Painting a small-block Chevy engine (plus bonus 1060HP blower SBC footage!) | Redline Update - Hagerty Media

We have arrived at that step in our Chevrolet small-block rebuild where a good chunk of this video is watching paint dry. Luckily, Davin is well aware of how dull that may appear, and he’s stacked a few tips for you prior to that step. There’s also a big surprise at the end.

The paint process follows a very strict plan—for good reason. Skipping preparation on a paint job is asking for trouble. The first step in the process is taping up all the parts where paint shouldn’t go. Davin is extra careful here, using the gaskets as a template to make sure the paint gets all the way under each piece so no raw metal will be exposed. This helps keep corrosion at bay and also makes the finished product look extra tidy.

All the taped up pieces are then loaded up in the Jeep for a quick drive over to Traverse Body and Paint where the painting process really begins. A thorough wipe down with wax and grease remover gets everything ready for the first coat to be sprayed. An epoxy primer is used on most of the parts to ensure good adhesion, but the valve covers and oil pan get additional attention in the way of sandable primer to fill some pitting and make an extra smooth final product. With primer flashed off, the orange goes on and begins to dry. Next step is final assembly, but first there is a reward to all of you for hanging on through watching paint dry.

Davin builds engines for work, but he also has a few personal projects, too. The latest is a 8-71 blown 400-cubic-inch small-block Chevy that Davin has been dreaming of since he was a kid. It’s destined for his front-engined dragster that he has been running for the last five years. It will be a nice step up from the mechanical-injection small block currently in the chassis. First it needed to fire on the test stand for a break in, which happen this last week. Look close at his face to see the excitement of a proud dad as the engine surges in the way only a big blower motor can.

Seeing that engine fire up is exciting, but the final assembly starting on the Redline Rebuild 283 will also be big and it starts next week. Be sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel to never miss an update.

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