Interesting Topic.
Based on the various survivor 1st Gens I have reviewed and photo documented (my focus has been primarily been the '69 since that is what I own), the engine lift brackets tend to be natural steel in color and not painted neatly with orange. I believe the amount of orange overspray on ORIGINAL left brackets on a Z28 with an aluminum intake manifold, depends on the condition of the mask used at the Flint Engine Plant when they painted the engine.
I have pics of an unrestored Z28 manifold with considerable orange overspray up past the upper radiator hose/thermostat housing. Its safe to assume the lift hook on this engine has considerably more orange overspray than normal. The same holds true along the back of the engine and intake manifold and the amount of orange overspray on the distributor housing, rear lift hook, and manual transmission bell housing.
It safe to assume the folks at the Flint Engine Plant did not remove the lift hooks and paint them entirely and cleanly with orange then reattach them.
The cast iron intakes on small blocks that are painted orange are a different paint process regarding the masking than the aluminum intake motors.
All told, one thing is fore sure...there is nothing definite or consistent about these details when they originally put our Camaros together back in the day...LOL!
