The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Original AD Photos

Can someone point me to photos of ORIGINAL trucks (AD)? I'm planning on using Cream Medium on my 1951, but want to confirm what's painted what (behind the grill bars, running boards, underhood accessories, interior bits...)

Many thanks,
mark.
'51 3100

I would also ask this in the General Truck forum. This is something that has been mentioned in the past. Someone here does know it is either finding them or the post that is troublesome.

The problem with what you want, and I am sure you do, is COLOR pictures. The problem is they are probably non-existant, since color pictures were rare back then. I have only seen black and white photos. They do not give the details you want. Compound that with the fact these trucks were made in many different factories, and it seems standardization of minor details did not exist then. But of the things you asked, the running boards were black, underhood accessories, almost all black, inner grille bars, those were either "waldorf white" (color number is lost forever) or silver gray, depending on who you ask. Interior bits, most were same color as cab interior. Ask about something specific.

I have never seen a cream medium truck. I am curious how it would look. Cream medium is too yellowish for me.

"I have never seen a cream medium truck."
Me either.
I like being different. Not just another red, or blue, or even green. And it's an ORIGINAL color!

"I am curious how it would look."
Me too.
I guess there's only way to find out!

"Cream medium is too yellowish for me."
Ahhh, but that type of color hides so well;
and this will be my first pass at paint and body work... I'm hoping it leans more toward the cream, than toward the yellow.

Cheers,
mark.
'51 3100

http://chevy.tocmp.com/
http://www.tocmp.com/pix/Chevy%20trucks/index.htm

I believe the running boards were always black, and underhood bolt-ons as well, and everything behind the grill

Bill

If you want, I will scan the original color chips I have, they include cream medium, and email them to you.

I disagree with the statement that everything behind the grill was black, if you study the black and white pictures of your year, you will see the inner bars are a light color.

I've got a set of chips, thanks.
Two sets, actually -- showing different numbers for Cream Medium. Apparently there are two shades...

Now, if you know where I could get a chip (or a scan) of the interior Cambridge Grey, I'd be much obliged.

Now, do I just bathe the entire interior in Grey, or were some parts black?

Did anybody stumble across a truck that hasn't been repainted; and take good notes / photos of what was what? (My truck, like most others, was repainted by a PO.)

Cheers,
mark.

Hey 51 KY 3100, The Chevy Trucks painted Cream Medium, would have had a black pin stripe, around the cab. Grille bars painted body color, would have had light gray back splash grille bars, to match, the light gray painted hubcaps, on '52, & '53 models, white, on '49-'51 models. Running boards would have been black. Chevrolet interior color, was a brown/gray semi-flat color, with slight metallic.

Spanky,
are you saying that hubcaps on 49-51 models were white? Because I have never heard such a thing, and all GM literature I have seen says they were chrome.

And Mark, basically the entire inside cab was the gray color. Except for the radio grill/glove box cover. And the steering column/wheel/3 speed shifter arm was a different color.

And according to the 1951 restoration pack, page 122, the inner grille bars that year were "waldorf white."

Hubcaps, from '52-'53 were light gray. The Chevy interior color is a semi-flat brownish gray. Yes white was the color of the back splash grille bars, for '49-'51. The grille splash bars, were body color, for '47-'48, & light gray, for '52, & '53.

I've seen conflicting information regarding inner grille bar and hubcap colors, even in Chevy's own literature.

For the grille inner bars, the '49 resto pack and the '49 Truck Data Book (and apparently the '51 resto pack according to Brian) say they were Waldorf White. However, the '49 Chevy Engineering Features booklet says that, with the elimination of the grille stripes in the previous years, the inner bars are enameled Silver Gray. There could have been a revision to white after that booklet was published (Jan 31, '49). At some point the inner bar color changed to Thistle Gray, but it is unclear exactly when that change occurred (see below).

For the hubcap color, the '52 Engineering Features booklet says that, because of materials restrictions (Korean war), the "De Luxe" equipment option was cancelled in mid-season '51, along with chrome grilles, RPO rear bumper, and chrome hubcaps. Gray paint replaced the chrome on bumpers and hubcaps. However, the March '52 issue of the Chevrolet Service News says this change was effective approximately April 1, '52. The hubcaps were painted Thistle Gray, and the grille inner bars were painted to match. By '53, the hubcaps and bumpers were painted Anvil Gray, while the grille inner bars remained Thistle Gray. This according to the '53 resto pack and the January '53 Chevrolet Service News.

For interior colors, the September, '53 issue of the Chevrolet Service News gives specs and original Duco numbers. For all '50-'53 trucks excluding the 'burb, all interior trim panels and parts were Sheen Gray Metallic, except '50 and early '51 models, where the instrument panel compartment door, radio grille, and ash tray cover plate were Metal Gray. There is info out there that conflicts with this, too, from the vendors that sell the paints that are supposedly correct colors. Some guys have been dissatisfied with the repro colors, compared to original.

Looking at the color renderings of trucks in the Chevrolet advertising brochures doesn't help much. The grille inner bars do appear to be more gray than white, though Waldorf White could have been a grayish white. Even the brochures that have what appear to be actual B&W photos are inconclusive, as the shadows make the inner grille bars appear black.

The original Dupont "Dulux" number for Cream Medium was 93-530. There were two Dulux numbers for the Waldorf White--246-71052 and 93-71052. These numbers are for the air-drying lacquer, rather than the baking enamel.

Does any of this help, or does it just obfuscate more?

My 50 is still original paint and the inner bars on the grill are definitely white, same with my 51 which was built in March of 51.

The Korean War restriction is hard to track down. With so many assembly plants, changes occured gradually. One plant may have run out of chrome bumpers before the other for example. Also dealers could swap out items for chrome ones if they had the parts available to them.

Bob

Well put Curt. I had forgotten about what the engineering features booklet had to say about inner bars. But I still think waldorf white is correct. I have looked at a lot of original grilles, and I see white, not gray. The white is always yellowed, but I think that is just from exposure to the elements. I disassembled my original grille, and the area on the inner bars that was protected by the outer bars was still white.

I ended up just using white paint on my inner bars. I took those dulux numbers to a dupont paint jobber, those numbers had no results on his computer. The jobber even called dupont for me, and the guy he talked with said he thought waldorf white was changed to "texas ivory". So I had some made up. No way I would have such a disgusting color put on my truck. I would never call that any shade of white.

I've got a, '52 Chevrolet 2 ton, orig. paint, back splash bars, gray, & both of the '53 COE's, I have, the back splash grille bars, are also gray. White was '51, back to '49.

Painted my burb with wimbledon white (a very common color for many manufacturers). Many reasons : flubbed body work is less noticable, rattle can Dupli-color brand works great for clip repair, went well with the original weird brown interior color, looks really nice on those big body curves, it's very close to the cream medium of original. Since it's a suburban the chrome pkg is full (bars, bumpers etc.), and the rear bars are arctic white (ford color).