What color code of blue was used in 1911 on Fords?

[oldmotorsguy]

According to the info I dug out of "Model T Ford - The Car That Changed The World" by Bruce W. McCalley, all Fords were painted a very dark blue in 1911.

I am currently restoring a 1911 Ford Model T Roadster with a mother in law seat (Ford labeled them as a 3-passenger Runabout). The color specifically called for by McCalley is "a very dark, all-but-black, blue."

What paint manufacturer and paint code would come closest to this description, according to the majority of Model T nit-pickers (of which Fordbarn has a quorum)?.

This image (if I loaded it correctly) looks right to me, but what do I know. Where can I find this stuff?

[29spcoupe]

I don't know the code for the color, but Krylon navy blue is almost an exact match.

[Steve Jelf]

This is from Bruce's encyclopedia.

[Bruce,Upstate NY]

If I remember correctly, I used an old Volvo color on an '11 touring in the early eighties. In my opinion it was just right. It got an AACA senior about three years ago. I believe I also used it on an '11 torpedo.

[Royce P]

Bruce's encyclopedia gives a really bad light blue color... as a reference for color it is not good.

The blue color used on all Model T's from 1911 - 1912 is so dark you cannot detect blue color unless it is compared to a pure black. The beautiful pie wagon pictured above is a good try but not nearly dark enough. Here is a 1912 touring with original blue paint:

[Royce P]

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Compare the original color above to the baby blue color from Bruce's book on this beautiful restored 1912 touring:

[Royce P]

Compare the color above to this restored 1912 touring. Much closer to the original blue, but still not as dark as original:

[Roger Byrne]

This has been talked about a lot on the MTFCA forum. Here is a link that will give you several ways to go: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages...tml?1293665840 As I said in my post on that thread, I got my paint at the local NAPA store. I went with the information about the 1985 Mercedes Benz Dark Blue code of DB 904 and the DuPont color code of W 8766. They couldn't match the DuPont code but the Mercedes code did match their formulas. Their mixing code was 21051 and their system called the color "MIDNIGHT BLUE". They can mix the paint in any of the standard bases, but I used a single stage enamel and it was used for touch-ups on a car that was painted 10-15? years ago . The car has the black look in low light and dark blue in bright light. . . . the classic Midnight Blue characteristics. Below are a few photos of my 1911 Open Runabout that show the color in bright sun light and lower light conditions.

[J Franklin]

I went to my garage to find the paint I used that was called midnight blue like described but the label has fallen off. It was a foreign car color (Daewoo) from about 15 years ago . It looks about black in the garage and very dark blue in the sun. note the dash, the flash color on door is incorrect as it has never show that blue even in full sun.

[jesselashcraft]

Originally Posted by Royce P

The beautiful pie wagon pictured above is a good try but not nearly dark enough. Here is a 1912 touring with original blue paint...

Hi Royce - Don't you think it's because the pie wagon is out in the sun and your example is setting in a shed?

If you parked that pie wagon in an unlit shed I suspect it would appear to be black.

Check out the 1913 in "fords" profile. That's what I'm shootin' for.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3081

[J Witt]

I used Mercedes 904 blue for my 1912 and it looked good. The lighting is so bad in most photos, it's really hard to tell, especially if the paint is shiny and reflecting the surroundings, or is covered with dust. This photo looks like black until compared with the wheels (gloss black powder coat) or the upholstery. However, in person, it was definitely dark blue. If one wants to check, it was a fairly common color for Mercedes sedans

BTW, Royce, the genesis of this car was with Keith Cobb.


John

[trainguy]

Model a had a blue/black color,I believe it was andlusite blue,I had a 31 with orig paint and it looked black in the shade and dark blue in the sun.Phil

[jesselashcraft]

Originally Posted by J Witt

I used Mercedes 904 blue for my 1912 and it looked good.

Originally Posted by trainguy

...I believe it was andlusite blue...

Thanks John & Phil -

I'm totally enchanted by the idea that the car can change colors depending on the light.