what is my 1963 original color

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Nov 28, 2006
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I just got my new project. However I cant figure out what my original color was. there are basically 4 layers that are here. from top is light green, dark green, grey/blue, and a tannish color. there is also a dark reddish color on the fenders where i removed the hood skirts. it is hard to say what is the original color because the whole rest of the body and interior is the darker green. please help! here is what my firewall plate says. frame no. 2FJ40-16316 and engine no. F-170994

HERE ARE SOME PICS

if you know what color mine is supposed to be please post a pic if you can

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start sanding in a couple places and you tell us

another suggestion would be to look somewhere it prolly wasn't repainted and retains the orig color such as the floor., trans hump or inside of the firewall

anything that old could have a multitude of replacement panels, color applied, etc.

why does it matter, you going for a Barett-Jackson-quality restore? Paint it whatever you like.
 
open the glove box and look inside ( maybe clean a bit as well )
or pull a piece of hardware that would have hidden the color from the elements :)

the official color thread is a great read :)

has alot of the color codes for late models.

you may want to post up there to keep it all in one place, and get helped properly :)

more photos of the rig btw :D
 
Remove the the lower door hinges. They are pretty easy to get to and most people never remove those when painting.
 
I just got my new project. However I cant figure out what my original color was. there are basically 4 layers that are here. from top is light green, dark green, grey/blue, and a tannish color. there is also a dark reddish color on the fenders where i removed the hood skirts. it is hard to say what is the original color because the whole rest of the body and interior is the darker green. please help! here is what my firewall plate says. frame no. 2FJ40-16316 and engine no. F-170994

HERE ARE SOME PICS

if you know what color mine is supposed to be please post a pic if you can

The VIN plate doesn't help on early cruisers for color codes. They were not included.

There is obvious overspray on the windshield weather stripping. You might also find the original color if peel back the windshield weather stripping, drop down the winshield frame, or remove the windshield glass.
 
I'm going to gamble with either sand dune white, or sulfur yellow....did I win???

OK, seriously, peeling back the rubbers is a good idea, as is removing the lower door hinge, insider the clove box, folding down the windshield...maybe even behind your running boards...they look like they might have been painted on the truck...

Good for you for trying to find the original color. No matter what you end up doing, always fun to learn more.

Now don't leave us hanging, and show us more pics :beer::beer::beer:
 
Standing outside the driver's door look through the wing window glass and there will be a metal bracket the underside of which will likely have the original color on it showing right through the glass.

For the old bug catcher design it would be on the leading edge of the window frame where the underside of the wing window operating mechanism adheres to the glass.
 
Ok so i have some parts removed and i found a red color that was on the bottom of the windshield frame, in between the rear side and body panels, and appears to be on the tranny pan. could this be the original color? its not the tropical coral red is it? why is the coral red so bad anyway?
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I think they call that freeborn red. Common color for early 40s and 45 pickups. Same color as the one in my avatar
 
is that the one from ned with plow? yep.. it is. nice score. It's really a 62..

Nice Cruiser
 
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so you know this cruiser? do you know anything else about it. i am actually goin to do a resto with at 1hd-t in it. if i can get the motor to fit...
 
No, an hdt shoundn't be an issue. Let me know before you toss any of the original stuff. I'll give it a home.
 
it is prolly seminole red like dean mentioned.

That was the original color of mine, which i am repainting.

( ignore the pencil drawn dates, that is inaccurate )

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Tropical coral red was what i thought it was until i painted it.
Oh boy was it more pink than red :D
 

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