What color should the 195 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine be painted in a 1962 Pontiac Tempest?

There's no single "correct" color for a 1962 Pontiac Tempest's 195 cubic inch 4-cylinder engine. Pontiac didn't use a standardized color across the board for their engines in that era. The color varied depending on the factory's paint supply and even potentially from year to year. Many were a shade of grey, but others might have been a dark green or even black.

Therefore, the best color to paint it is either:

* Accurate restoration: If you're aiming for a concours-level restoration, you'd need to research the original engine paint color for that specific vehicle's production date using its build sheet (if available) or other documented records. This is the most accurate, but most challenging, approach.

* Factory-correct approximation: Choose a grey that's a close approximation to what is commonly found on Pontiac engines from that era. You can find examples online of restored Tempest engines to get an idea.

* Personal preference: Ultimately, if absolute accuracy isn't your goal, choose a color you like that would look good in the engine bay. However, sticking to dark colors like grey, dark green, or black is still recommended for the look of a period-correct engine bay.

In short, there is no definitively "correct" answer without more specific information about the car itself.