Paint for bumper covers

Brother Hesekiel

Brother Hesekiel

Senior Member
Does any of the vendors sell the blue paint for recessed areas of the SS/chromed bumper covers, or can somebody tell me what the correct paint name or code for this is?
 
I think most model A vendors sell small jars of the blue paint with a brush in the lid. Bert's and Bratton's carry the small bottles if blue paint. I used some for my coupe and it leveled out well and showed little or no brush marks.
Rusty Nelson
 
I bought my small bottle from Bratton's many years ago. I brushed it on heavy enough to level out so no brush marks show. It worked out well, but you want to have all the pieces ready to go and give the rest to someone else that can use it, because I found it had short shelf life after I did my clamps.
 
I just threw my bumper paint away as it was hard and not usable. In Bratton's catalog it states that it goes bad after about 6 months. I think it may last a little longer, but it does get hard in the bottle. At around $3 a bottle, getting a new one isn't to bad. Next time I order a bottle, I will paint the clamps for my next 2 cars bumpers.
Rusty Nelson
 
I just did mine with a bottle I got from Brattons. I had purchased a bottle a year earlier and never got around to painting them and the paint had hardened so I made sure to use the paint shortly after I got it this time around. Like Tom I used enough to level the brush strokes and make it an even color but it takes a very long time to set up and harden (and yes I shook it vigorously for quite a while before applying!) Even blowing warm air over it from the heater for more than a day even a week later I didn't feel comfortable touching it with my fingers because it was very slightly tacky and soft yet. Its been a couple weeks now and I think its mostly cured now though. Its best to drill some holes in a piece of scrap wood to set the clamps in, paint them, and then put them in a dry and mostly dust free area for sufficient time to let the paint harden. Here are my results. My line wasn't quite as clean as I wanted on the bottom half but I should be able to clean that up with my fingernail.

1113141940b.jpg
 
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Thank ya'll. I just looked at Snyder's, my favorite vendor, and couldn't find it.

Btw, to do it "right," the paint should be sprayed on with a mask over the unpainted areas (like it's done on the old Mercedes hubcaps where the three-pointed star is masked). Since that would show no sharp line or edge, brushing it would not look correct.
 
the color is Harding (Bumper clamp blue), I paint the clamp with a brush, let it set up a little then take a rag with paint thinner on it and wrap it around my finger and wipe of the excess paint, doing that will leave a sharp edge, you can also spray them and wipe off over spray
 
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Many, many years ago the guys at Pages Model A in NH, gave my father the color number of a Testors model paint that they used for this. I still had the small bottle (all dried up) in a box when I decided to do this on a second A about three years ago. The model shops had these same small bottles but with a different name. We matched the color and I made a small jig (just a platform with holes for the bolts to pass through) and leveled very well. Then just used a toothpick to put paint on in dabs and it settled out level with no other edge work necessary. It has been three years and they all are perfect still. I will try to find the latest bottle and get an ID and paint number if anyone is interested. Also I should still have a picture of the set up for the painting.
 
I use the decals. Mine won't be involved in national judging. The decals look good to me and I've never had a problem with them .
 
Bumper Medalions.jpg

Here are the ones I painted. I matched the color to the decal you see at the bottom and the paint I used was "Model Master" Enamel Paint from a craft store. Small bottle like the old Testors paints. The color is "Ford & GM Engine Blue. Like I said, they have been three years and look perfect.
 
Purdy Swoft said:
I use the decals. Mine won't be involved in national judging. The decals look good to me and I've never had a problem with them .
Click to expand...
Yeah, me too. Longer shelf life and they don't chip with road use.

In full confession mode, I further sinned by using an early Ford center clamp inappropriately. The one that's round and says "Ford Made in USA". By far the best appearing of the center clamps,IMHO, and they never should have changed.
 
I also once sinned by using repro 1928 rear bumper clamps with Ford script on the rear of our 31 standard coupe. I always thought they were rite purty ... I also don't hesitate to use the repro stainless bumper clamp covers. They look good and save a bunch by being able to recover and use old clamps.
 
"Interesting. All of our clamps and radiator badges have black paint on them. (Canadian)"

My '28 Tudor has black paint on them as well.
 
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