Classic/Antique Car Repair: ENGINE WELL PAINTING, ford mustang, k dick

Question
Hi Dick

I own a 1966 Ford Mustang Convert. my lovely wife bought me this past father's day. GOD bless that women.

O.K. Dick here's about me and the Mustang.
I'm just getting into resortration work. I don't want the concourse look. Just looking to make my Mustang shape looking.
I'm pretty handy with tools and I'm learning a lot about my car.

So here's the deal:
The color of my car is: TAHOE TURQUOISE METALLIC.
At least that what I've looked-up. The code is:
"U" and it says "TAHOE TURQUOISE"

Another site I looked at said, " TAHOE TURQUOISE METALLIC" So there you have that part. I'm confused (as always Ray) . . . lol

Seriously Dick. I want to paint the inside well of my engine. I bought all the stuff to lift the engine out before I put in the new intake manifold and new 4 barrel carb. (EDLEBROCK)

I WANT TO PAINT THE WELL.

FINALLY THE QUESTIONS:
WHERE DO I GET THE MATCHING COLOR TO CAN SPRAY PAINT THE ENGINE WELL? I LOOKED AND CAN'T SEEM TO COME-UP WITH THAT DARN COLOR. I'LL SETTLE FOR SOMETHING EVEN CLOSE ~ IF YOU WILL KINDLY HELP THIS POOR OLD 65 YR. OLDER. JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU AND LITTLE GUILT DICK . . . LOL

AND LASTLY: WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST ON HOW TO GO ABOUT THIS PROJECT OF PAINT THAT ENGINE WELL.

I FIGURED FIRST STRIP-DOWN THE ENTIRE AREA AS BEST I CAN, WITH I DON'T KNOW WHAT ? ? ?
THEN HIT IT WITH AN 'EPOXY PRIMER' THEN THE COLOR MATCHING PAINT.

DICK PLEASE CORRECT ME ON THE ABOVE WITH YOUR EXPERT EXPERIENCES WITH RESTORATIONS.

THANK YOU DICK
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

MR.RAY MONACO

Answer
First, to match the paint color, you have two choices.  The easy way is to check out the colors available in the standard lines from Rust-O-Lium and Krylon etc.  Go to your local Home Depot or Lowe's and convince the teenager at the paint counter that you can be trusted into the cage where they keep the spray can paints - (they always think I'm going to sneak in there and sniff the stuff - and I'm 10 years older than you are!).  If you're lucky, you'll find something close enough to use on your firewall. Another place to look is at NAPA, look at the turquoise that was used on Chrysler engines in the 60s - it might be very close.  It won't be metallic, but under the hood no one will notice.    If you're unlucky, you'll have to go to an automotive paint dealer with your paint code and get him to mix up a pint of paint for you- they have the books, and if he didn't have too much to drink last night, he should get it pretty close.  

Then, if you don't want to deal with spray equipment yourself (and if you're going into this hobby seriously, you might want to just buy yourself an airbrush setup - from Sears or the like, and practice a bit until you can do your own touch-up spraying), or else you can get any paint put into an aerosol can for you.   The oufits who do this advertise in the hobby magazines, or you can do a google search and turn up one of them.  They'll take your pint of paint and put it into a couple of aerosol cans for you for around $20 or so.

Now, with the engine out, and everything that is easily removable off the firewall, get your your oil-eater type cleaner solvent (Home Depot again) and scrub the bejabbers out of the firewall.  You've got to get ALL the dirt and oil/grease residue off it.  You don't need to prime it at all unless it is rusty, just get it spiffy spotless clean, then wash it down with "prep-sol" or equivalent (also from the paint store) and go ahead and mask off everything you don't want to get paint on and spray it that way.  You'll be very pleased at the improvement.

Dick