The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop What is a Deluxe Blue Optioned Chevrolet Truck

Tim - I knew you would be the first to chime in. Thanks. So the appropriate color would be the bronze / tan that I have seen on other heaters?

I agree with Tim, the heater was a "3rd party" item [Harrison usually], so would be the standard color for the year

Bill

As Bill posted, whatever color was used in 1954.

Chevs of the 40s has this.

Jim Carter does not seem to list a heater paint?

Wow - remind me not to purchase paint from Chevs of the 40s. they want $15 for what I can get from Amazon for $5.77 and no shipping costs.

Thanks for the advice on paint color. Lonnie's post, of course, from a few years back documents this perfectly. I'm still mixed on the color as it needs to be compatible with the two tone blue. The bronze or silver hammered colors might work - I was hoping that someone would tell me I could go with one of the shades of blue in the interior....

I believe the original color had a brown tint to it. This is from Jim Carter. Jim Carter 54 fresh air heater

Bob,

Paint it any color that suits your tastes.

However, it you want it the original color, . . . (see above)

There was a lot of discussion on the original blue or black windlace & weather-stripping on a two toned deluxe blue interior in a different thread (Kinks in my windlace), but I thought I would re-direct that discussion back to where it might belong.

Tim is absolutely correct that Chevy made a blue rubber product. I was in denial that they went to such lengths 60 years ago, but when I pulled the door sill weather-strip retainer there was clearly the original blue color. It is a very good match to the darker of the two blue colors.

Original blue weather-stripping

The exposed parts were sprayed black by the PO, but you can clearly see the orignal blue that was under the retainer.

Thanks for the post, Bob.

My knowledge is from GM documents and "hear-say". You have first-hand evidence.

I hope I can still obtain the maroon/reddish rubber for my maroon/beige two-tone interior (Jim Carter used to sell that color windlace for 54/55 Suburbans).

Tim

One more observation, just to throw it all in one place. The darker blue color of the two-tone sure looks like it is a metallic paint. I can vaguely see this in the defroster deflector against the windshield. I can really see it under the door sill weather-strip retainer. I pulled this part yesterday and clearly see a metallic finish or perhaps over-spray, but it is too consistent for over-spray.

Metallic paint under door weather-strip retainer?

Is there documentation that the darker color was a metallic paint?

I have never noticed any sort of metallic on mine. I have the steering wheel collar pulled and it has the original darker color that was protected from sunlight over the years. I guess I will go look through storage and try to find it for further study.

OK, I ran out and grabbed the steering column hub I mentioned. Believe it or not, my truck did not originally have the factory style turn signals so the hub was bolted to the back of the steering wheel. I removed it, cleaned it, and saved it specifically for this purpose. I waxed the paint that was between the hub and the steering wheel as to best show it's color. It has been protected all of these years. I asked my wife for a second opinion and we decided there was no metallic. We agreed that the lacquer texture can give that illusion, but that there was in fact no metallic. You can judge for yourself from these images. Protected darker blue paint

Greg

Interestingly, your blue is different than mine. The darker blue on mine is a slate blue (compare your color to mine), and it is definitely original based on the wear that is evident on these parts and the places I uncover. The 2nd (lighter) color is transport blue that I have uncovered peeling the old parts off my truck.

I wonder if the darker blues varied by factory. I think my was built in Ohio, but I need to check that again.

I'll take a close up of the other darker blues that I have in the cab and you should be able to see the difference.

You have seen my darker blue and the lighter is definitely not transport. (that is the exterior color of the truck) My lighter blue is more of a "darker baby blue". I actually got to compare it to the color that Jim Carter sells in the sense that my unison seats were painted across country using Jim Carter's paint. It is a close match but Jim's might be a shade gray compared to my lighter color. You can compare the Jim Carter paint to the lower seat frame skirting

Our trucks are identical on the interior. There actually appear to be three colors (shades of blue). My upper dash is faded and I wondered if that matched the lower dash or the defrost deflector. It seems that the upper dash might be a different blue altogether?

The darker blue of the defrost deflector at the windshield is the one that I think could be metallic on mine. I'll send you a good photo of it when I can get it into the sun one day.

What's the button in the middle of your photo? I don't have one of those.

The upper is the darker color. It actually has some flattener in it to keep the glare off from the factory but it is the same color. The CHEVROLET letters are the lighter blue and not white. The defrost trim you mentioned as well as the inner side window trim is darker blue. The steering wheel and the collar are darker blue but the column itself is lighter blue. My horn button has always appeared to be a dark blue center instead of the default black (has the polished bowtie) but it is really hard to call that one for positive. And the button above the headlight switch is the hydra-matic starter button although it should either be chrome or cream depending on who you ask. I chose black as I felt it better complemented the other dash items.

You can also tell by looking at my defrost trim that the primer is pretty much black. That could also make the color look different. Being in the sun and waxed over the years, it has worn through in places.

Greg,

The DuPont 1954 Color Information sheet for two tone combinations shows only two interior blue colors and those colors are different from Mariner Blue and Transport blue.

That is a Dupont Bulletin, not A GM document. As you know, some information in that bulletin does not match Chevrolet truck sales brochures for the two-tone exterior/exterior.

Nonetheless, none of the GM documentation refers to three interior colors, and illustrations refer to the two interior colors.

Greg / Tim

What is the probable color of the bottom "kick panel" of the interior doors? I think the PO painted this small section of my door black, which does not seem to be the factory color. I pulled the access panel and there are traces of Transport Blue.

Greg - what color is this section of your interior doors?

See bottom panel of door

That is not right. The inside of the door is the lighter blue all the way down. Now on my doors, if you remove the hinge access late, it is black under there which appears to be the "primer color" on the interior judging by the worn through areas of the trim above the defrost vents.