ford55truck, I found the PPG codes for my 53 here on FTE (or was it Kevin's site?). My usual auto parts/paint store (which sells Dupont products) said they couldn't help, that my truck was too old. I went to another auto parts/paint store which sold PPG products. PPG produced the original paint for Ford back then. They had all the formulae for the colors available for the trucks of my year. I'm sure that you'll find the colors if you go to a PPG distributor.

 

Thank you, thank you.
I will try to find a store here in So. Calif. Will let my fingers do the walking.
If so, I will let you know. The red I have now is a good color, just not sure it is the right red. The original yellow is a mustard. When they painted the inside and out of the body red, they left the inside of the glove box door the original color.
Got a lot of things to do but at least the truck is all there, no dents, dings and is straight. The only things I don't have are the right rear license plate holder, the carb oil bath air cleaner, and the power unit for the original radio. I have the radio just not the power unit. Radio is not installed. The old fellow who sold me the truck gave me a '55 radio.
I am so torn. I want to put the truck back to 100% original but want to also keep the outside and cab stock but put a V-8 with auto in it. So at least I am working on the paint right now. The stick-6 runs great, was completely overhauled, and I drive it every day. It is all I own. Except the engine is
post-'59 because the valve cover has holddown bolts around the valve cover instead of the two on top. Would be cool to change the head to the old style to accept the old cover if the head pattern is the same. Call him "HOOT".
But I am getting a little old to drive it like it is. Steers just like a truck. Has radial repli-tires. The same exact size of the original but in radial. So it really grips the road.

Anyway, thank you so much again for your help. I'll stop rambling here.
Tom

 

Tom, in your earlier post where you talking about truck body color or engine color? If you meant engine color in '55 the 6 cyl and the 239 were yellow. The bigger engines for the bigger trucks (F700 and up) in '55 were red. In '54 all truck engines were red. In '56 all engines were yellow.
abe

 

I have seen a few of these engines in the Green and they were nothing like what is in the 53 brochure.
The closest that I can come to for the 6 cyl engine in (SUGGESTION ONLY), is the 50-51 Mercury Green for the 255 flathead, and Plastikote makes that color.
I am in a similar situation, only with a flathead in my 53. I have no idea what the color is supposed to be on this engine. It is currently a Light Blue, yet I have seen them in Red.
This exact question was brought up as a topic for disscusion, on the weekend past. Answer was it depended on which plant made the truck was assembled at. I find this a little unusual, as well as hard to believe.
Then again here in Canada some of the truck engines were an Off-White, or Cream color. This was in the 52 model I had, where the U.S. Truck Engines were Red.

 

A fellow enthusiast named Wayne emailed me and said he would send me a paint sample. He had a couple 53's with original paint. He had taken the inspection cover from a 215 to his local Ace Hardware store and had them match it. He was told by another restorer that Valspar made an industrial oil-based enamel that would work well.

After collecting a gazillion paint chips at local paint stores and finding none that matched, I got Wayne's paint chip. It is a great match. I don't have any spots on the bellhousings that are good enough to try matching myself. I checked around but all my old Ace stores are now part of the Do It Best chain so they don't carry Valspar. One of the guys thought Lowes might. They do! I took Wayne's paint chip in and had them mix up a quart of Valspar Industrial oil-based enamel. It looks great and should hold up well on the engine block. I'm really looking forward to closing the chapter on this part of the restoration. It's been pretty trying at times.

Here's my oil pan in its new digs:


Here's my timing cover next to the bellhousing I got with my overdrive. It's an excellent match when you consider the paint on the bellhousing spent most of its life under greasy grime and is a little worse for the wear.


Woohoo!

Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

That is almost a match to 57 Chevy Tropical Turquoise. Don't mean to use the G.M. name on a Ford site, just trying to compare.
Glad to see that you did find your color.

 

Hey Kevin,

Care to share the color chip so that other stockers and 215ers don't have to go through what you went through?

Thanks, Ilya

 

Sure, send me your address with a check for $100. Just kidding. Anybody else want one? Wayne was kind enough to send me one and I'll do the same.



Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

It might be but it's hard to say. That's the thing about pictures and the internet. I have another photo I took of the oil pan without the flash and it looks completely different. You have to see something in person to know what the color truly is.

You also need more than one sample to be sure. I thought my original engine was the right color until I took a closer look at my spare bellhousings and Wayne's paint chip. Unfortunately, it isn't really practical to go around collecting bellhousings.



Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

NOS FoMoCo 215 valve cover:



Can't wait to get it. Hopefully the paint won't be scratched up. At least I can match it if I have to repaint it.



Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

Kevin, nice find glad to see its comming together for you. Would like to see a pic when its assembled.
Still looking for the color for my 53 Flathead Engine.

 

5 Star,

I'd bet there is a good chance it was the same shade of green as my 215. One of the brochures above shows a flathead with the same paint scheme next to the 215. I also have pictures of '53 flatheads painted that shade. 55Peif of this board has a fairly stock '53 with a flathead. I think he said this color was pretty darn close to what his engine was. I have samples of the paint I used on my engine if you would like one. Just send me your address.



Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

Hey Kevin,

Great find! I've been off eBay for a few months now. Do you think it would be possible for you to get a paint reference code for the cover from an auto paint store? This way, I'll have the code when it's time to paint my 215.

Thanks, Ilya

BTW, I received the color sample. Thanks alot!!!

 

Kevin, just went through your layout of the Super Nationals, along with your progress on your truck.
You deserve a lot of credit for what you have done with your project. looking foward to see it when its completed.
Hats off to you, and best of luck.