Tailgate letters question

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Apr 19, 2017 | 01:14 PM

gluefactory

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Tailgate letters question

Getting the truck repainted and can't find any evidence of what the tailgate used to look like. It was on its third blank tailgate and I just added the DC 'FORD' embossed one.

I vaguely recall there being stickers of some sort on top of the embossed letters, but can't remember the color.

Paint guy says white.
I keep thinking they were close to the same shade of tan as the truck, but a bit darker.

Thought someone here might have an old brochure or something.

Any ideas?

Apr 19, 2017 | 02:56 PM

CountryBumkin

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I have some of the original Ford brochures for my truck's model year (82). What year are you working on?

Apr 19, 2017 | 03:02 PM

1986F150six

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From: Sheffield, AL

On my son's 1985 tan colored F150, and on my red 1986 F150, the original letters were white.

Apr 19, 2017 | 03:25 PM

gluefactory

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryBumkin

I have some of the original Ford brochures for my truck's model year (82). What year are you working on?

Its an 84 F250.
About as base as they made em.

Apr 19, 2017 | 03:55 PM

Dorsai

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From: Johns Creek GA

They were painted white on my '80:

How do you like that DC tailgate, anyway? Is the gauge of the steel up to snuff? I'm thinking about getting one for my truck when paint time rolls around.

Apr 19, 2017 | 04:17 PM

Ford F834

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From: Northern Arizona

1984 F250 junkyard tailgate... single tone brown with white letters.

Apr 19, 2017 | 04:32 PM

gluefactory

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorsai

They were painted white on my '80:

How do you like that DC tailgate, anyway? Is the gauge of the steel up to snuff? I'm thinking about getting one for my truck when paint time rolls around.

Guess my memory is faulty. I could have sworn there was a slightly darker shade of tan stickers on there back in the day. I mean, granted I think the first tailgate got swapped when I was like 14, but still...

As far as the DC tailgate goes, I haven't played with it much. It's got a decent weight to it, but I'm under no illusion of it being as sturdy as an OEM one. I've found that nothing aftermarket for these things hold up for damn, really.

Overall though, finding one in a scrapyard down here is near impossible, so I like it just fine. 😁

Apr 19, 2017 | 07:41 PM

gluefactory

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That panel goes tan from the chrome strip down and red from the chrome strip up.

Goal was to get it back to stock, which is looking like white.

Apr 19, 2017 | 07:49 PM

#10

reamer

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Sometimes the raised panel supporting the "FORD" could be the secondary color, in this case red.

Apr 19, 2017 | 08:01 PM

#11

Nothing Special

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On my silver metallic / dark charcoal metallic '85 F-250 the tailgate letters were the same red as the tape stripe.

Apr 19, 2017 | 08:14 PM

#12

gluefactory

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nothing Special

On my silver metallic / dark charcoal metallic '85 F-250 the tailgate letters were the same red as the tape stripe.

Hmm. Well that throws a wrench in the white plans.

Apr 19, 2017 | 09:02 PM

#13

Nothing Special

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From: Roseville, MN

I'm not saying white is wrong, just giving a data point. I suspect there were a number of possibilities depending on a lot of different things.

Apr 19, 2017 | 09:16 PM

#14

Gary Lewis

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From: Northeast, OK

I have several brochures available on my web site. Go here and follow the links: Literature - ???Gary's Garagemahal. However, I do not have 1983, 84, or 86 brochures at this point in time. But, if someone wants to send me some, ......

Apr 20, 2017 | 07:37 AM

#15

reamer

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From: Connecticut

From my 1986 Brochure, It appears that "strippers" the "Custom" and "XL" with mono-chrome paint, had white tailgate letters.
"XLT" and higher with Two-Tone had colored tailgate letters, colored in the "main paint color" or the "pinstripe" color
So you can go with tan or red letters...