Let's Talk Paint Some More.........

[w30bob]

Hi Guys,

My favorite topic..........but here's something completely different. First, let me tell you where I'm coming from on this. There's nothing MV related that gives me more of a "woody" more than vehicles wearing their original paint and markings. They just scream history. So when I see them in real life or on the web I save the pics for reference. Fast forward to my Army M37 that I am really going to try hard to get restored and on the road this Spring/Summer/Fall. I've been working on finding the original paint color for some time now, which you know from my previous posts. But along the way I stumbled onto something I think is pretty cool. There seems to be a sort of common thread to a lot of the old original paint I see on M37s and you'll probably agree with me to some extent. When you see the original color, under peeling paint or on an abandoned junker......you see it's not a dark OD color, but more of a lighter, faded greenish-khaki, for lack of a better word. You've all seen it on some M37 or M38. Below are some pics of what I'm talking about, with the color circled in yellow. Now hold that thought.

In my quest to find the "correct" shade of OD I've been spraying panels with each new paint I get and comparing them and I've been doing this for a few years now. Well, it turns out one of the first colors I sprayed has now aged..........and it looks almost exactly like the original worn out greenish-khaki in the pics! In the places where I touched it repeatedly and where the tarp covering the truck rubbed against it it's developed an "aged" look that's a bit darker with just a hint more gloss......just like I see it on old MVs in real life! So it got me thinking (which is rarely a good thing). Maybe when I restore the body of the truck I'll clean up any surface rust, but leave the little dings and dents, use an epoxy primer, and then topcoat with this old weathered looking OD paint. Let is sit a few weeks and start rubbing on high traffic areas and such to age it. I'm not going to add any faux rust or crap like some of these hot rodders do (as I think that's pretty stupid......just my opinion), but I can add the stars and unit numbers in a light coat of flat white and hit it with 3000 grit paper and make them look old as the paint too. I'm thinking I could pull off a pretty good fake original paint job. Not to try and deceive anyone, just because I love the look. The topcoat is cheap and easy to touch up, so I also wouldn't have to worry about kids and onlookers actually touching my finished baby....I'd actually encourage it! And no maintenance required to keep it looking good! I'm curious about what you guys think......just no cussing! Do you think worn faded and old OD can be replicated accurately?

If the weather cooperates maybe I'll shoot the front of the truck in this greenish-khaki OD this weekend just to see what it looks like on whole panels and how it ages in a month or so. I'll post some pics if I can get it done.

thanks,
bob

[NAM VET]

as part of my engine removal, removed my fenders and splash shields today, and also the lights from the fenders, with no rust to speak of and the help of some Kano on the threads of the bolts: it all came off with no need for a tetanus booster. And in places where my truck, a '52 one, has been repainted, I can indeed see a lighter shade of OD under the repaint, as if the original paint had sun fading. I am going to repaint it with the "correct" OEM Gillespie when I get it all prepped, and the engine back in. But for sure, there is some thing nostalgic for seeing how these trucks may have looked a decade after leaving the factory. Wish you well with your own plans for your truck.

NV

[52PLOWERWAGON]

heres a trick I do when adding brackets and other stuff to the m37

I paint them olive drab that is the closest to my paint color then while it is still drying I spray a little bit of brown but not covering all of the green I just sprayed and right
before it dries I take a wire brush and scuff it up slightly or if I want chipped paint I beat it with a hammer gently

with this method I can add any accessory I want to my original truck and it looks like its been there since 1952

I could make a video of this if you'd like

[w30bob]

Thanks NV. To be continued..........

Travis, that sounds interesting. No hurry on the video, but I think many would enjoy seeing your results! Thanks for sharing.

regards,
bob

[52PLOWERWAGON]

bob ill try to make a vid this weekend

I plan on adding a newer style antennae mount

I went after my trucks paint with wizards magic rubbing compound and I got the paint to a nice color while keeping my beautiful patina

I only repainted the stars and a spots where I welded

this is how ill paint my fenders if I ever fix the rust holes under the headlights

[52PLOWERWAGON]

ok let me hijack this thread for a minute

some genius previous owner (I think I know which one but...) painted over my hood numbers In white
I would like to sand some of the white off and then my hood numbers would stand out somewhat

what grit sand paper should I use ? and should I wet sand them ?

and does por 15 really work ? I'm doubtful

[just me]

POR15, Ill assume you are asking about for your fuel tank.
If you do all 4steps exactly as outlined the stuff works beautifully. I have tanks that are decades old with no problems. If you skimp on ANY step of the process you will have problems with adhesion and it will flake off.
Some clever internet person showed using a cement mixer for the agitation steps. Brilliant!

[w30bob]

Hi Travis,

I'm sure there are multiple ways to look for hood numbers, and to a great extent it depends on the white paint he applied. Meaning is it oil based, an epoxy, etc....and how thick it is? If it's a real light coat of crappy paint some mineral spirits on a rag (damp, not soaking wet) might just remove it and leave what's underneath alone. When I looked for markings on my tailgate I knew I had to go thru at least 4 layers of paint, so I could have started with something pretty aggressive. But I didn't want to screw it up so I started high and got courser and courser until I started actually removing some paint. I ended up using 120 grit for the bulk of the removal, and then went finer once I saw something that looked interesting. As long as you don't go nuts you'll be fine. I would recommend doing it by hand, not with a grinder or buffer.........those can chew thru everything real fast. I did mine dry, just kept blowing the dust off with an air hose to see what was what. Once you find what you're looking for wetting the surface will make it easier to read the numbers/letters. The good thing about hood numbers is you have two sets! Even if you totally screw up one side............say by putting paint remover on and walking away for an hour (which I swear I've never done)........you still got another shot at getting it right on the other side.

In terms of POR-15 I took it that you're talking about the rust preventative paint, not the gas tank sealer as Just did. I use POR-15 on everything I restore that has to live outside. As Just said.....preparation is the key. I've never had it peel up as some have claimed. I've always applied it to sandblasted surfaces, not to any new smooth surfaces. It self levels so brush marks really do disappear. Note that once you open a can it has a very limited shelf life....that's why I only buy the little six-packs. You can reseal a can, but you have to totally clean both the underside of the lid and the grove in the can that the lid goes into. If there's any POR-15 in those areas you are not getting the lid off a second time. Even if you clean as I just described, the air in the can will start to cure the remaining POR-15 and you only have a couple weeks at best to use it. Now, when you first open a can it has the consistency of water. When I use a new can for the first time I put on two coats. Once the air has gotten to it and it starts to thicken I only use one coat (if I can get the lid off). It might sound a little silly, but for the absolute best adhesion to metal you want to sandblast (or acid dip) and leave it out for a few hours to just start to flash rust. Not until it's bright orange.....just to the point where you can just notice it starting. The POR-15 will bite into that like a tic on your ass and never let go! The other thing to note is that if you plan to topcoat, and you have to topcoat if it will be exposed to sunlight, you need to mist a very fine, splotchy coat of your topcoat onto the POR-15 about an hour or so after you applied it. If you wait until the POR-15 dries the surface is so smooth most paints can't stick to it very well. By lightly misting it when wet your topcoat will stick to the mist layer and stay on.

Lastly, wear gloves, crappy clothes, and protect everything in the area you don't want to have POR-15 on forever. I've still got a few spots of it on my driveway that have been there for years! You can skip the gloves if you want to look tough in front of your friends and have people ask you what's on your hands for the next three weeks. And it's great stuff for temporary tattoos! If you were asking about POR-15 for your gas tank.........I apologize for just wasting a shitload of your time!

regards,
bob

[52PLOWERWAGON]

I was thinking of coating the frame on my truck

and I can see the numbers on my hood I just think the white looks ridiculous I will try the thinner on a rag or some 120-200 grit sandpaper \

will post a pic if I can find one

[k8icu]

Bob,

You could always just paint the truck and then let it sit out in the weather for 3-4 months. Make sure it bakes in the hot sun and gets lots a rain and wind. It will have the look you want in no time.

[Elwood]

Bob,

You could always just paint the truck and then let it sit out in the weather for 3-4 months. Make sure it bakes in the hot sun and gets lots a rain and wind. It will have the look you want in no time.

We get plenty of "weather" here in northern Michigan (Travis and I are at about the same latitude). But it would take years before we could accumulate three to four months of hot sun.

[w30bob]

Yeah, it's funny.......when you want paint to age it doesn't. Even the crappiest paint today is lightyears better than what they had back in the day. The weather hasn't been cooperating, but it should be close to 70 degrees for the next week or so.........and I bought enough paint to do some serious experimenting. Whoooo-Hoodoo!

Regards,
Bob