How to find original colour of car

[Henry Hopper]

Is there a way of finding out the original colour that your car left the factory with?I suspect that mine has had a total respray at some time and would like to know if it was like for like ,or not.

The car needs repainting and Im wondering about a full colour change so I thought I'd see what it was originally ,if possible.Ive looked in the nooks and crevices but not come up with anything.

[big job]

You may have to dig a little deeper like popping the windshield. No one will go that far
with a respray - unless a full restoration. Back then tape it up and shoot it...

[corvette8n]

Depends on the car, I removed the rear seat, I was also able to look up under the car near the rear crossmember or take off a door panel and see if you can find any factory overspray.

[DavidG]

Look under the cowl; it would be an unusual re-paint to cover underneath there.

[Darrell S]

Mine shows under the dash and inside the doors.

[Henry Hopper]

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I'm pretty sure the car has had a full repaint at sometime in its life....my painter friend said the paint is cellulose that is on it now and there doesn't appear to be any dark red primer where he paint has come away.

I would suspect it's had a body off resto and a full hit with the paint gun.In all likelihood it is in its original Bambolino colour but I thought there might be a record of spec when they were built.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Henry Hopper

I'm pretty sure the car has had a full repaint at sometime in its life....my painter friend said the paint is cellulose that is on it now and there doesn't appear to be any dark red primer where he paint has come away.

I would suspect it's had a body off resto and a full hit with the paint gun.In all likelihood it is in its original Bambolino colour but I thought there might be a record of spec when they were built.

Thanks for the suggestions.

There is no record of specs when your car was built. The only record to be found was the month your car (chassis) was built by serial #. If you have the V-8 Club's '35-'36 Ford book it will give you all the stock colors available for your car. If you don't have this book it's the best guide you can have for your '36 Ford.

[DavidG]

Tom,


With respect, the record kept was that of the date of the manufacture of the engine/transmission assembly, not the chassis nor the car itself. Those events normally were weeks and in the extreme, months later and no record of those dates exists.

[35fordtn]

Tom, to further David’s comment in the archives for certain years you can find the exact day the engine was Produced. For example my last trip reveled the engine in my 35 was produced February 3rd... naturally as David explains the engine likely didn’t find its way into a chassis for many days or even weeks

[oleschool36ford]

Take a tire off and look at the inside of the rim, probably has original paint on it.

[philipswanson]

Originally Posted by oleschool36ford

Take a tire off and look at the inside of the rim, probably has original paint on it.

It probably will have original rust there though.

[TJ]

Dave and Michael, thanks for the clarification on my comment. When I used the term chassis the motor and transmission was on my mind as part of the chassis. I should have been more specific regarding the motor and transmission identification #.

[35fordtn]

TJ, we can tend to get a bit too “technical” on here HAHA

[slowforty]

Look under the package tray.

[keith oh]

Look inside the headlight buckets, I found my 35s original color there. ford dipped the smaller parts.