My apologies for listing "Forester Green" as a 1954 factory color. The year designation, per Bob Adler, says that Forester Green was 1947-52. And that Juniper Green was 1953-55.
The chipset I am using is a 1951-1954 Commercial Color from Ditzler Color Division Pittsburg Plate Glass Company 1954. Since it is not a factory book I was led astray. Glad to have others more knowledgeable cover for my error; and that is the best part of this stovebolt forum!
Anyway as far as paint code "drift" from the old original color to the newly mixed version...well I understand that we are blessed by owning a relatively common and cheap truck line. Colors from Chev and GMC in the 1940'-50s weren't that exacting for trucks {nothing like matching the depth and tone for 1930-40's Cadillacs or LaSalles!}. So the factory paint varied a little from original batch to batch. Point being that a good new paint, with modern ingredients, should match the old enamel color about as good as they ever could be matched. The real skill is in the person who does the mixing of the new paint. A lot of mixing is done with computer controls, but the only real true test is a good eye on the final product done with a good spray-hand on the truck.
The best person will mix the best color from the best code. So its up to us to find the most consitant source for these old colors. You can ask the expensive local body shops who their source is; the Mercedes/Corvette guys are real picky; local car/truck clubs; and finally places like Jim Carters who ship nationwide.
A "straw poll" on this stovebolt site would be a good place for feedback on which paint manufacturer/code is prefered and a "search" of the site archives will give good opinions. The best advice is from the guys who put that color on their truck and this stovebolt site is the best place for that feedback I have found. I most always defer to the man thats "done it".
All true historic color matching is an "averageing" of the trucks, at best.
My personal test for color matching is if I can find a small "original" painted area on the truck, preferably not exposed to a lot of sunlight, heat, or road salts. Like underneath a piece of hood trim, or inside a door....well then I clean up the old paint spot really good with soapy water, very-very lightly take some of the finest steel wool and gently-gently go over the spot with a little mineral oil to take off micro-oxidation. That shiny spot is as close to the original as I can get. The paint ya buy should be a "relatively" close match to that when viewed in natural sunlight.
If its real close, but not exact, it won't matter much if you are painting the whole truck cause it will "look" perfect to everone who examines it. After all, these are fun old Chevy/GMC work trucks and not the snooty, Hispano Suissa's or Bugatti's.
BUT maybe , just maybe, there is some old Stovebolter out there that can tell a 1952 'Commercial Red' from the St. Louis Assembly Plant and how it differs from the same 1952 'Commercial Red' from the Kansas City Plant. Sort of like a wine taster, now that person would really earn my respect!
(Ps...I have been searching for a group or organization who has set the "standards" for judging the restoration of these old trucks. Such a group might have said what "Juniper Green" was correct. The organizations exist for many Classic cars & tractors etc, but I havent found one for AD/TF trucks...well maybe we are better off without such stringent standards, they were work-trucks for everyday guys and gals and they were made to "get the job done". kinda like it that way...)
John
1952 COE (KC commercial red turned to rust)
1947 COE (forester green with white house paint top coat)
[ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: lil' johnny ]
