I'm wondering if anyone has an exact time when Chevrolet started painting engines blue, instead of orange. A friend recently bought a very early 77 car (August 30,1976 build) with an original orange engine. A few years ago, I heard there were some early 77's made with orange engines, but now I'm curious to find out when the change occured.  Maybe someone with an early 77 has an original blue engine that will help narrow down the date.

There is no exact date/serial # for when the change took place, but it was actually in '76, but for the '77 year model, I believe. This has been discussed here before a while back, but I can't remember what forum it was in. There has also been a discussion of when they went to black for the engines.

Basically, I believe the really early '77 engines might still be orange, but it's also possible that you could have one car on the line with a blue engine, and the one after that orange. It would depend on where the particular engine was on the assy line floor at the time it was needed for a particular vehicle.
I'm sure there is a VIN break at one point, to where all engines after that were blue. Perhaps someone here has a little more info....perhaps an NCRS Judging Guide...

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Joel Adams
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Thanx Gene!

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Joel Adams
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I changed mine to Chevy Orange in 2004

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Ok, well this car was built on Aug 30th. So that makes sense.  Thanks!!

On a related note, in the auto supply stores, I've seen there's two different chevy oranges in the same brands of paint.  One is a little darker than the other.  Which one goes for which years?

Phil

When did they stop the blue block?

 Not hat it concerns Vettes much but in the late 80's Cars and Truck Built in the USA were Blue and in Canada Black. My 89 3/4 ton was a Black Engine Cause all 3/4 Tons were Canadian Built then.

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Now, being the curious one that I am...Why did they change from orange to blue?

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  I'm not sure but I'll bet that Gm decided to go with a corperate color. That was about the Time when GM was making Headlines for putting Chevy Engines in Cadilacs Olds and Pontiacs not to mention GMC Trucks. Like anyone who bought them didn't allready know. That way when You looked under the Hood it looked like a GM engine. Not a Brand Engine.

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I've got an 1980 vette with a blue block, but the 1982 has a black block is the 1982 correct?

  My 1980 had the Blue Block and Heads. I still have it sitting in a Locker its been there for 21 Years and its still blue. And yes I am the original owner of the car. Was the 82 an Export to say Canada????

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The '82 would could be black, from what I know...There is another thread here somewhere with the info about those..it was discussed a year or so ago, and the consensus then was that some of the '82s were black...Adams' Apple2008-11-13 06:26:17

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Joel Adams
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Richard the 82 is a Colorado vette, here for resto.

I'm pretty sure my '78 L82 SA had a black block.  The L48's that year had blue blocks and valve covers.

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My 77 has the original L-82 engine and the heads and block are both blue.

    According to the GM Tech Center, their records say that an engine color change was first discussed in 74 for two reasons: help define leaded and non-leaded engines (huh?) and to appeal to more women buyers. GM was loosing sales to women and didn't know why, so they took a poll and found that 67.3% of the women didn't like the engine color. They wanted something more eye appealing and orange wasn't it. Orange didn't go well with the engine bay color. How many women look at the engine when buying a car anyway? But, it must have worked because after the change sales to women increased by about 32%, Make sense? It doesn't to me.

My 82 has the blue block. If I were to rebuild I would go with orange. Just personal preference.jbs82vette2009-01-02 15:30:57