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In '53 7 paint color choices were available not counting prime and SS. In 1954 again 7 choices were available but not the same seven. In '55 nine colors were available not counting prime or SS. There are several paint names between 53 and 55 that sound as if they would be similar if not the same and just given different names to entice the consumers. But upon looking closer they have different part numbers.
So my question is, how different is, say, Sheridan Blue from Banner Blue, or Glacier Blue from Aquatone Blue? And the shades of light green: Sea Haze, Seasprite and Sea Foam, how different are they? I will have to look for 56 colors and see what was similar but different to 53-55 choices.
Upon further research I have read that the Snowshoe white was for the two-tone paint scheme which was new for 1955, with the snowshoe white on the cab roof and back. So that would give only 8 paint choices for '55. Is that right or could the whole truck be painted Snowshoe White?
I just looked in my 48-56 Ford Truck Parts and Accessories Catalog and there are 9 colors for 56 trucks: Black, Nocturne Blue, Diamond Blue, Colonial White, Meadow Mist Green, Torch Red, Meadow Green, Golden Rod Yellow, and Platinum Gray. No Snow Shoe White listed.
Earl's World Page, by our old friend, George Hartman, is a good source for looking at the chips and comparing..... guess I gotta do that.
Edit and addition: Upon further searching I found there are 2 different Golden Rod yellow: There is one part number for 54/55 and a different one for 56. The 54/55 yellow appears darker.
Also, I have a paint chip chart for '55 and thought I had one for '54 but do not...
All of the manufacturers changed paint colors frequently to keep their cars fresh and new looking. There were some colors they held over longer than others. Ford moreso than other makes. GM was notorious for changing the bulk of their colors every year, I think just to say they did, even though they looked extremely similar. You'll have to find chips and samples from the various years to see the differences side by side. Try to get several samples as they can fade and degrade, and different chips from the same year, even from the same manufacturer, can look different. Colors can look different on computer screens than they do in person, too. Finding samples online is not always reliable. Some I've seen weren't even close.
