Cam cover colours

[Galwaylotus]

Yes, in the Wilkins engine book, pg 181-183 -

Has anyone been in contact with Mile Wilkins lately? His website seems to be down. I hope he hasn't closed shop!!

[Elanintheforest]

Hi Sarto
Here's a picture of the cam cover of a '65 S2. This car was restored to original condition a few years ago, and the owner had a very detailed and accurate approach to his restoration! Pretty sure that they were hammer finished from the start, mainly to cover up the rough casting!!

Mark

[mac5777]

Hi Mark, thanks!! I found the other blue cam cover picture-- rsfehr's blue picture http://www.seanet.com/~rsfehr/elan.html and it looks similar to the blue in your post, colors can vary in pictures. Galwaylotus green cover and mine must be a hammer finish because of the rough casting. I may have confused crackle finish with hammer finish.
Maybe that is what some are calling dark blue. It looks rather light to me. But that seems to be the correct color for my 66 S3 with webers.

Thanks again, Sarto

[paddy]

"Dark blue" is just what it said in the book. I've never seen a blue one that's darker than the ones in these two pictures.

Paddy

[skelteanema]

Hi Guys,

This is a timely post as I have been contemplating painting my "spare" cam cover to the correct colour for my car. The one presently on my car is polished aluminium, which looks nice but is not correct.

The cam cover for my particular car should be Hammertone blue, but what exactly is Hammertone? Is this a brand name, or a texture (hammered finish)? From some of the images the paint seems to be metallic as well, is this correct?

Is this Hammertone at all related to the Hammerite products? I think a post by Randall Fehr in a previous thread described mixing Hammerite colours to obtain the right blue shade.

I have seen colours ranging from light blue, to mid blue right through to almost teal blue/green being described as correct colours (see for example page 340 in the Bucklands manual shows the blue colour being much lighter than the example by Mark, whereas the one in Sartos first post seems to be almost a teal blue/green).

[Elanintheforest]

The paint I've used is the Hammerite 'Hammered Dark Blue' which answers Paddys point as well. In fact it's not dark!

http://www.hammerite.co.uk/products/ps_ ... lours.html

Mark

[Galwaylotus]

Yes, in the Wilkins engine book, pg 181-183 -

Has anyone been in contact with Mile Wilkins lately? His website seems to be down. I hope he hasn't closed shop!!

Just spoke to Miles. All's well. His website is down but the business carries on as usual.

I'm still waiting for the reprint of the Twin Cam book but he's having difficulty getting a printer to do a run for any reasonable money. The wait continues!

[RichC]

I'm resurrecting this thread having just read the latest edition of Club Lotus News. seems my cam cover should be blue rather than red as engine prefix is LP for a summer '68 built +2 .
It has the LOTUS lettering over the timing chain rather than over the cams which i presume is correct ? or did someone switch cam covers years ago do u think?
It's 'sod's law' that it was only yesterday i ordered red crinkle finish paint online ! too late to cancel as it's due to arrive tomorrow . (let me know if you'd like to take it off my hands ...)
before I go any further |I'd like to verify I have the correct cam cover style before I order the right blue paint for it!
I'm guessing we all agree that the hammerite hammered finished blue is the right choice ?(see below)
cheers
RichC

[Elanintheforest]

You do have the right cam cover Rich...they came in just before the Plus 2 was launched, so you're pretty safe!
Mark

[RichC]

Many thanks Mark .
Glad I don't have to be hunting for an alternative ...

[RichC]

Hammercote hammered blue or Hammerite hammered dark blue ?

[Elanintheforest]

Hmmm, I would say Poppy Red for the cam cover with the script on the front! I have a feeling that blue (dark for early, light for late) was on the early covers up to mid '67 with the Lotus script on both covers.

Mark

[RichC]

that's not what they're saying in this month's Lotus Mag !
LP prefixed +2 from summer '68 seems to require a blue one. Could it be an error???

[Elanintheforest]

From what I can see in Miles Wilkins book all Plus 2 cars up to the Big Valve (i.e. all with the LOTUS script over the chain) had the red cover, so i think that an error may have crept in.

I don't think that ether blue or green were used once the two-script, early type cam covers were phased out. Blue denoted standard and green S/E, so if it was going to be anything other than red, then it would have been green....but it wasn't!!!

Mark

[Quart Meg Miles]

Sorry guys, I attached this to the wrong thread!

Originally, red was for racing engines.

Twelve years ago I brush-repainted my standard cover with "Hammerite Hammered blue" and it was almost identical to the original colour that I'd retained in a patch on the back. Can you detect where it is?

After 40 years some difference is acceptable and the original certainly wasn't stove enamal !