The best engine paint is an acrylic enamel with high heat resistance, lasting gloss, and resistance to chipping, oil and gasoline. KBS Motor Coater is a high gloss acrylic enamel engine paint rated to 500°F maximum operating temperature when properly applied, and it can be sprayed, rolled or brushed.
Updated November 2026 by the KBS Coatings technical team.
In This Guide
- Engine Paint at a Glance
- How Much Heat Should Engine Paint Handle?
- What Keeps Engine Paint Glossy?
- What Stops Engine Paint from Chipping and Flaking?
- Other Things Engine Paint Must Resist
- KBS Motor Coater Engine Paint
- How Do You Prep and Paint an Engine?
- Motor Coater Colors
- Engine Paint FAQ
Whether you are restoring your car or truck, detailing it for shows, or you just want it to look its best, the engine is one of the first things you see when you pop the hood. Heat resistance, gloss retention, and resistance to chipping and flaking are the main qualities to look for, and standard automotive paints are not designed for harsh under hood conditions.
Engine Paint at a Glance
| Engine block, heads, covers | KBS Motor Coater, 500°F maximum operating temperature |
|---|---|
| Headers, manifolds, exhaust | KBS XTC, up to 1500°F (XTC aerosols and XTC Clear: 1200°F) |
| Application | Spray, roll or brush; engine can stay in the vehicle |
| Prep | KBS Klean, then RustBlast, then Motor Coater |
| Colors | 42, including OEM correct engine colors |
How Much Heat Should Engine Paint Handle?
Engine paint should handle the temperatures an engine block and engine bay reach, and most good quality engine paints use an acrylic enamel formulation to do it. KBS Motor Coater is rated to 500°F maximum operating temperature when properly applied. Acrylic enamel engine paints can be sprayed, rolled or brushed, which makes them easy to work with even if the engine is still mounted in the vehicle.
Engine paint is different from high temperature exhaust paint. KBS Coatings XTC is designed for headers, exhaust manifolds and exhaust systems and can withstand temperatures up to 1500°F for liquid XTC. XTC aerosols and XTC Clear are rated to 1200°F.
What Keeps Engine Paint Glossy?
Acrylic enamel keeps engine paint glossy because it dries to a hard finish that resists the small scratches and scuffing that dull a finish over time. Acrylic enamel also has excellent color retention.
What Stops Engine Paint from Chipping and Flaking?
Acrylic enamel stops engine paint from cracking and flaking because it is not affected by the expansion and contraction of metal when an engine goes from cold to hot at startup. Its hardness also helps it resist chipping from accidental tool strikes.
Other Things Engine Paint Must Resist
Engine paint must also protect metal from rust and corrosion, and resist damage from gasoline, oils, additives, degreasers and other chemicals found under the hood.
What Is KBS Motor Coater?
Motor Coater is a high gloss acrylic enamel engine paint with a 500°F maximum operating temperature when properly applied. It offers deep, rich pigmented colors, excellent coverage and self-leveling properties, so it flows out without leaving brush marks.
Motor Coater is available in aerosol cans, and in paint cans for rolling, brushing or application with spray equipment. Brush-on engine enamels take longer to apply and more care is required, but in general they offer better coverage.
“Motor Coater is a fantastic product that lays down thick and smooth.” Steve C., KBS Customer
“I recently finished a complete engine bay restoration on my 1968 Oldsmobile 442 convertible. I decided to use Motor Coater because I really did not want to completely remove the engine and thought having the ability to brush the block would alleviate the overspray issue. The results exceeded my expectation” Steve C., KBS Customer
“I have been using KBS Motor Coater for a few years now. I first painted an engine block with it with professional results. I used the rest of the container to paint associated parts. I have been using it ever since. I prefer KBS Products to any of the store brands.” M. Moran, KBS Customer
How Do You Prep and Paint an Engine with Motor Coater?
To prep an engine for Motor Coater, clean and degrease with KBS Klean, remove rust and etch the surface with RustBlast, then apply Motor Coater in thin coats. If the existing engine paint is well adhered, skip RustBlast: scuff very lightly with 300 to 400 grit, clean with KBS Klean, rinse, let dry and apply Motor Coater. The engine can stay in the car.
- KBS Klean cleans and degreases the engine.
- RustBlast removes rust and corrosion and etches the surface for adhesion. Parts treated with RustBlast can wait up to 7 days before coating if the surface is kept completely clean.
- Motor Coater bonds directly to metal, including aluminum, so no primer is needed.
- KBS #1 Thinner thins Motor Coater for spray equipment. Follow the Motor Coater directions for the spray tip, pressure and thinning ratio.
The Motor Coater Kit includes a quart of KBS Klean, a quart of RustBlast, Motor Coater, 8 oz of KBS #1 Thinner, nitrile gloves, a brush, a stir stick and printed instructions. To see it applied, watch this episode of Sam's Garage.
Have questions? Ask the KBS technical team
What Colors Does Motor Coater Come In?
Motor Coater comes in 42 colors, including OEM correct engine colors. A sample of the colors:
- AMC Metallic Blue: '69 to '72
- AMC Blue: '73 to '81
- Austin Healey Moss Green Metallic
- Buick Turquoise: All '42 to '52 & some '53 Spec
- Buick Green Late: '53 to '65
- Buick Red Late: '66 to '71
- Cadillac Dark Blue: '49 to '76
- Chevy Blue: '54 to '62 6 Cylinder & '53 Auto
- Chevy Orange: '55, '57 to '75 V-8s
- Chrysler Blue: '73 to '83
- Chrysler Turquoise: All 383 to 440 Big Block / '62 to '71
- Street Hemi Orange: '66 to '71 426 Street Hemis, '70 to '71 383 & 440 Hi-Performance, '70 to '71 340
- Race Hemi Orange: '62 to '64 413 & 426 Max Wedge, '64 to '65 426 Race Hemis
- Ford Corporate Blue: '67 on with 302 Engine
- Ford Dark Blue: '41 to '48
- Ford Green
- T-Bird Red: OEM engine color, not body color
- MG Green: '45 to '48 TC Engine & Firewall
- Old Cummins Gold
- Olds Gold: '64 to '67 330 CI & '68 to '76 350 CI
- Olds Bronze: '65 to '69 400 CI
- Pontiac Metallic Blue: '66 to '72
- Pontiac Light Blue: Also a perfect match for '78 to '81 GM Corporate Blue
- Pontiac Light Blue: '59 to '65
“I love this paint! Has great coverage and easy to apply! Engine looks better than it came from the factory! It's great the correct colors are offered for AMC! This is the only type of paint I will ever use on engines! Highly recommended!” Logan S.
“Perfect match, covers excellently and nice price!” Alan L.
Engine Paint FAQ
What is the best paint for an engine block?
The best paint for an engine block is a high gloss acrylic enamel engine paint that handles the heat, resists oil and gasoline, and stays on through heat cycling. KBS Motor Coater is a high gloss acrylic enamel engine paint rated to 500°F maximum operating temperature when properly applied.
What temperature can engine paint handle?
KBS Motor Coater is rated to 500°F maximum operating temperature when properly applied. Exhaust manifolds, headers and exhaust systems run hotter, so use KBS XTC high temperature exhaust paint there, which is rated up to 1500°F for liquid XTC and 1200°F for XTC aerosols and XTC Clear.
Can you paint an engine while it is still in the car?
Yes. Motor Coater can be sprayed, rolled or brushed, so the engine can stay in the vehicle. Brushing the block cuts down on overspray, although brush-on engine enamel takes more time and care to apply.
How do you prep an engine for Motor Coater?
Clean and degrease with KBS Klean, remove rust and etch the surface with RustBlast, then apply Motor Coater in thin coats. If the existing engine paint is well adhered, skip RustBlast: scuff lightly with 300 to 400 grit, clean with KBS Klean, rinse, let dry and coat.
Do you need a primer under Motor Coater?
No. Motor Coater bonds directly to ferrous metals and aluminum, with no zinc primer needed. A third party high heat primer under Motor Coater does not improve adhesion; the prep in the Motor Coater directions is what makes it stick.
How many colors does Motor Coater come in?
Motor Coater comes in 42 colors, including OEM correct engine colors such as Chevy Orange, Ford Corporate Blue, T-Bird Red, Pontiac Metallic Blue and AMC Blue.
Have questions? Ask the KBS technical team
Conclusion
Heat resistance, gloss retention, and resistance to chipping and flaking are the main criteria when choosing an engine paint. Motor Coater covers all three for the engine, and XTC covers the exhaust. To compare every KBS engine and exhaust paint by temperature, see KBS Engine and Exhaust Paints.
Related guides: Engine Bay Painting Guide, Paint a Motorcycle Engine, and all KBS Application Guides. For Motor Coater details, see the Motor Coater page.
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