The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 1954 Standard interior color, one more time!

Ok boy's, here we go! I haven't had a chance to do much research into this ‘54 yet so I'm open to any and all ideas.

Interior color for the 1954 standard cabs? I know Tim L's got the formulas for PPG and Dupont on his web site but I'm gonna be placing an order with JC in the next week or so and was wondering if anyone has used his PT110 Pearl Beige 1954-55? I didn’t like or agree with their choice for the early AD’s (gray brown) so I’m wondering if the later AD paint is any closer to the original color. At sixty bucks a qt. I hate to have another can of unusable paint sitting on the shelf. All so, anyone have any idea what that paint is? Like lacquer, poly enamel? That was also a problem with his other paint, no instructions what so ever as to what it was or how to apply it.

Thank god on this one, the steering column, steering wheel and dash trim are just plain old black. That color on the early AD’s was a real nightmare and about drove me nuts and into the poor house before I got it right.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Call them and find out EXACTLY what kind of paint it is because if you can't get the reducer/activator you're going to be stuck returning it. I made the mistake of buying from JC before... never again.

Denny,

Please post what you find out from JC. The 54 1/2 ton I am working on has a two-tone interior and one color is Pearl Beige. If I cannot get a modern formula from PPG, I'll probably go with whatever JC has (or, pick a beige that matches the beige in the two-tone upholstery).

Heed Woody's advice/warning. Years ago, I received sketchy info from JC on reducer for their engine paint. They were wrong and the paint turned to jelly. I salvaged the situation because the jelly was a test-sample-mix. Out of desperation (and luck), I reduced with quality lacquer thinner and the paint has held up quite well.

Like I mentioned earlier Tim, I went thru it with the '50 so I'm kind of gun shy about their paint. I'm about 98% satisfied with JC and they are one of my "big four" when it comes to parts for these old gals.

On that two-tone interior paint, was that the deluxe option I've been reading about, that is, Green or Blue and Pearl Beige with both? Why wouldn’t your PPG or Dupont dealer be able to mix it from the formulas:
Pearl Beige
Standard interior cap (cab): 1954
PPG 21122
DUP 93-72389

I think I’m gonna run over to my PPG dealer today and see if he can make me up a pint of it to touch up the interior while I got it all apart.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

There were four two-tone interior options by the end of 1954. Jim Carter has many paints/parts for the two original two-tone options (blue/blue and green/green).

Yes, I will try to get the old Ditzler/PPG code's formula for Pearl Beige, or a modern off-set formula.

When I got paint for my 54 Suburban's Pulsar Gray, I had an original code and PPG had no original or offset code for it. I had a NOS clock housing in Pulsar Gray and the local (and excellent) PPG dealer made an superb matching formula using their Prophet (now Prophet II) system.

Paid a visit to my PPG dealer (biggest one in the area)this morning. The nucmbers on the chart for Pearl Beige don't wash anymore Tim. That is neither the PPG or the Dup numbers come up on any of their data bases. There doesn't seem to be any offset for those numbers. PPG 21122 and DUP 93-72389


I had them mix a quart of Omni Acrylic Enamel matched to the seat skirts, which are still in good condition. He came close, a shade to light, but the tint is close enough that I doubt if it would be noticed unless you held a good original next to it.

Now I’ll spend the next few days prepping the pan, frame and skirts.

Oh and a question that often pops up is whether the fuel tank was in when they painted the interior. It was on this one, there is interior paint on the tank, the sender, the wires and screws. Funny thing is it doesn’t look like the straps were painted. And I can’t quite figure how they go the blue on the filler neck.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/128997109
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/128997113
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/128997117
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/128997115
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

In case you have not seen this page, here is some interior color information from GM and color information from DUPONT.

Last year when I needed an engine paint for one of my Ramblers I went to the local Dupont outlet with the old AMC paint code and Dupont paint code. The counterman couldn't find the code in their computer but he called a guy at the (Dupont) factory and they were able to pull up the code and he got the formula for the paint. You might want to approach your local Dupont guy about calling a central number for help with the codes in the future. I can probably get this phone number if you need it. Joe

Tim Classic Parts of America has Interior Cab Paint-Pearl Beige 54 and markets it as " specially formulated in the original colors. " Tha also carry the Interior Cab Paint-Pulsar Gray 54... I have not purchased this paint so I do not know first hand what it is like...

Again... If you buy paint through mail order be sure you know EXACTLY what you are getting because they do not sell the reducer/activator and you will have to get it locally. And DO NOT trust that those pictures they show you on line is the same brand of paint you will receive.

BUY YOUR PAINT LOCALLY!

Trust me on this.

I have seen the Dupont color chart Tim, that’s the same DUP paint number that you used on your big chart. The Pearl Beige code is not a good number any more and there is no cross-reference for it on the paint dealer’s databases.

Refresh my memory, where are you finding the Engineering Features?? And no I haven’t seen that page. Thanks

Joe we can always use those phone numbers so yes, please do post it here for anyone doing paint research. Thanks

Yeah Bear, all of the vendors sell what they believe are the “correct” colors but I have literally hundreds of dollars worth of “correct” interior color in the cabinet that is only good for slopping on to the old farm equipment out behind the barn.

Woody, I actually prefer most of the time to stand across the counter from the guy that is going to mix the paint. And I also like to stick with the PPG brands of paint which is, as you know, a well-established system. PPG is doing away with a lot of their lines though. The Platinum Dealer that I use here in Aurora, IL told me yesterday that the only thing that they are carrying now is DBU and Omni. The Deltron Delstar is a thing of the past here and I don’t think they are even mixing Concept anymore. I need to look into TCP Global because they seem to still have these systems available. But as you point out, they are mail order.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

1954 Chevrolet Truck Engineering Features

Yeah, I downloaded those pages yeasterday Tim and printed out the pertenent ones, thanks. But I was wondering where you got those? Are they being reproduced or are you finding original copies of them at swap meets? Gene Schnider over at the VCCA chat has posted stuff for me from the EF he has in his library.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Chevs of the 40s

Ah yes, wonder why I never saw them there before.
Thank you sir,
Dennny G