Correct Engine Color

-
I looked at all the charts for the 340 engine colors.
However, I am the original owner of a 1971 340 Duster.
Built April 1971. Engine came BLUE.
 
I worked on a bunch of them back in the day and every 68 Mopar small block I worked on was red. The first few 69s I saw were still red too.
 
charliec said:
I have a '68 340 Dart. I told the machine shop to paint it Hemi Orange. I told the paint shop I needed a rattle can of Hemi Orange. They are not close to the same. I can't tell which one looks more "Cheby", but the machine shop came closer to the color that the engine was when I bought the car many moons ago. Which looks more like "Hemi Orange" to you? What is the correct color for the '68 340?

View attachment 1716279447
Click to expand...
68 340’s are Red, 69 are Turquoise, 70/71 are Hemi Orange, 72/73 are Blue
 
wawarnick said:
As always with Mother Mopar, if a car was built very early or very late in the model year when the color changed over, it is possible that an early 69 could have a red engine or a late 69 could have a Hemi orange engine.
Click to expand...
My 69' Dart (in photo) is Hemi Orange, as in the factory Brocher I have. My understanding is the automatics were turquoise and the 4 speeds were Hemi Orange in 69'. 68' all were red and 70' Hemi orange. Many GTS's were made in the automatic, so they were a lot of turquoises out there. The 4 speeds were sold as a "HOT" car, so the Hemi Orange was the color. All about sale, sale, sale.
 
Swinger 340 said:
My 69' Dart (in photo) is Hemi Orange, as in the factory Brocher I have. My understanding is the automatics were turquoise and the 4 speeds were Hemi Orange in 69'. 68' all were red and 70' Hemi orange. Many GTS's were made in the automatic, so they were a lot of turquoises out there. The 4 speeds were sold as a "HOT" car, so the Hemi Orange was the color. All about sale, sale, sale.
Click to expand...

No. That’s false info. Please don’t spread that.

There have been some variations on original 1969 340 cars found. They do not necessarily follow 4-speed, auto, and/or A/C.

Most were turquoise.

If you have something different, you better have good proof to make that case for your motor. It's still very uncommon for non turquoise 69 340.

The 1969 Dart brochure doesn’t show Hemi orange. I don’t even see a picture of a motor in it. And the colors are not great on those brochures. As a rule, Factory brochures very from production cars greatly. Even the pictures are airbrushed touched up.
 
Last edited:
rebelcaptain said:
I looked at all the charts for the 340 engine colors.
However, I am the original owner of a 1971 340 Duster.
Built April 1971. Engine came BLUE.
Click to expand...

In Spring 1971 340 engine went from Street Hemi Orange to Industrial Blue (light)

That happened when 340 assembly changed from Windsor “GW340” to “Mound Rd” “GM340”
 
Could it have mattered where the assembly plants were that built the cars ?
Or,,,,,plants that built engines ?

Oops,,,beat me to it ,,,lol !

Tommy
 
Desoto291hemi said:
Could it have mattered where the assembly plants were that built the cars ?
Or,,,,,plants that built engines ?

Oops,,,beat me to it ,,,lol !

Tommy
Click to expand...

Only in 1971 when they changed engine assembly plants.

68 to early 71 340 were assembled at Windsor.

And every year had a different part number engine assembly. You don't find 68 carburetors on 69 engines? Well... the the carb is part of the engine assembly !!
 
Inertia said:
Yes, built Nov 68 .
Avatar pic is a coupla weeks after purchase, iirc, - no headrests.
Click to expand...

Most all 1969 340's are turquoise like yours. There's been a few anomalies of different colors.

Most all 1968 340's are red. I've never seen hard proof any different colors.
 
autoxcuda said:
Most all 1969 340's are turquoise like yours. There's been a few anomalies of different colors.

Most all 1968 340's are red. I've never seen hard proof any different colors.
Click to expand...

I believe that correct, there was also the air-cleaner "340" was either red or orange year specific, 4 SPD/Auto (cam).
Cheers
 
I say just paint it the color that looks best to you unless it’s a 100% concours restoration.
 
Last edited:
1971 CY Dodge Dart said:
I say just paint it the color that looks best to you unless it’s a 100% concourse restoration.
Click to expand...

This concourse?
image.jpg


Or this concours?
32bd1d73fb15943719bb8811ab03381b.jpg


Educated one, please enlighten us.
 
autoxcuda said:
No. That’s false info. Please don’t spread that.

There have been some variations on original 1969 340 cars found. They do not necessarily follow 4-speed, auto, and/or A/C.

Most were turquoise.

If you have something different, you better have good proof to make that case for your motor. It's still very uncommon for non turquoise 69 340.

The 1969 Dart brochure doesn’t show Hemi orange. I don’t even see a picture of a motor in it. And the colors are not great on those brochures. As a rule, Factory brochures very from production cars greatly. Even the pictures are airbrushed touched up.
Click to expand...
I will show the photo I have, if I can figure out how to input it here.
 
Swinger 340 said:
I will show the photo I have, if I can figure out how to input it here.
Click to expand...

There have been some original paint motors 1969 340's that have popped up different colors. With strong documentation to back it up. Very few though.

But they are oddballs. You can't say all 4-speeds were hemi orange. That's way over-reaching. Many people in this thread have 1969 340 4-speed that were not Hemi Orange.

If you don't have solid proof you motor was not turquoise, then keep it turquoise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top