1932 Ford paint questions

F

firerod

Senior Member
Does anyone know if Ford used lacquer or enamel in '32? How nice was the original finish? Also, was the chassis gloss or semi? What color primer was used in '32?
 
I'm sure both were used. Chassis & fenders were likely dipping enamal similar to Model As. Laquer was common for the body since it could be polished to a high luster and was much easier to work with since it didn't require force drying like the early enamels did. If FoMoCo used a primer it was likely red oxide nitro cellulose laquer but I'm not absolutely sure. It is surprising how well the early alkyd enamels, laquers, & pyroxylin coatings lasted. Alkyd enamels made for dipping, coat metals well enough that there was likely no primer used under it. It did require the part be run through an oven to cure them more quickly though.
 
The bodies, hoods, and radiator shells were all painted with lacquer with a polished, high gloss finish, but in the case of commercial bodies (except station wagons, sedan deliveries, and deluxe panel deliveries), a polished finish was an extra cost option. Everything else was one form or another of alkyd enamel. The chassis frame, gas tank, frame horn covers, fenders, and front apron below the radiator all had a high gloss finish.
 
I saw this thread, were all the 1932 chassis orginally painted black or matching body color?
 
All gloss black -- passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and big trucks. The one exception is that large commercial fleets could order other-than-black chassis, all or in part, at extra cost (depending on the size of the fleet), including furnishing their own paint in special colors (subject to paint approval by Ford Engineering).
 
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