Flame trap

John Boggis · Oct 1, 2009

Does anyone know the original paint colour of the flame trap ?

alpine_64 · Oct 1, 2009

were they the machienery grey? or a light blue?

SIVAllan · Oct 1, 2009

alpine_64 said:
were they the machienery grey? or a light blue?

Somewhere in my bits there is a light blue one that I've thought is "factory"
but I can not say conclusively.

tony perrett · Oct 1, 2009

Gloss grey on Series 4.

moonstone SIV · Oct 1, 2009

Oh pooh, and I only just painted mine hammertone silver to match the air filter housing on my SIV GT. I thought the grey ones were replacements for the OE flametraps? I think I'll leave it there lest this question go down the same path as "should the end plate on my Girling servo be plated or painted?".............(sigh).

65beam · Oct 1, 2009

for what it's worth,one of the many nos parts that i have is a new flame trap in the box. part # 1228004 is the number on the box label ,never been used and it is black. again ,this is a part that came with all the parts i bought from dealers many years ago. again ,this is a part that came from the rootes/chrysler parts depot on the east coast. some folks need to keep in mind that this is an original dealer supplied ,off the shelf part and may not be what the factory installed. but it is a sunbeam part that came from a dealer for all series alpines that used them. this is one of two that i had and one is on my wife's series 5.

puff4 · Oct 1, 2009

I believe the factory installed item was originally Hammerite "silver gray" or perhaps their "light blue" or "gray" - probably depended on what was available at the time - I've seen all of them at one time or another, but definitely it's a Hammerite finish, not just a 'gloss' paint.

I've only seen a few Hammerite light blue or gray ones - most seem to be Hammerite silver gray, and indeed the gray ones may only be 'aged' silver gray units.

Here's the Hammerite colour chart:

http://www.epaintstore.com/hammerite-41105-12-oz-spray-hammered-metal-finish.html

(BTW, the light blue is actually lighter than what is shown in this chart - I have some in my cabinet and it's definitely several shades lighter.)

Replacement units may indeed be black, as they were likely sourced differently than the factory installed units, much like the replacement boosters were probably also sourced differently.

John Boggis · Oct 1, 2009

Sorry guys, i did not make it very clear what info i was after.

I know what colour the flame trap is as i have an original on my car...what i should have said was...does anyone have the paint code for the flame trap ?

Sorry for the confusion.

puff4 · Oct 1, 2009

Not sure there is a 'paint code' for that part. The only 'paint code' I know if is the one on the chassis. Are you trying to paint the car the same colour as the flame trap?

John Boggis · Oct 1, 2009

puff4 said:
Not sure there is a 'paint code' for that part. The only 'paint code' I know if is the one on the chassis. Are you trying to paint the car the same colour as the flame trap?

The weird thing Kevin is the flame trap on my car is quite close to the body colour !

The reason for my question about the colour is i have been asked on numerous occasions by guys restoring their cars what the paint shade is on the trap.

SIVAllan · Oct 1, 2009

John Boggis said:
Sorry guys, i did not make it very clear what info i was after.

I know what colour the flame trap is as i have an original on my car...what i should have said was...does anyone have the paint code for the flame trap ?

Sorry for the confusion.

John,

That's great for your Series IV - what about the other series.

Also there is the issue of correct (but differently colored) replacements.

Additional consideration applies should other Rootes mobiles use the traps, but with additional coloration.

alpine1963 · Oct 1, 2009

It appears that each time we ask a question on what is "factory correct" we get several different answers. The purpose of this section should be to help those of us that want to get certain parts of our cars to factory specifications an avenue to get there. Who has these answers? Is it the Rootes Archive Centre? Does someone here in the states have access to the Archive Centre? Every part had to have been documented on where it was ordered from and what the specifications were. To ask a question about what color something should be like I did a month ago and like John is doing now should not be a hard thing to find out if there was a way into the Archive Centre to pull the answers. I have been in contact with Bob Allen (from the Archive Centre) and he tells me they are up and running with the Rootes Archive Centre but they do not respond back when I ask a question. I wish there was a place on this site that each time we recieved a correct answer from the Archive Centre confirming the exact specifications on a part it could get posted and saved. Maybe there is and I have not stumbled into it yet. Maybe this section is not important enough to the masses to make a difference. It's like the trunk panel issue - we got on a plastic is better kick but it was not the answer of what is factory correct. If you have a part off of your car and you are about to paint it and would like to know what would be the correct color it should not be this hard to find out. If I make any progress with the archive centre I will let everyone know.

Cheers,

tony perrett · Oct 2, 2009

John, When I restored our Ser 4 years ago, I found Humbrol Light Grey Gloss Paint (Code 40) to be a good match. It is still available.

John Boggis · Oct 2, 2009

Thanks for that Tony...I will look that colour up.

John Boggis · Oct 2, 2009

Correct me if I am wrong but only Series IV and V had the flame trap. On the research I have found so far, it was introduced onto the Alpine for the American market, to reduce emissions. I have found quite a few original library shots of the engine bays of both Series IV and V and the flame traps are quite plain to see. Unfortunately the photographs are in black and white, so all this shows is that, although the flame traps are of a light shade, I am none the wiser as to the actual colour.
Chris Barker (President of the UK SAOC), who is one of the most knowledgable people on Alpines in the UK, thinks they might have been silver but does not know for certain. He is doing further investigation through archive records.
So what started out to be just a simple question to which I had anticipated a simple answer, has turned out to be something of a mystery.

RootesRooter · Oct 15, 2009

Here's an NOS flame trap in the Rootes box. Appears to be flat black.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

puff4 · Oct 15, 2009

Again, replacement parts may well be very different than factory supplied parts... often they came from different suppliers (usually wherever they could get the cheapest price), and also could have been made to different specifications.

I have the original factory one on my Alpine and it's clearly Hammerite silver-gray.

So... if you want yours to look like a replacement part, paint it semi-flat black. If you want it to look like a factory item, paint it the same color as the original air cleaners - Hammerite silver-gray.

alpine_64 · Oct 15, 2009

puff4 said:
Again, replacement parts may well be very different than factory supplied parts... often they came from different suppliers (usually wherever they could get the cheapest price), and also could have been made to different specifications. QUOTE]

Kevin,

I couldn't agree with you more, a good example is the superseeded parts in the parts book, and then the switch to the non-chrysler packaged parts, they would make a part for an older model and either incorporate updates in the part or have it made by someone else... but try telling that to some people. They will always claim because it came in a rootes package its as it was on the car.. the real trick is the manufacture date, if its from the same year or very close chances are its closer to factory installed item.

SIVAllan · Oct 15, 2009

alpine_64 said:
puff4 said:

Again, replacement parts may well be very different than factory supplied parts... often they came from different suppliers (usually wherever they could get the cheapest price), and also could have been made to different specifications. QUOTE]

Kevin,

I couldn't agree with you more, a good example is the superseeded parts in the parts book, and then the switch to the non-chrysler packaged parts, they would make a part for an older model and either incorporate updates in the part or have it made by someone else... but try telling that to some people. They will always claim because it came in a rootes package its as it was on the car.. the real trick is the manufacture date, if its from the same year or very close chances are its closer to factory installed item.

Click to expand...

Lemme add that there was a light blue colored flame trap. I will seek out the one lost in my bits and post a photo.

I have no clue whether it was factory, dealer added, or off some other Rootes product but suggest the "competition" for factory original is blue, grey/silver or black/flattish and that variability may exist between series.

65beam · Oct 15, 2009

the fact is ,it still is an original rootes part. with the financial situation that rootes was in ,it's a wonder they were able to buy any parts at all. maybe that's why my series 4 has so many odd things on it. i also have a black flame trap in the box,same chrysler part number but the box is a talbot box. it also has a peugeot talbot label.