1969 340-s engine block color.

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stevemackanos

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Guys I have one owner all numbers matching 340-s auto fast back This car has build sheet ,fender tag and window sticker. It has all the parts it was born with. With that being said the engine is blue the guy who owned the car since new said it came that way. I also have looked at several other 340-S cars restored OEM that also seem to have this color engine. Is this right none of these cars had a orange or Red block from each one I have seen. But I find no books that support the blue color for a 340 4BBL in a A body.....Color answer needed ...
 
In 1969 the 340 was supposed to be "turquoise". It was definitely a more blue color than other Mopar tuquoise. That being said, I had three friends back in the day that got 69 cars with red engines. Just goes to show that Mopar didn't always do what they were reported to have done.
 
If I were you, I would verify the vin number on the block against the vin.

From everything I know, it should not be blue. That leaves 2 options, it has been painted or changed.
 
All the 340s were "suipposed" to be turquoise in '69. When turquoise fades it looks blue. If you want it to be correct paint it turquoise. Mine was turquoise originally from the factory. Some may have slipped through red but those were factory screw ups.
 
For the most part 68 was red, 69, torquoise, 70 red, torquoise, orange, and whatever, 71-73 blue. The model years will have some lapse in colors.
 
Here is a survivor car that can be used as a reference. I've got a pair of valve covers from a '69 340 that are "Turquoise" and a pair of valve covers off a '73 that are blue. They were both taken off and put on the shelf in my Dad's garage early in the cars lives so neither should have faded much. The '69 covers are blue (like the blue in the article) but when compared to the '73 blue they are obviously a lighter color, but it would be a stretch to call them turquoise.
http://www.moparaction.com/Article/JUNE/JUNE.html
 
My father's 69 swinger new had a red block, but it also had the dana 60/ hemi saganaw 4-speed options, so maybe the way it was ordered/plant location has something to do with it
 
correct me if I'm wrong,early builds 69 were they not red?
 
I have heard that in 69 there were 3 different colors...turquoise, red and orange...aparently depending on the build date??
 
I'm wondering if it had somthing to do with where the car was built ( different plants) most 69's I have seen around here have had red engines. This is an interesting thread.
 
4spdragtop said:
I have heard that in 69 there were 3 different colors...turquoise, red and orange...aparently depending on the build date??
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I wouldn't doubt that, it seems that when the color changes occured many of the new model year were wearing last years colors. I think Chrysler probably used up the rest of the old paint or installed engines that were already painted with the previous model year's color.
 
4spdragtop.....where do you come up with your avitar pics?????????????? I'm guessing now that either or the 2 i've seen aren't really YOU????? OR are they????
 
Here's a pic I took yesterday off of a '69 Barracuda 340-S, one owner. Car's been re-done, but to original specs. Owner's probably here, somewhere. (Eugene/Springfield, Oregon is where the show was..)
554306_421230954563518_100000298509093_1537661_726662368_n.jpg
 
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I vote turqouise/blue, but I have heard and seen that ONLY turqouise/blue on a 340 is not a hard and fast rule. Most of what I heard is tied to build date and location, mood of the painter, etc. The picture above is after engine bay restoration during the 90's.

My 340 convertible's build date, Feb 11th engine was turqouise/blue.

My A56 was built Feb 15th and that one was turqouise/blue. Both had original engines.
 
I once owned 2 '69 Swingers with 340 4 speeds. They both had the turqouise/blue engines exactly like CudaFans picture.
 
My 69 Swinger in 1990, bought from the original owner had about 60K, never was apart.
 

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1968FormulaS340 said:
If I were you, I would verify the vin number on the block against the vin.

From everything I know, it should not be blue. That leaves 2 options, it has been painted or changed.
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The engine block numbers matching and trans . It still has the factory carb, intake ,exhaust maifolds,valve covers and oil pan it came from the factory with. any parts that had been changed over the years are in boxes from the first owner who ordered this car from the dealer in St Louis....I just trying to figure out if I need to chage the color to what it should be. Its more blue than greenish color more like a letter build mopar small block........THX.
 
grimreaper said:
Here is a survivor car that can be used as a reference. I've got a pair of valve covers from a '69 340 that are "Turquoise" and a pair of valve covers off a '73 that are blue. They were both taken off and put on the shelf in my Dad's garage early in the cars lives so neither should have faded much. The '69 covers are blue (like the blue in the article) but when compared to the '73 blue they are obviously a lighter color, but it would be a stretch to call them turquoise.
http://www.moparaction.com/Article/JUNE/JUNE.html
Click to expand...

Thats the same color I have and this is the fourth really documented 340 1969 car that I have seen that shares this color. My car was built the last month before they shut the fastback line down in the MI location........Thanks for your help with this these cars were not Turquoise as a rule and maybe the latter build date has something to do with this......Thanks Steve I am not changing my color I am leaving is how it was born..........
 
In are area there was 3 darts and 1 barracuda all 69s.The bet was the two darts that had the red engines were 273,s and some put 4bbl,s on them.Come to find out they were all 340 engines.The differance was the 2 darts were early models that had red engines and the other dart and the barracuda that were blue was late models.The blocks on the early models had a date of late 68 and the other 2 had the date fo mid 69. If there are people on hear that have 69 red engine should show them so people can see that they made them. Mark
 
I bought mine untouched from the original owner in 1981.This was a hamtramac car and engine was turquoise.I have done some research and read that some of the cars produced from the LA california plant were red?Correct me if I am wrong.
 
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