Regarding the lift hooks on small blocks built by the Flint Engine Plant, and specifically the '69 Z28 302 engines, where the lift hooks not installed during final engine assembly at Flint?
When the engine was painted orange, I understand that foam core mask were placed over the intake manifold and the aluminum valve covers, and a round mask was placed over the distributor. I assume the lift hooks where natural steel finish and exposed to potential orange overspray while the engine was painted. Does this make since?
I believe this is why you see a number of 302 Z28 engines with the lift hooks painted complete and neat with orange rather than with orange overspray.
I know that some of the mask placed over the aluminum intakes must have been in bad shape, as I have seen unrestored intakes with a orange overspray on surfaces up towards carburetor mounting surface. It looked very sloppy. The same applies to the distributors. My distributor had considerable orange overspray on the base and on the bottom surface of the distributor housing. The rear flange edge on one of my valve covers also had orange overspray.
So it is only my assumption that "originally" the lift hooks could have varying amounts of orange overspray on them.