Why not White paint?

roccaas

roccaas

Well-known member
Even today, an A painted White just looks a little strange. Even my beloved Ramblin' Reck's fenders look, well, different.

Why wasn't white paint a standard on A's??
 
white was the color of the General Electric Co
and they special ordered their vehicles in White with the black fenders
tom
 

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Just like today white cars attract dirt, and would really look bad in the Model A Era. Only cars that I can think of that were originally white were the Buicks from the 1910 era.
 
White paint was/is made from lead carbonate. And lots of it. It turns brown with exposure to sulphur compounds (bird droppings, etc.) and chalks (oxidizes) quickly. It requires frequent polishing to remain white so it gets thinner and doesn't last long. Even the modern white paints chalk quickly--usually within a year. The older paints would chalk within a few months. White just doesn't hold up unless it's clear coated.
 
I remember seeing a picture from the 1930's of a all white roadster for a sightseeing company in Hollywood california
 
An old joke my mother told me 50 years ago was the model As were painted green or black so other people would not see them broke down along the road.
 
White always had the connotation of being what color a car was painted to hide bad body work. I passed on a beautiful A sedan a few years back because I didn't trust a car painted white. Just something I grew up being told.
 
That was a good joke about Model A's. I laughed and I'll probably pass it on to A friends (who hopefully happen to have a good sense of humor!).

I guess my beautiful Washington Blue will stick out like a sore thumb on the side of the road IF she ever leaves me stranded. To date, thousands of care-free, happy miles with ZERO mechanical or electrical problems. It's all in the quality of your restoration and your seriousness about regular, thorough maintenance.

But I strongly suspect, reading and studying about those times, that A's, and most cars, were used, abused and much more poorly maintained than the average well-cared-for restorer's pride-and-joy today. They drove over pretty bad roads and in all weather conditions. As careful A owners, we have the luxery of not having to do that today. In the depth of the Depression, can you immagine the average A-owning family forgoing other critical spending priorities to make regular appointments with their local Ford dealer for maintenance, lube jobs and 500-mile oil changes? I can't.

If ther is any truth to that joke - was the Model A actually that much less reliable than the typical car of the day - that folks would actually go out of their way to make an on-going joke about it ?

Earle
 
I do not like to blend in with the snow. If I am in the broke down and in the way any other color than white is preferable. Rod
 
White was pretty uncommon on non-commercial vehicles prior to 1950 or so...

Additionally, the primary pigment in white paint used to be white lead, which is not as "white" as modern titanium dioxide pigment, and tended to yellow as it aged.

I have seen a few 1920's Pierces in all-white, and a 1934 Airflow in white, but really don't remember any others.

It was also "standard" for the fenders / splash-aprons, etc. to be black or at least darker than the upper body... this began to change around 1933 - '35...

Personally, I prefer "ivory", "cream", or "antique white" , to "hospital" white...
 
According to my cousin, who had one, the 28-29 Chevies were axle breakers. You were smart to carry a spare. However, What made all those former Ford owners (Mod T) go to other brands? My father in law had a 36Ford for 18 years, with no major problems. So in 1954, he bought a Pontiac! Why? Wasn't the Ford reliable? It's weird!
Terry




Earle said:
That was a good joke about Model A's. I laughed and I'll probably pass it on to A friends (who hopefully happen to have a good sense of humor!).

I guess my beautiful Washington Blue will stick out like a sore thumb on the side of the road IF she ever leaves me stranded. To date, thousands of care-free, happy miles with ZERO mechanical or electrical problems. It's all in the quality of your restoration and your seriousness about regular, thorough maintenance.

But I strongly suspect, reading and studying about those times, that A's, and most cars, were used, abused and much more poorly maintained than the average well-cared-for restorer's pride-and-joy today. They drove over pretty bad roads and in all weather conditions. As careful A owners, we have the luxery of not having to do that today. In the depth of the Depression, can you immagine the average A-owning family forgoing other critical spending priorities to make regular appointments with their local Ford dealer for maintenance, lube jobs and 500-mile oil changes? I can't.

If ther is any truth to that joke - was the Model A actually that much less reliable than the typical car of the day - that folks would actually go out of their way to make an on-going joke about it ?

Earle
Click to expand...
 
I drive a white Silverado, and probably shouldn't "bash" said color. But I am going to anyway.

Why do I not think much of the color white, you ask? I cannot stand whitewall tires on a Model A. This is strictly my opinion, and hold no grievance against anyone who likes them. I guess I was "scared" by white when I was little. Ha!

All joking aside (I know, not much of a joke), the color white seems to fit better (as illustrated above) on a service truck, police car, etc., but not on the Model A.
 
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