We're restoring a '66 F100 at work and want to detail the wheels back exactly like they were when new. Were the whole wheels painted Wimbledon White, or just the front side with overspray on the rear? Also, if just the fronts were painted, what color was the primer on the rear, and how much overspray was there?

 

Were not the wheels Colonial White which is the same as painted bumpers?

 

It had chrome bumpers, and the truck was painted Whimbeldon White and (I think) Sahara Beige. I don't think they'd use a completely different color than what the truck was painted.

 

There's been multiple discussions on this forum which raised the issue of rim, bumper, and grille colors -- assuming you have a painted bumper or grille. And from the ambiguity in the responses, and a lack of eagerness to jump into the fray, the answer may be unclear! Colonial White is essentially a '50's Ford color, replaced by Corinthian White for the early '60's, which was replaced by Wimbledon White in the mid '60's. Some (learned!) forum members say that Colonial White was continued into the early '60's "Corinthian period" for rims, bumpers, and grilles. Other (learned!) forum members say Corinthian White was used during the "Corinthian period".

I certainly don't know the answer for these trucks -- although I wish I knew definitively. But I'm not certain that a manufacturer chooses a color for a component such as rims, bumpers, and grilles SOLELY to coordinate with a single current color offering, e.g., Wimbledon White.

My case in point carries over from my "other automotive experience," with '60's and '70's BMW's. Steel rims from the mid-'60's to the mid-'70's were painted silver. This silver color did not match the silver body color offered at any time during that period: and the silver rim color stayed more-or-less the same while the silver body color changed during the period. Is it more important that bumpers and grilles match the body color than rims? Maybe. But I wouldn't be surprised if Ford chose a generic white for rims, bumpers, and grilles -- related to or unrelated to then-current body color offerings -- and stuck with it.

That's all I got!

Steve

 

True about the silver wheel paint staying the same no matter the body color.

We've already bought Wimbledon White single stage for the wheels so that's what color they'll be... just need to know the original spray pattern and primer color.

 

And, if there is no one that knows the definitive answer as to the original color, it would seem entirely reasonable to paint the rims Wimbledon White. Referring again to those old '60's and '70's BMW rims, early examples, which were silver over-painting of black rims, generally had a light overspray of the silver on the outer portion of the tire race -- from painting the outside edge of the outer rim -- along with a random and very light dusting of the silver face color on the black reverse side, where paint "penetrated" holes in the rim. Later rims were silver all around.

Good luck with your project: it sounds like you're doing a quality job!

Steve

 

my wheels will be WW to match bumper & grill over gray primer because that is what I have in paint
your project is really inspiring great job!

 

Thanks, that's what we'll do- black primer back sides with overspray. We're trying to go back 100% correct on all the details, or as close as we can get. Nobody seems to know definitively what is correct for these trucks so that'll have to do.



Thanks schoo! We'll post pics once we get them painted, should be done tomorrow.

 

Just saying what NumberDummy had said before that the wheels were a bright white like bumpers. I have a Custom Cab which may have lost the chrome bumper years ago. There is now a painted bumper in WW which is incorrect. Too late now since I did that in 2009. However, I painted my wheels black and I can't ever go wrong there.

 

Did black backs with overspray. No pics of the overspray since I didn't want to flip them with the paint so fresh.