Color Suprise

49fordv8f4

Senior Member
I was tinkering on my '49 F4 truck today while I had a long slow cut going in my lathe. I wanted to check the passenger hood hinge for clearance for an under hood modification I'm working on. When I went to install the firewall part of the hinge I noticed the original paint on the side of the bracket that bolted against the firewall. It was Gray. I looked at the hinges closely all over and they were indeed painted gray. I had assumed that hinges were black. I pulled a hinge off of a '51 F2 parts truck that I have and it was Gray also. Both of these trucks were originally Vermillion Red and assembled in Kansas City. Were all the hood hinges on the '48-'52 trucks Gray or is that peculiar to the KC plant?
Thanks, Mark Poley
 
Can't speak for KC but all the Atlanta built 48-52 trucks I have owned or robbed parts of off the years had the hood spring arms bolted on before paint. When you take them off its bare metal or maybe red oxide primer behind them. Can't remember about the actual hinges but I would guess they are the same. I have seen that gray color on the radiator support of several trucks where it has been protected from the elements bolted up to the inner fender panels. Always stuck me as odd because you would think it should be black...
 
All the 48-50 trucks I've parted over the years were all black ( a few were rusty and couldn't tell ) and the firewalls were painted before the hinges went on.
 
Thanks for the replies. The firewalls were painted before the hinges went on these trucks also. I was just surprised that the hinges and the spring arms were painted gray. I have no reason to suspect that they are not original.
Thanks, Mark
 
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