Gearbox colour?

[RichardHawkins]

I am currently working on my gearbox, and would like to paint the box and bell housing the right colour. My gearbox and bell housing appear to be black or dark grey, which could be the colour of the "grey" cast iron. Does anyone know if they were painted and what the colour was?

Richard Hawkins

[rcombs]

Richard,

My late '67 DHC gearbox was dark green. I used Rustoleum hunter green with about 10% black added. The bell housing was satin/flat black inside and out.

Rick

[S2Jay]

There have been a number of threads about gearbox/engine color [colour] as well as other components.
There was such a thread more recently, within a year IIRC, but I could not find that one. Here are 2 I did find in a search.

lotus-gearbox-f37/gearbox-color-t14362.html
elan-archive-f16/gearbox-t13828.html

The Trans in my S2 26/5009 is grey, and this appears to be as original, as I am now doing a refresh of the box and have it out for synchros, seals & paint.

I believe there was one theory that a Massey-Ferguson Tractor paint color was used, at least for some time, which was a grey with a wiff of blue.

As always, most anything could have been done on any specific unit, which is why the advice to do what pleases you is often valid. No one can prove which color in the range of possibles may have been on yours from the "factory" [read: shop].
Best fortune with your project!
Jay

Edited to add pic.

[pharriso]

Richard, this is a picture I "harvested" of someone's 72 Sprint gearbox:

[RichardHawkins]

Thanks for the help everyone. Looks like satin black for the bell housing and dark green for the gearbox.

Thanks again

Richard Hawkins