Paint

[Aaron]

I am trying to figure out what the original color of my rims were on my 1948 B1B. The truck was originally Armour Yellow but rims have been repainted several times. Were the rims normally painted the same color as the truck?

[Jim Shepard]

I believe Don Bunn says that until mid-year 1950 they were black. Then they went to a creme color, I think "Dodge Truck Yellow."

[Bouncy B]

Black for sure. All the pictures show black until 1950.

[grey beard]

Mr. Forest,

My own Pilothouse is a 1948, and when I pulled the tires off, the rims were Dodge cream color. I don't care what the experts say, but painting these rims black would be a sure way to some kind of ugly, just my considered opinion, and to each his own. Personally, I like the cream color on Pilothouse trucks.

I took my rims to the powdercoat shop, and he had a very nice RAL color chart from which I could pick my choice. The paint on the rims was still pristine, having literally never seen the light of day. Matching the rim color up to his chart, a perfect match to my eye was RAL 1014.

RAL numbers are international in scope. If you have one of these numbers in the UK or Africa or anywhere else, any good paint mixer from any brand can convert this number into your color of paint. For twenty years I published a magazine for the antique tractor hobby,(J. I. Case) and this was the only way whereby international members could all come up with the same colors, no matter where in the world they lived. This system really works pretty well if you have a knowledgable paint mix person.

Having said all this, I also have a NAPA color chp chart here in my desk drawer. To my eye, Ford Tractor White, NAPA sales #1528 is also a dead ringer, Mfg. #M30J1619A. Hope this is helpful, should you chose to paint your rims the more pleasing cream color instead of black.

Good Luck

[Aaron]

Now that you talk about the cream color, there is a cream color that is showing through the various old layers of paint on my rims. My rims are at the body shop as we speak and i had decided to paint them Armour yellow, the same color I will use on the truck when it is ready.

Once the rims are done, I will take them over to the tire shop for the new tires.

[Reg Evans]

My 52 is Armour Yellow and I painted the rims Dodge truck cream (previously sun lemon yellow) I like the cream color on all the truck colors except Armour Yellow. I covered my rims with wheel covers cause it think the colors clashed. I'm planning on painting them black one of these days.

[Merle Coggins]

As I recall, black would be correct for your '48, and as Reg says it'll look better than the cream color.

Mine were the cream color and are still. I just got them stripped and repainted. Hopefully the tires will go on this week.

Merle

[Guest Scruffy49]

My 49 has blue rims to match the body color. Some shade of Cessna dark blue sprayed in the late 50s or early 60s. Peel back a tire, and they are a nice gloss black inside under the rim liner (guess my uncle was lazy when he painted them). A couple trucks I've looked at locally from 48 and 49 had black rims. The 51 in a local private boneyard has whitish rims (probably faded cream).

When I respray her, the rims will be body colored with the factory hubcaps and some trim rings. Probably dark blue like it is currently.

-Scruffy49

[4852dodge]

I tried to get the Ford tractor white NAPA 1528 but the local dealer could not find a listing for that number in paint, only sandpaper. They need a prefix number or letters. They think you listing is older and not matching what they now use. Is there any other information you can give? Thanks, I don't have old colors to work from.

[Guest NAZGUL50]

Hi, I manage a NAPA and mix paint. 1528 is the paint code. For basecoat system (no clear) its 56-1528-a, acrylic enamel single stage 53-1528-a, etc. Your local guy must not custom mix.

-Scott

[4852dodge]

The local NAPA stopped mixing paint. The DEP rules made it cost prohibitive. With this information maybe we can do something now. Thank you very much.

[Jim Gaspard]

If you're looking for a quick, low-cost wheel make-over and don't want to go to the expense of an exact OEM color match for yellow rims, I found a rattle-can color that comes very close (slightly less yellow). Dupli-color Yellow Beige EDSGM366 in a 5 oz can from Pep Boys. Three cans at $4.99 painted my spare four rims, two coats. Below is a side by side comparison to one of my 'Driver' wheels which are original. I will use the OEM color on my frame-off set of rims, but that's a few months off.

Jim in Dallas

[48Dodger]

I'm guessing the reason you asked the question about original color, is because you are trying to keep it original? Or at least have a working knowledge of orginal? I haven't seen an option sheet for 1948 trucks, but I'll bet black was the default color if you didn't order the truck. Nothing wrong with black, it really sets off the red in the center of the hub caps. But either way, in the end, its your truck to drive. Restore it to orginal specs, than paint it "plum crazy" , that'll get'em talkin'.

48D

[OLD DODGE]

I haven't seen an option sheet for 1948 trucks, but I'll bet black was the default color if you didn't order the truck.

Here are the paint colors for the trucks. The 48 doesn't show wheel color but the later ones do.

http://www.t137.com/colorchips/index.html

[Zeke1953]

Here is the formula for the original cream color wheels:

YS410N CC:H Chromapremier SS Alt: 1

801J HSWHITE 154.8

843J Bright Yellow 245.1

807J LS Black 289.4

853J Red Orange 293.9

52320N Binder 499.3

52330N Balancer 526.0

I have no idea what it means, but it supposedly came from Don Bunn. I had it mixed at my local CarQuest store and sprayed it on my sandblasted wheels using an HVLP gun. You have to mix it with two other ingredients first - resin and hardener, I think. The wheels look great; I compared the color to the inside of a spare wheel and it is an exact match to the original color. Zeke

[Dodgeb4ya]

Here is some info if you can read it out of my Dodge truck sales manual. It's 1951 though.

Bob

[Young Ed]

You have to mix it with two other ingredients first - resin and hardener, I think. The wheels look great; I compared the color to the inside of a spare wheel and it is an exact match to the original color. Zeke

The 2 other ingredients are typically thinner/reducer and hardner/catalyst.

[Zeke1953]

You're absolutely right, Young Ed. I also forgot to mention that I sprayed the wheels with primer before I painted them.