Need help with 259 "Bearcat" decal placements.

[55cmndr]

Hello everyone-

Can someone help with the proper placement of the "Bearcat" decals?

I recently brought my valve covers back from an old long ago fram orange, taking everything down to metal and repainted the correct silver.

I am thinking at some point it was rebuilt though, because the entire engine was painted grey a very long time ago. I do know that when I purchased the car back in 1996 the heads were redone, but no new paint job was evident anywhere.

Just old faded grey paint.

There is no evidence at all of any blue paint under the grey engine paint.
Shouldn't I be able to see it somewhere? The entire engine is gray, top to bottom, even the vent tube underneath the car. The paint job looks extremely old though. If someone rebuilt the engine many years ago why paint the vent tube all the way underneath the car?

Also:
The fan blades are the fram orange, and there is evidence of the old Studebaker blue paint underneath. The oil filter canister is fram orange as well, nothing underneath.

The engine is very clean, no grease or muck.

It is the original engine, the serial # matches the production order, and the car was built in Vernon, California, late august of 1955.

Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks-
55CMNDR

[warrlaw1]

Did you find the engine number on a machined surface at the front, driver's side of the block? Seems someone had the engine out for some reason. Good luck. I stuck my Bearcat decals on by sight, after everything else had been assembled. I positioned them so I could read them (not exactly centered).

[55cmndr]

Hi there-

Yes the number is stamped on the front just like it should be.
Just very strange,that they would even go to the trouble of painting the vent tube.

I appreciate your help-

55CMNDR

[StudeRich]

The crankcase breather pipe from the lifter cover is PART of the Engine! Any time a owner paints an engine or even a Machine Shop, usually you paint ALL of it. It has been rebuilt, overhauled or re-sealed and painted. Remember it has had 57 years to get that way!

[SN-60]

To:55cmndr,-----On the decal placement......On my car I centered the left side decal on the rocker arm cover. On the right side, I positioned it towards the front slightly to get it out from under the air filter assy.

[55cmndr]

Thanks for all your help.

55CMNDR