Mopar Engine Colors Through The Years
Below are the Mopar numbers for the various engine paints used by Chrysler from the 1940s.
Black - Mopar P4120753
- 1981-up 2.2L engines
- 1983-up 318 and 360 engines
- All production Jeep engines
Race Hemi Orange - Mopar P4120751 (A bright orange color)
- 1962-1964 Max Wedge engines (413 and 426 Cross Ram)
- 1964-1965 426 Race Hemis 426 Race Hemis
Street Hemi Orange - Mopar P4349216 (A reddish orange color commonly referred to as "Hemi Orange.")
- 1966-1971 426 Street Hemis
- 1969-1971 High performance 383 and 440 engines
- 1970-1971 340 engines
Turquoise - Mopar P4120752 (Medium blue-green color)
- 1962-1971 All B/RB big blocks.
- 1969 LA 340's.
Red - Mopar P4349218 (Bright red color)
This "red" color is NOT THE SAME as the "red" that MP sells, nor does commercially available (Krylon, Plasti-Cote) "Chrysler Red" paint match the original Slant-6 red color. NAPA sells an exact match of the slightly orangish red used on some 1960-1969 Slant 6 engines. It is NAPA Farm equipment spray paint, International-Harvester Red, made by Martin Senour.
- Late 1960s Poly 318 engines and Slant 6 engines
- 1964-1969 All 273 engines
- 1967-1969 LA 318s
- 1968 340s
Blue - Mopar P4349217 (Medium blue color)
- 1972-1983 All production engines except the 2.2
- 1969-1972 LA 318s
- 1969 340s
Blue - (No Mopar number) (Color code never appeared in manuals)
Slightly darker than the standard blue used on the 70's LA engines. Paint also turned Turquoise with heat. Even Galen Govier does not have a spec for mixing. This paint was used on a lot of 340' and other LA engines in late 69. Most restorers use Blue Mopar P4349217 (above) to repaint and
the judges agree.
Yellow - Mopar P4529144
- Mid 1963 to mid-1969 Slant 6 truck engines ONLY
Aluminum Silver - Mopar P4529148.
- Most 1940s to early 1960 engines, including most of the early Hemis and 1950s Poly engines were painted this color. Silver was also used on all the flathead 6's except that the performance option in the 30's included a high compression head that was painted bright red.
Gold Metallic - Mopar P4529149. Used from the late 50s and early 60s
- "Golden Lion" engines
- "Golden Commando" engines
- DeSoto "Adventurer" engines
BUT I LIKE CHRYSLER BLUE MYSELF!