I am slowly rebuilding the engine for my '57, a while go I picked up a NOS pair of 30BHP heat exchangers for it but before I fit them, and in the interests of longetivity, I was planning to have them bead blasted and powder coated.

They are currently black, so I'm guessing that that will be the correct colour for them but I have this feeling they ought really to be grey. All the period shots I have found which show the heat exchangers are in B&W and those that are in manuals are a little unreliable as VW had a habit of painting engines that would feature in manuals different colours to make them more photogenic!

Anyone know what colour is correct?

Mike

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If you have the complete exchanger powder coated,the J pipe section will last about ten miles.It'll burn straight off.I know:oops:

Thanks for that, it's only the heater boxes that I am concerned with, the J tubes will have to take their chances!

What colour did you settle on?

Mike

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I stuck my camera under my 55 for you, but it does'nt really help you much does it :lol:

So I asked O, he says our own nos oval ones are black too and later 34hp are grey.

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Thanks for that!

Black it is then :wink:

Mike

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I have been restoring early heater boxes for several years. I have seen a few later (LMB) boxes, NOS in grey, but all VW parts have seen with discernible paint were black.

I spray mine, J tubes too, with POR-15 High Temp "Black Velvet", then back at 450F for 1.5 hours. That paint will not burn off the J pipes.