What color was my engine?

Question:

My 1937 Chevy pickup is all-original and to date I have cleaned her up pretty well. One thing I cannot track down is the correct engine block color used on the 216 cid engine for that year Chevrolet truck. I am the third owner of this truck and it looks to me from the leftover color that it may have been black below the valve cover? This area of the truck will be my next challenge and I wish to show just how it looked in 1937.

Answer:

While there is a fair degree of uncertainty about pre-war engine color, most knowledgeable enthusiasts believe that the engine in your truck was originally painted gray. It is possible that the majority of the engine was gray and certain components were black, which is one possible explanation for the black paint you see on the engine today.