I've just taken my 73 +2 out for it's first run of the year and all seems well, even the drip from the water pump seems to have stopped!

One of the jobs I plan to do this year is change the afore mentioned water pump and while it is appart I would also like to paint the engine and tidy it up a little, which brings me to my question.

The engine in my car is not the original, I have the receipt for it to be taken out of another +2, re-built and fitted around 15 years/30,000 miles ago when the vegatune engine that was fitted failed, all the pictures I have seen show all of the Lotus engine painted grey, Mine though appears to originally have had a dark red block, black sump and possibly a dark red head (only a few specs of paint left), I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the very late +2's were a different colour, can someone confirm this?

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Cosworth used to paint their Crankcases Maroon, a Colour which I like a lot for that job.
I've painted them with Humbrol Enamel, about 3 coats gives a nice shiny surface which is easy to clean & helps disguise minor leaks from Scrutineers.
The paint stood up well to the Environment & temperatures that it was subjected to.
There have been Threads in the past where the original Grey Paint has been defined.

Cheers
John

I seem to remember that in the Miles Wilkins book he says "no Twin Cam engine left the factory in any other colour except gray" but thats not to say Cosworth,Holbay, BRM and the other tuners of the day didnt have their own colours.

Cosworth engine for my Lotus Seven.



Any excuse to post a pic

I bought a small pot of grey paint from Matty last week - should last at least 100 years.

This is what I did (Fergie grey) for my 1970 + 2S. Cam cover colour is optional!

I have also recently acquired a 1973 + 2 with what appears to be original engine paint - it's grey with a black cam cover.

Jono

"Optional" Jono,

as I understand it there are "rules" for Cam Cover colours as well

Cheers
John

There are no rules for cam covers!

John,

There are rules for cam covers - mine should be black but I quite like crackle red of the earlier +2

Red is best





The Grey on my engine is the one QED sell, looks slightly lighter to the eye than it appears in the picture.

Cheers
Jon

Yes my S4 SE Twink Cam Cover is Red Crackle finish, which I like & also believe to be Historically correct; but I'm not going to have a "Blue Fit" if it isn't

I painted my Zetec Crankcase Grey & the Cam Cover red to make it look something like a Twink, but for other reasons than trying to trick Elan aficionados.

John

Jon,

The paint I had from Matty certainly looks like Fergie Grey.


Dusty,

Were cylinder heads painted?

And sumps should be black, I think!!!

Were cylinder heads painted? Yes I think so.

And sumps should be black, I think!!! Not sure about that one, not going to change it now though....

I should have been more specific

Were cylinder heads painted grey when they left the factory?

Yes, as were the sumps and front covers.

love the Cosworth 1500 Dusty...how much further to go to get the old girl back on the road.

Mark