Pintle color

[Gerry]

Was the pintle black to match the frame from the factory or was it O.D.
Thanks,

[Lifer]

Man! You sure ask some tough questions! Every truck I've ever seen had the pintle painted to match the body color, be it desert sand, strata blue, haze gray, or any of the various shades of OD. I've never seen one direct from the factory and none of the research I've done has revealed anything about the pintles. Since they are attached directly to the frame, it's possible that they were black but I can't swear to it.

[Gerry]

Thanks Lifer,
I thought this might be a tough one.

[k8icu]

Gerry,

How are you doing your restoration? Factory as it rolled off the assembly line at the Dodge Factory or is it more of like after it was assigned to a unit?

The reason I ask is that if you paint it the frame color (which btw HMMWV come from the factory that way as have other more modern MVs) then you can say it came from the factory. If your going to put bumper markings on it as assigned to a unit then you could paint it OD and say the unit repainted it.

I would say though that an educated guess would say it was OD as the frame and the frame componets were painted black, but the bolt on items tail lights, pintle hook, bumperetts etc were done in OD.

[Gerry]

k8icu
I am trying to get as close as possible to how it rolled out of the factory. I was leaning towards od myself since the rear bumperettes are od it seems the pintle would be also. so your input helps with my decision.
Thanks,

[pwrwagonfire]

Sir,

Mine is the original paint, and the frame and pintle hitch are both OD green...

[mike_l]

I would like to have mine painted back to factory roll out colors also. I've been trying to pay attention when I pull a part off and start stripping the layers of paint off as to the bottom colors. My frame was black as I found out when I pulled the bed off and uncovered the top of the frame where the depot re-paint job wouldn't have reached. To me the mystery has been as to what else was black or what was OD when it came out. I also try to pay attention to the illustrations in the TMs and such as to the shading of parts; some frame sections are darker than "known" OD parts attached, and the engine & drive train are obviously silver, etc. I had been suspecting what k8icu said that the frame was black and anything bolted to it would be body color (OD in my case). And that is the way I've been going with it. I just recently had my front bumper and the pieces that bolted to the frame off and wanted to go that way with them. Thanks k8icu for stating that as my "educated guess" tends to agree.

Now, to toughen the question....a painted accessory such as a pintle or bumper, would the attaching bolts still be the cadmium plating (yellow?) or would someone at the end of the assy line be painting them? I've seen photos of the WWII era Dodge line showing someone spot painting near the end but does anyone know if the KW era and up trucks have the same procedure? Thanks for all the info discussed so far.

[k8icu]

That's a very good question. Were bolts exposed when it left the factory or did they follow the WWII model and paint them. I have to say I've never taken a truck apart that didn't have paint on the bolts. At least the exposed visiable bolts. Under side bolts is a different subject, but exposed visiable bolts I've never seen with out paint. The thing is every truck I've owned has had repaint at unit level at some point. If they left the factory unpainted they didn't stay that way long before some private was given the keep busy task of painting them.... If I was doing a factory restoration I would paint the exposed bolts and not worry about it.

[Gerry]

Thats my game plan also. Wont have to worry about rusty bolts in a couple of years also.

[Sal]

I Kind of like the look of a black chassis against the OD body with none painted bolts that's how I did mine.

Sal

[Gerry]

I want to use as many original parts as possible to save money and because the are original. Cant get the old bolts to clean up like new no matter what you do.

[Sal]

I had the same idea when I started mine Gerry, But I had to cut most of them off. The threads were mostly shot from rust and corrosion.

Sal

[Gerry]

Was pretty lucky. most came off with pb blaster. Putting her back together now

[MikeOneSix]

I believe the trucks left the factory with bright fasteners. They would have been painted over at some point in the truck's life. Probably by the first unit to receive it.

Here's another toughie, What about all of the small brackets attached to the frame, where they painted OD or black? I'm refering to those small "L" shaped brackets used in the brake/clutch pedal return springs As well as any other brackets attached to the frame.
Matt

[Sal]

All the ones on my truck Matt were rusted and just plan rotted. But some of them did have what appeared to be rubber coating on the ends.

Sal