Color Moleskin Brown, light Mystery

[Thearne3]

Hi all,

Trying to decide on a color for my 68B. The latest Paint and Finish Guide has no color chip for ‘Moleskin Brown, Light’. I notice they DO show a ‘Moleskin Brown’. I looked for any Model A with that color listed in the Judging Standards - I found none. Why show a color that has no associated Model A?

Only two models, cabriolet and towncar delivery list Moleskin Brown at all, both with the ‘Light’ added.

Finally, in the ‘Antique Ford Repaint Manual - Ditzler Automotive Finishes - 1928-1936’ only ‘Moleskin Brown’ is listed.

So does ‘Moleskin Brown, Light’ exist at all or is it really just ‘Moleskin Brown’ and the correct color is the one in the Paint and Finish Guide?

Thanks for any insight!
Tom

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

That is probably a Terry Deters question. I will text him and see if he will post an answer.

[Dick Carne]

If you will go to google and key in "Model A Ford Cabriolet photos", there is a picture of a 1931 68-B in what I believe to be Moleskin Brown with orange wheels and pin striping. Hope this will maybe give you an idea at least.

[jb-ob]

In early 1928 Ford bodies where painted in a two tone combo of Light & Dark, ie. Arabian Sand, Gunmetal Blue & Niagara Blue. Same color, one lighter than the other.

I have an original Acme Paint chip from 1930 for Moleskin Brown, no reference to a Light version.

1959 Ditzler Automotive Finishes 'Match Book' by Polyprints has a chip 'Moleskin Brown, Light , IM#544. (DuPont # DS079 '29-30 Moleskin Brown).

The 1930 Acme chip has a 'greener' cast to it while the 1959 Ditzler has a 'redder' cast. Both these chips could be scanned by PPG but my experience is that darker colors tend to stump their computer.....and as browns are not popular colors, their data base is narrower.

Yes, Moleskin Brown does appear to be a 'unique' color to the 1930 Carbiolet.

Lastly if you don't mind burning fossil fuels, there is a 1930 Cabriolet (older 1963 restoration) painted in Moleskin Brown in Milford Pa. for a reference.

Good luck with your quest, hope some of this has been helpful, jb

[Thearne3]

Originally Posted by Dick Carne

If you will go to google and key in "Model A Ford Cabriolet photos", there is a picture of a 1931 68-B in what I believe to be Moleskin Brown with orange wheels and pin striping. Hope this will maybe give you an idea at least.

Couldn’t find the image you reference. Orange wheels would never be properly added to Moleskin Brown - should be French Grey, right?

[rotorwrench]

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The orange stripe was used over the seal brown on upper body belt molding of the 1929 68A and had a lower body color of cigarette cream. The wheels generally matched the pin stripe. The 29 Sport Coupes used rose beige and seal brown with orange stripe. The 1930 68B used bronson yellow and seal brown with orange stripe but the moleskin brown light used tacoma cream for a stripe. The 1931 68B used moleskin brown with orange stripe but I'm not sure on the 68C. The Ford Model A as Henry Built It indicates that there was an addition of maroon and black for the 68C only but all the others were likely available too.

[Thearne3]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I guess the mystery remains: The only color patch available is Moleskin Brown, yet not a single Model A had that color. The Moleskin Brown, Light is listed as a color for Cabriolets and Town Car Delivery.

Out of curiosity I checked the other colors available in Light and Dark: Arabian Sand, Dawn Grey and Niagara Blue. There is at least one Model A that had each of those colors. None of these colors were listed with a comma, eg, ‘Arabian Sand Light’, never ‘Arabian Sand, Light’.

If the body companies simply tried to match the color patch issued by Ford, I imagine there was some variation across the board, as others have noted. Clearly, those who put together the Paint Guide felt there may actually be a Moleskin Brown, Light out there, or they wouldn’t have left a blank in the Guide.

Sigh…

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Thearne3

Thanks for all the feedback.

I guess the mystery remains: The only color patch available is Moleskin Brown, yet not a single Model A had that color. The Moleskin Brown, Light is listed as a color for Cabriolets and Town Car Delivery.

Out of curiosity I checked the other colors available in Light and Dark: Arabian Sand, Dawn Grey and Niagara Blue. There is at least one Model A that had each of those colors. None of these colors were listed with a comma, eg, ‘Arabian Sand Light’, never ‘Arabian Sand, Light’.

If the body companies simply tried to match the color patch issued by Ford, I imagine there was some variation across the board, as others have noted. Clearly, those who put together the Paint Guide felt there may actually be a Moleskin Brown, Light out there, or they wouldn’t have left a blank in the Guide.

Sigh…

After speaking with a couple of JS people including Terry Deters, most do not know your answer and think it must be a misprint. My old Ditler color chips from the 1950s do not list a 'Light'.

At this point if you are considering using this color, my suggestion would be to get in touch with Tom or one of the MAFCA JSC members (https://www.mafca.com/v_jsc.html) and get an answer. Then use a copy of that letter should you need to get a variance in competition at a later date.

[rotorwrench]

The TCP Global auto color library lists the moleskin brown light. It also has a moleskin brown but it's the same code as the light.

There is likely only one moleskin brown and it looks like a dark shade but I haven't seen the refinish guide chip. The ones on the auto color library are too small to judge.

This link from Germany has a dark brown 68B photo but has no information about it.
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-...82187-216-9071