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If we had a M37 that had come right off the assembly line and the was sealed into a plastic bag to preserve it till now, what color would the frame and running gear be? Satin Black, Gloss Black, 24087 Semigloss green?

It would have been "chassis black." That's a semi-semi-gloss black. It's shinier than flat black, but duller than semi-gloss black.

The engine, transmission, and transfer case would have been a "semi-semi-gloss" silver.

Thank you very much.... That is what I needed to know.

Lifer wrote:It would have been "chassis black." That's a semi-semi-gloss black. It's shinier than flat black, but duller than semi-gloss black.

The engine, transmission, and transfer case would have been a "semi-semi-gloss" silver.

I think the engine/drive train might have been almost a powder blue, I have seen both, silver & blue?

According to the historian at Chrysler Corp, they were silver. I think the light blue was a Plymouth/Desoto car engine color. (Baqck in the early '60s, I had a '52 Chrysler sedan and a '51 Desoto convertible with light blue engines, anyway.)

Can somone tell me what was silver and what color the other parts ( starter oil filter ect...) were painted. What paint best matches the semi semi gloss.
Thanks,

Yup! he starter, generator, distributor, oil filter housing, and air cleaner housing were all semi-gloss black. The oil filler tube was also black, but it had a red cap.

So then it is safe to say that frames and drive train that were painted OD were done at depot rebuilds and in the field by a GI with a spray gun.

I find it interesting that the army acepted the vehilce with a silver motor and trans. I would have thought that they would have required it to be OD.

How about the exhaust manifold? Was it left bare or painted with heat paint?
Thanks,

Originally, the exhaust manifolds were "probably" left bare, but I can't swear to it. During depot-level overhauls, however, the entire engine got repainted according to the military specs of the day. For Army vehicles, everything ended up OD. For USAF vehicles (up to 1965, anyway), all power train components got painted light gray.

Anybody have any recommondations for a silver paint to use. Should I go flat or semi-gloss?
Thanks,

Try your nearest boat dealer. I bought some a few years ago for an Evinrude outboard I was overhauling. It was a light silvery gray color, semi gloss if I recall correctly.

Silver it is/was. But were all of the lube points, as well as the oil fill pipe were painted red, zerks do I guess?