Newbie Dumb Question #1 - Paint

[w30bob]

Hi Guys,

Ok.....I've read thru many of the posts here and on other military sites and I realize asking paint questions, especially "what color should my vehicle be" can get really ugly and lead to bad things. So I won't go there. But assuming I have chosen a paint color (let's call it "green" and want to replicate the vehicle as it left the assembly line......here's my questions;

1. Where the M37s painted AFTER they were assembled, or did all the parts come painted "green" from the respective vendors? I'm asking because I've looked at hundreds of photos on the web of M37s but I don't think any of them are original paint vehicles. So I' wondering if let's say....the frames and driveline were black when they got to the assembly line....or they were already green?

2. Were the engines painted "green" or were they some other color?

3. Were there any parts of the vehicle not painted "green", other than seats and tires and such? Was the front of the radiator painted "green" or was it left black?

thanks,
bob

[WarrenD]

Engines were gray, radiator black. After that, someone else will have to chime in and as you suspect there will be a few different opinions of what was correct. Some components were painted prior to assembly.

[rc51racer]

The engines were painted Chrysler Silver with black accessories from the factory, here are some pictures:

http://mseriesrebuild.com/custom_built_ ... nes_02.htm

also information and additional pictures here:

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/flat.html

they got painted Olive Drab after being rebuilt.

[k8icu]

The trucks were painted chasy black for the frame and axles. The body parts were painted by the manufacture and assembled. After the truck was assebled a worker would hit any exposed bolts to paint them.

After the truck left the factory it's anybodys guess as to what happen to them. Many got repainted at least once in their military career if not more than that. If nothing else regulations and or SOPs required them to be touched up painted as needed.

[w30bob]

Thanks for the responses guys.

If I'm hearing everyone correctly, the day the truck rolled off the assembly line at the Dodge factory the frame, differentials and radiator would have been semi flat black (chassis black), the engine a silver/grey color, and the body "green". I assume that if the differentials and frame were painted black then so were the leaf springs and front steering components....no?

Would the transmission, transfer case and PTO unit have also been black or were they silver like the engine? I have a used PTO sitting on the kitchen island (my girlfriend doesn't come back until Friday....so don't tell her) and I don't see any signs of it ever being painted......but it does need a good bath in the parts washer.

How about rims? I've seen a number of trucks with black rims and some with "green". In some of the black and white Army manuals it looks like the rims are dark, meaning either black or "green", but the split rim looks silver. Maybe that's just for illustration purposes?

Thanks,
bob