Underhood and accessory paint chemes?

S

signsup

Senior Member
Is there a resource to obtain what color underhood accessories were painted from the factory? Items like radiator, generator, radiator hose steel tubes, air cleaner, battery tray and hold downs, etc?
Does the parts book specify the color of the part?


Thanks in advance.
 
What year are we asking about. The Early Ford V8 Club has a good selection for most ALL years, from 1932 to 1953, Restoration guides. They can be purchased through their web site.
 
This is for my 42 Mercury project. I'll look into the restoration guides. I'm not trying to be factory correct, but If I need to paint something, I might was well paint it the correct color. Radiator is at the shop being cleaned and pressure tested, when it comes back it will be pretty crusty, so new paint is in order.
 
Radiator shops customarily paint radiators with the correct flat black color, but overkill in a heavier coating than you want and need. I’d advise you to instruct the shop to remove all paint in the boil-out process, and DO NOT straighten the fins. then YOU further that cleanup til satisfied, straighten the fins carefully, and lightly spray flat black.
 
Great advice. My shop knows better than to ever paint one of my radiators. I tank a radiator or gas tank to them about once a month for military vehicle projects. They get painted a matte black as do most under hood accessories. My shop painted my first radiator a very thick gloss black and I learned from that. I do havve a fin comb that I used to refresh the fins prior to my painting. The upper radiator hose steel tubes would probably be the only thing I need to paint next and will probably do the same matte black unless advised otherwise. Most of my manual pics are black and white and don't help much in this effort.
 
Radiators were originally more of a satin than a simple flat black.
Things like air filters, oil filters, generators, starters were gloss black.
Radiator steel tubes? What are those?
 
Well, maybe I'm not calling the parts by their correct name, but on this Bubba car, coming out of the radiator top tank are two short radiator hoses, one going to each bank of cylinders and two water pumps. Then a steel tube approximately 14" long and than another short hose to the water inlets or outlets. But, not a solid rubber hose run. I have the same set up on my 42 WWII jeep that was explained to me as due to the rubber shortage, they used a steel tube where possible. But my Model T's also have a brass tube in the cooling line and it was explained to me that on the T's it was to aid in cooling. Either way, I got steel tubes on my car.
 
Uh, oh,... perhaps Bubba acquired a chrome radiator hose dress up kit and then when the cheap chrome plating tarnished, he painted them black? Looking at what the vendors sell, I'm seeing one piece rubber upper hoses as well as the tube dress up kits. So, looks like I'm buying new correct hoses. Or, stick with this set up and tell my WWII rubber shortage story?
 
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