The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Original 1948 Thriftmaster 3100 truck bed wood color?

What is the original color of the 1948 Chevy Thriftmaster 3100 truck bed wood?

Internet AI says: southern yellow pine treated with a combination of linseed oil and lampblack, giving it a dark / blackish appearance.

Does anyone have any pictures that show just how dark / blackish it is supposed to look from the factory?

Black paint.

Linseed oil and lamp black is how black, oil based paint is/was made. I'd use an oil based black satin paint if I were to paint it.

I'd probably stain it, however, with oil base, semi-solid Cabot stain+sealer. The stuff lasts forever with proper preparation and proper application.

Or you can mix up a batch of your own paint. Lamp black and linseed oil can be purchased easily.

I used black stain on my bed wood. Here are the details and a little further down the thread are pics of what I used.

Moving your question to Making a Stovebolt Bed forum, where it'll be more on topic.

Thanks for the suggestions. Weighing color options...

Here is the bed of my '37 which I restored in 2015 to 2019. At the time Mar-K recommended an oil based primer followed by Behr black paint from Home Depot. This is before I recall any recommendation to use POR-15. The paint is essentially perfect at this time but I must confess this is the one truck that gets babied. It does get washed, see occasional rain, AZ sunshine at times but very little cargo work. I have 4 other trucks to do that.

I have a neighbor who has an '84 Chevy step side and it came with bed boards painted body color (red). The paint didn't last long in normal use.

Kent

Kent is that Brewster green on that truck? What did you paint the metal strips with.

Yes, that is Brewster green. I just rattle canned the strips with gloss black, Krylon I think. I know I could have done better but it has worked so far.
Kent