Does anybody know TC0777?

[TBrad]

It is well documented that TC's south of sn# 5000 had light gray firewalls and an engine of similar color. Your car is early and would have been done in that fashion. Tints may very a bit depending upon age, exposure to heat , oil fumes, and what was in the mix. My firewall was never removed from the body timbers although painted the color of the body. Upon removal for a full tub rebuild I found the mounting flanges to be painted a light gray with very slight gloss. This area was not repainted and not exposed to much engine heat or oil fumes. This car would have had an engine of similar color and does now. "Restorers" paint these things all sorts of colors and say they are "correct". The books that I have read pretty well go along with the above colors combinations not something else.

True, Stephen. I've seen the color listed as gray, green, greenish-gray or grayish-green depending on who's book you read. I suspect what you say, which has been repeated by others, is the factory used leftover paint from the war work they were doing. Proper tank and aeroplane colours.

You want to keep in mind that engine heat and oil fumes and such will have an affect on the paints that were used. I repainted my rocker cover with silver lacquer when I restored the car, and now some years later it really has taken on sort of a greenish tint. It would not be odd for the engine to do the same. One thing is sure that given your sn# it was not done from the works in red!

So true!

[TBrad]

Eighty-four mile round trip with a stop for lunch at Shirley Plantation in Charles City County, VA with the HWMGTS the day before yesterday.

Just a few miles from home I began to smell burning oil. When I arrived home I saw what is in the two pictures below. Head gasket or valve cover gasket? Need time to investigate.

[Steve Simmons]

The photos are small, but common oil leaks are valve cover and side cover gaskets. It could also be the fittings on the pipe from block to head, or the fittings on the line from oil pump to filter. Worse would be a fractured pipe, and although unlikely it has been known to happen. Also check the oil galley / camshaft plugs, which look like normal bolts on the side of the engine. In my experience it would be very unusual for oil to be coming from the head gasket.

[TBrad]

The photos are small, but common oil leaks are valve cover and side cover gaskets. It could also be the fittings on the pipe from block to head, or the fittings on the line from oil pump to filter. Worse would be a fractured pipe, and although unlikely it has been known to happen. Also check the oil galley / camshaft plugs, which look like normal bolts on the side of the engine. In my experience it would be very unusual for oil to be coming from the head gasket.

Thanks Steve. I just need to make some time to check all that. It's all on the offside, so I don't suspect the oil filter lines.