7043 Verkehrsgrau B (Traffic Grey B) (both colours being practically identical)
the paint Color for the Airfilter boxes, both top and bottom for CS & CSI are:
RAL 7011 Eisengrau (Iron grey) or RAL 7043 Verkehrsgrau B (Traffic Grey B) (both colours being practically identical)
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dipstick were two versions one yellow the most common one and a red one too
length is different, it is in the manual
length is different, it is in the manual
By spray paint I meant the color might have been changed Mine is currently spray painted too.
Did BMW use RAL color codes? I thought BMW used paints from Glasurit and I'm using their website to lookup paint colors and formulas.
From the Wiki: RAL is an European color matching system which defines colors for paint, coatings and plastics. ... 'RAL' is the abbreviation of 'Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung'. This name can be translated in English as 'National Commission for Delivery Terms and Quality Assurance'.
Oh. Good to know. I never realized paint codes were called RAL. Never really thought about it I guess, I always selected colors from manufacturer catalogs or use the paint brand formulas.
Would an autobody paint place have the RAL color charts? I had them match it but the code is long gone.