I recently pulled my engine in my 69 Z to fix some oil leaks and freshen up the paint. This naturally led me to check CRG for the latest on engine detailing.
I have a follow-up "engine overspray" question on the fuel pump mounting plate (ref. the AIM, Sec C6, page 99, covering the fuel pump and pump to carb fuel line installation). Since the fuel pump plate was installed at the Chevrolet Final Assembly plant, on engine dress-up line, is it safe to assume the fuel pump mounting plate was not painted Chevy Orange? Was it painted black or left natural steel?
Here are pictures of the plate from my 302. The inside edge shows signs it was black at one time, but I don't know if this was from a previous owner's work on the engine.