Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Crossflow engine paint colour

I have been trying to find out what colour the engine block should be on my late 60's Morgan Crossflow engine block. I have found some remnants of blue behind the flywheel. Would this have been Ford Corporate Blue or was this just used on US engine blocks?

Additionally the cast iron gearbox bell housing has been painted black but the 4 speed box seems to have seems to have remnants of a dark green paint. Can anyone throw any light on this also?

Thanks in advance.

My 68 1600 xflow just looks black however it has been overhauled so I am also interested in what the new colour might have been.

To my knowledge no one holds information for engine or engine cover colours, we frequently get requests for this, but unfortunately cannot help, I am sure someone will have archives somewhere .

Same goes for wheels,they are a nightmare to match, and the dealers will not help, mainly because I don't think they can anyway.

My 78 4/4 was black.

Jon the Chief

There seems to be a lot of information on US websites on engine block colours for Ford and other makes. There is mention of Ford Corporate Blue which when I looked was not a million miles from the colour I found behind the flywheel. It's conceivable that Ford used their corporate colour on European engine blocks as well, Obviously with time the colour I found will have changed due to heat and oil etc but it looks pretty close.

My '76 one came to me as "black"...no idea other than that.

From memory, 60's cross flows as fitted in UK Fords were always black. Unless they painted those destined for fitment in a Morgan in a different colour I'd assume black was original.

I have seen blue, but have an idea that only factory recon. engines were painted in corporate blue, I may be wrong however?

All the engines on my 50's 60's and 70's Morgan 4/4's were black and were original as far as I knew.
I also have recollection of Ford genuine reconditioned engine parts at the time being blue.

Well the general consensus is that the engine blocks were originally painted black, so I think that's settled my mind on the subject. The block is blue in places so I guess could be recon like some have mentioned however its a completely standard block and has not been re-bored. Still a bit of a mystery!