I had thought that black was the factory running board color for my truck, but after some research it seems it's supposed to be body colored for a '56.

Right now I'm building up a set of custom boards (finally), I was just going to paint them black till I discovered that about the original color.

Now, not that I'm one to do things to what they where factory just because it was factory, but it's got me thinking. Red is hard for me to picture as I've spent so much time with it black. It's not the final paint job, but I'd have to go buy some more paint to do them red, so I thought I would get opinions before I wasted the money lol.

So, on a '56, Factory (red) or black?

 

I used black bed liner on mine. Herculiner from walmart. Getting ready to use it on the inside of the cab too.
Mike

 

HERCULINER IS THE BEST !!

10 years later still looks good
and you can step on it
I put spray can bed liner on the bottom of running board
for easy cleaning

Joe

 

look at my red rollback f600 it has red running boards (1956) I wouldn t have it any other way

 

For utility, go with black bed liner type coating. It gets a bit worn, spray a fresh coat touch up. The black adds a nice contrast.

 

Here's a couple pictures.

I was leaning towards black but now I'm up in the air with it. The thing is when it's body color it gives the truck a different look, a different weight, and makes the fenders and truck seem as one, but when it's black it gives it a nice contrast but from a distance it also makes the fenders look longer and alone.

Keep in mind that my fenders are about 2" longer, and the running boards are about 2" long and wider.

But here are some pictures for comparison:








(this one in blue shows what I mean with the fenders looking alone and separate)

(And this Yellow shows how everything is more connected and solid)










Whole lot of pictures but I thought looking at a bunch from different angles and colors would make some things look more obvious in the differences. I know I could try and and see how I like it at this stage, but it's money down the drain if I don't (have black paint, not enough red). The black running board trucks I think look skinnier, the body color ones look wider to me. It was interesting to see how much Google Images showed ones body colored rather than black, about 93%.

 

Alright, here's a couple quick photoshops with where the running boards where at at the end of today. Due note that the red ones will look a little funny as they don't have any proper shading, the hue of everything was changed because I was in a hurry, lol (so what I'm saying is they will look a little funny, keep it in mind)

Red:

Black:






And here are the pictures smaller which I did to help see the forest from the trees. Most of the time the truck will be seen from a distance, not up close, so I figured it would help.




The main difference I am noticing tonight is how skinner the truck looks with black running boards. Though with the red ones I wonder if I need to lower the front of the front fender and the rear of the rear fender as the middle of it all sits a couple inches lower...

Needless to say I greatly prefer the look of full running boards on my truck, it's been bothering me since I bought it, lol.

 

The red look great! Too much black with those big honkin tires

 

Oh great. It took me a year to decide what color to paint mine, now you've gone and brought this up. I was going to go with Vermilion Red on my truck (53) with black running boards, now you've got me second guessing myself.

I see what you're saying in both cases. The black boards seem to stretch the truck out (IMO) and the red ones seem to fill it out.

On yours, I honestly like the look of the black boards, with the black wheels. If you had the shiny wheels, I like the looks of the 3rd truck down in your next to last post. I mean I REALLY like the looks of that 3rd truck.

On another note, if you lower the front of the front fenders, you'll end up with a front pan a foot tall, won't you?

 

If it helps I once spent 4 years determining the exact color I wanted my '67 Mustang. Exact hue and light effect... I'm too picky for it to have been easy, lol.


I did some quick photoshopping and found if I do what I want under the rear bumper and fix the massive dent in the front one that it will look right, lol, thankfully.

I dunno, I am thinking I will probably have to try it out and see. I'm still in the first stage of everything (I plan on going back and making everything pretty when I have the time) so it's not super critical. It's brushed on paint right now anyways.

Problem is I am use to thinking they should be black, but after looking at a lot of trucks, there is something about having it body color, something that... I dunno, I can't really place. I want to say it makes it look classier and meaner, but it's not that the black doesn't do that either, just in a different way I suppose. My truck sits A LOT higher, so things look different, painting it the body color sort of gives it a much beefier look, weather or not that's the best thing is a different question I suppose, lol. The black makes it look taller, more raised, the red makes it look more like a tank.

Ah it never ends. It's interesting to see how many people like it black and how often I see it painted body color instead... (on a '56) Course I'm sure that doesn't have anything to do with the black photoshop coming out much cleaner looking that the red, lol


edit:
Despite the overwhelming favor of black running boards, I'm going to at least try it red. It's grown quite a bit on me the more I've looked at it. An interesting influence is to take a few steps back from your computer and look at it. The black running boards tend to disappear (one reason I went with a red truck and not a black one) making it look a bit unfinished to my eye. The red ones tend to work the body lines differently, same angle as the top of the bed and the sides don't disappear so much to the truck on a whole but rather makes it look more complete, more like the side of a truck rather than a pair of fenders. Your eyes don't push in towards the cab but rather follow the running boards and it gives it a sort of wave effect as you go over the fenders and down the running board and back up the other fender. I dunno, I just remember seeing an old International pickup that didn't have running boards but had wide fenders, and the look felt incomplete to me, like part of the truck was missing (was made without running boards I think, or they where 2" wide and missing lol)

So, I recon I have enough reason to at least try them red. It's only the beta stage of it all, if I find I don't like it it takes 20 minutes with some black paint to fix it right now.

Thanks for the help and opinions as I try to work out all my nit-picks lol

 

When you come to a fork in the road; take it. Those pics look awesome. I don't think you will regret either one but I wouldn't hold out for one over the other if it meant keeping that truck off the road for one more day. It's looking good!

 

I seem to recall Eastwood selling tintable bed liner. Might be worth looking into. I went with bedliner so it would simply last longer. Between my boots and the dog I don't think paint would survive.
Mike

 

I have only owned my 56 F-100 for about 6 months. It has 30K documented miles and still has the original interior. It was re-painted, in its original Meadow Mist Green, about 25 years ago, said the previous owner. Give or take 5 years!
He gave me many original Ford manuals, including the large Ford Truck sales brochure, which shows body colored running boards on all of the Ford Truck series. Mine were painted black somewhere along the line, and look pretty good that way. This truck is bone stock, except for the new wheels, tires and hubcaps I put on. The original wheels with the original argent painted, red lettered hubcaps are put away.I also put the original mirrors away. I too was thinking of having the running boards painted body color, but now, I think I'll leave them black.
John

 

john,
can you post some pictures of your low mileage 56? Inside and out...

 

How do I post photos?
Sorry for the dumb question.