The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop How to determine paint and interior colors

We just bought a 1957 3600 (see new members forum). I believe the truck is originally a dark green from the color I see on the firewall and underside. There is a tag in the drivers side door jamb that says "paint" and "trim" at the bottom but there is no information after either word. Are there codes somewhere to tell us interior and exterior colors? Is there a way to determine how this truck was originally built?

the paint/trim codes weren't usually on the standard off-the-line trucks, just on special orders ... the interiors were all the same, gray with darker gray floor, steering column and dash top [flattened] ... from your pics, the interior will be correct under the mac-tac and the body color was likely that darker green, which would be Brewster green

Bill

So to clarify what you are saying, all trucks came with a gray interior unless special order which then would have been listed on that tag I was talking about? Are there paint codes for the gray colors you were talking about? What do people use for the flattening agent? Were build sheets ever left in these vehicles? Again, I am used to 1970's vehicles on which this kind of information is easily available. Information seems more elusive on these trucks.

all trucks came with a gray interior, except Cameos, where interiors were keyed to exterior - I know of no modern paint codes for the interior colors, which originally were Duco or Dulux Granite Gray, Marble Gray and Charcoal ... the dash top is the only flattened area, and you should be able to get a flattening agent for whatever line of paint you use

the tag would indicate body color/pattern [like 2 tone], not interior, and the level of trim, such as deluxe interior [chrome bits, better seat] ... the assembly manual and accessories book show RPOs and options .... original build info is almost non-existant for 50's trucks .... also lots of info may be found at Keiths manual site

Bill

If there is nothing on the tag, then the truck was standard? Would the information been stamped into the tag as opposed to being printed if it was to be there?

yes, no number would be a standard color decided by who knows what, maybe what was avail that day - and yes, stamped, 3 digits in the 600-800 range, Brewster Green would be 764, as a 2tone with Ocean Green it would be 778

Bill

So the fact that I have nothing stamped after either "paint" or "trim" on our tag would mean a single color with the gray standard trim, correct?

yes, standard gray interior [close enough], the standard exterior trim would be off-white grill, headlight rings and bumper [like this], wheels usually black, maybe body color

Bill

A color chart and the actual Ditzler (now PPG) paint codes can be found at www.autocolorlibrary.com. Unfortunately the interior paint code is not shown.