Sunbeam Tiger engine color.

[unclescott58]

Yesterday I got AMT's recent reissue of the Sunbeam Tiger. Looks like a nice kit over all. But, as I opened the instructions, I noticed that they were recommending painting the engine a medium blue. I always thought the Ford 260s like the engine that powered the Tigers were black. I called a friend of mine with an Sunbeam Alpine (which basically a four-cylinder Tiger). And he too thought that the Tiger 260s were all painted black.

Then I went looking at photos on the web. I found a '66 Mk I Tiger with a blue engine. A blue 260. So now it was time to do some deep web searching. There are several Sunbeam and Tiger sites that have brought up this question of 260s in blue paint. It basically turns out that all Ford engines, including those sold to the owners of Sunbeam, the Rootes group, were painted Ford corporate blue for the 1966 model year. Depending on the source, this may have started as early as July of '65.

So, from what I can tell, all '64 and almost all '65 (there maybe exceptions to this) Sunbeam Tigers came from the factory with black 260s. Most, if not all 66's came with blue 260s. The Tiger Mk IIs of '67 came with the 289 and different grille. And all of those Tiger engines were painted blue.

So Round 2's instructions are correct if your building your Tiger as a '66. Which is the way I think I'll go.

Edited July 20, 2016 by unclescott58

[Snake45]

Good info, thanks for sharing. I'll bet you just saved a lot of us a bunch of time.

[afx]

Good Ford engine color info here:

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/paint-body/mump-0308-select-correct-vintage-mustang-engine-paint/

"For many years prior to 1966, Ford engines were color-keyed to specific applications and carlines. For 1966, this practice changed, when all Ford engines were painted Ford Corporate Blue. Instead of color-keyed valve covers and air cleaners, the entire engine would be Ford Blue, like the Ford Blue Oval and the Ford Blue offset dealer signs popping up in 1966. Ford's message for 1966 and beyond was simple-if it is blue, it is power by Ford."

[Crazy Ed]

. Ford's message for 1966 and beyond was simple-if it is blue, it is power by Ford."

   Well 'less it was a Pontiac

[afx]

   Well 'less it was a Pontiac

[unclescott58]

Good info, thanks for sharing. I'll bet you just saved a lot of us a bunch of time.

Thank you Snake. That's a nice thing to say.

[Rabblewitz]

Coming in late on this, but note that the  Round 2 Sunbeam Tiger appears to be a late production Mark 1A.  The clues are the rear corners of the hood and doors are square, while they were rounded on earlier Mark 1A models. So this kit is very likely a '66.  I kind of wish the kit was a Mark II, with the 289, but oh well.  ?