I am trying to help a friend check for the correct color for the running boards on his 1956 F-100.
Should the running boards be black or body color?

thanks

 

Stock was black. As far as how shiney black I'm not absolutely sure, but I's bet it was probably the same as the chassis. Ford liked to keep things as simple as possible when building the things. I think the chassis came down the assembly line with the running boards already on them before the fully painted cab was lowered onto the chassis. If the running boards were already on I would imagine they were painted along with the chassis.

Orriginal = black

Correct (?) = whatever the current owner likes best. (IMO)

Good luck, and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial

 

The running boards came black from the factory, the inner fenders and air deflectors behind the grill were also black.
Ozzie

 

Are you guys sure the chassis had any paint on it at all? I had to take my frame apart, all 182 rivets, due to rust. I grit blasted every inch of every frame component. I was very careful to look for any hint of paint on any part of the frame. I didn't find any trace of paint at all.

Even on areas that were covered with grease early on in the truck's life, and therefore weren't rusted, there was just bare metal under the grease. On areas where the frame paint would have been sealed up - like under the engine mounts and between riveted sections - there was no paint. I spent a long time trying to find an original scrap of paint to match for the restoration. I finally came to the conclusion that they didn't paint the chassis at the factory.

I'm certainly willing to change my mind, but I'd need some pretty convincing evidence.

 

Not sure if this helps George, but in my 1960 dealers binder(not the brochure), it states that the chassis, axels and so fourth were black. I've also heard that after they formed the steel, it went through a cooling oil, which turned the frame a black color and wasn't ment for long term coverage. I've kind of been wondering this alot, and I need to spend more time under the truck looking. -4speed(I know this wasn't any help)

 

I spent over 10 years researching this very question and this is the conclusion I came up with.

All sales brochures that I have show the running board painted the body color.

All factory photos that I have (in color) show the running boards in the same color as the body.

I have a very extensive library to prove these facts.

I also photagraphed a 1956 f-100 with 47,000 orignal mile with the orignal paint and the running bopards were the body color.

When I removed the running boards from my truck(which were black at the time) Under the 4 attaching carrage bolt heads was the orignal body color.
There may have been a few trucks where the boards my have been painted black, this is one of those differences from plant to plant. Also may have been a DSO special order.

As for the frames I was told they were protected by running the subassembled frame thru a paint tank-black and let drip dry.(all rivited parts installed)

George this maybe why you didn't see any paint behind the rivits on disassembly
.
My F-600 had a DSO order for the frame to be painted RED for the fire dept.

George has viewed part of my material and in that are some very rare pieces.

Kevin Bigwin

 

And Kevin steps up and disputes the secret teachins of the sacred Ford scrolls. I'll be following this thread with interest.

'fenders

"Factory correct running board paint"

 

Hi again, I have owed 2 '53s, 2 '54s and a '55 that had original paint and the running board were black. I also had friend that had several of these trucks and they were also black. I don't know for sure about '56s, my uncle had one but it was a black truck. The one I have didn't have any running boards on it. I also have a photo taken in 1954 of my Dad's brand new F-250 with black boards. These are all Canadian trucks, but I dought if there is any differance in the paint scheme. Ozzie

 

The Canadians did many thing different. They had a 2 tone paint scheme starting in 48. In the US it didn't start until I think '56. Also the canadians had a full flow filter for the Flathead V-8.

 

Ozzie,
You are correct the 53thru55's did come with black running boards. This is where the confussion lays, just because the 53-55 trucks came black everyone thinks the 56's should too.

I use my brochures alot to prove items as this to people and judges at shows. Know one knows everything thats why I use them to support my truck.

If in 1956 you wanted to purchase a new truck and had questions as to colors, power train options etc. You would probably look in the sales brochure for thes items. The sales brochure is SUPPOSED to show the actual offerings.

Please go to ebay # 2434329525 This is a 1956 ford truck news brochure that says "PUBLISHED BY YOUR FORD DEALER"

The auction is over, and I didnt win
but I alerdy have this one just not as nice

(Thought I"D try a unhappy smilie this stuff is all new to me!)

Guess its time to take pics of the library!

Kevin Bigwin

 

OK its been a few days and almost 50 more times this thread has been viewed and it seems there is no more interest?

I thought maybe someone would show me some proof of the running boards being BLACK!

Sorry to disappoint you Fenders, I know you were interested in where this thread was going! I really thought there would be a debate here.

Kevin Bigwin

 

"Sorry to disappoint you Fenders"

That's OK Kevin. I did figure you would get a dissenting opinion on this one though. I have seen a million 56s with black boards.

 

I worked for a 'major' truck manufacturer (not Ford) for many years. I have visited their (and other) truck factories many times. My conclusion is that the frames are painted 'just good enough' to get the things sold and on the road. We would occassionally get some over-stocked models that were cab and chassis, meaning no body, just bare framr rails and axles out back. They would sit outside in the sun for sometimes 1-year, and the paint would be almost gone. We'd have to re-spray the frames on 1-year old trucks so they wouldn't look to shabby to sell!

It sometimes cracks me up to read of these guys blasting, epoxy primer, many coats of super-duper paint, or even powder-coating the frames on their "restored" trucks. If they only knew what the quality of the orriginal frame paint was in most cases! I have a '99 and a '94 and the orriginal frame paint is just about gone on both of them. I can imagine that you aren't finding much frame paint left on a '56.

As far as running board paint goes, the commercial truck business can be prety strange with fleet paint orders and such. I don't realy know, but it wouldn't surprise me if running boards painted body color became an option at some point. Or if diferent plants possibly painted them diferently.

I'll bet they never imagined when they built these trucks 50-years ago, that a bunch of nuts like us would be sitting around worrying about it!

("A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking about it")

Good luck, and be safe.

BobJonesSpecial

 

Jim, I can see how odd it is that some of us strive to get some things as close to original as possible, and then do something like cleaning and painting the frame a lot more carefully than original. If I remember correctly, most of the previous discussions on this topic included comments about how poorly the frame was originally protected - so I don't think too many of us are doing it because we think it's the way these trucks came off the line. The choices we make are pretty much driven by what we'd each like from our trucks in the end.

In my case, my end goals are to 1) provide the driver with a really good approximation of what it was like to drive a 56 when it was new, 2) have the truck look fairly close to showroom, and, most importantly, 3) last as long as possible with as little maintenance as I can get by with. To meet these goals, I blasted and epoxied the frame, since 1) it doesn't affect the driving experience, 2) it doesn't show too much, and 3) I really don't want to worry about frame corrosion after I get the restoration done.

 

I thought I remember reading an older thread that F-100 s had body colored boards and all the heavier duty trucks definitely had black---or was this a blow-by induced acid dream?

As has been said many times b4, you do whacha want unless you want to join George in the seventh Dan of black belt (board?) OH-RIGINALITY.