Paint

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by derk derin

Mike,
I am glad you brought up the subject of paint for CMP's as I will need to find a source and a proper color to paint my Ford CMP ambulance and all I have to go on as far as an original color is the seat frames.The covers protected the paint from fading and looks like a semi gloss green?On the inside storage compartment of the ambulance box seems to be the same color.Is this proper for a CMP to be painted for a 1944 production.If it is,the best thing for me to do is bring in the seat frame to the paint shop and have them scan and mix the paint from the seat sample or is there a company in Winnipeg I can go to that has the proper code recorded I can go to?Thanks,
Derk.

Derk, the sample on your seat frame was originally matt but is semi-gloss because it has been polished by the seat cover all these years. Original CMP paint is matt-matt-matt. I know a lot of restorers use semi-gloss because it stands up better than matt. Another tip while painting your CMP is to leave lots of drips and runs. That too is origin...

As to the colour, Mike is right, it's hard to tell from a digital photo. For what it's worth, it appears to be 'khaki'. A 1944 CMP 'should' be 'Canadian' olive drab (Not, US O.D. Mike is matching the Canadian colour as we speak). I've had three or four 1944 Chevs that clearly were 'Khaki No.3' which by the book shouldn't be. Another thing to consider is that not all the part on a CMP were necessarily the same colour. Parts like seats, running boards, etc. were often assembled in the factory from a stockpile of the 'old colour' parts, or added later to the truck.

[Bob Carriere]

One US supplier......TM9RDNACE.COM..... has quite a display on their site showing the same truck under sunlight, cloudy day, even different angle and the truck shows different shades of the same paint....... and that is only according to my Oculary perception on my specific computer screen.....

..... and like Mike said if the truck was assembled from a stock of previously painted parts and or serviced in a repair center....plus some fading and wear...... some wise ass will walk up to your truck and will always disagree that you have the wrong shade.............good luck.....

Bob C.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

Original CMP paint is matt-matt-matt.
.

The NOS cab 12 Ford doors I found years ago were in semi gloss .... the green was painted straight over bare metal..no primer ... these doors came from Camberwell .... as did NOS cab 11 windscreen frames wrapped in paper found at Drews yard .. same finish semi gloss green...

Mike

[Bob Carriere]

.... when we shipped Aussie parts by boat from Canada we knew most of it would be sunk before it got there so we took a chance and painted them with whatever we had available...... it's a good thing the pink and orange shipment did sink or you guys would be driving funny looking CMPs.

Boob

[derk derin]

Bruce,
I was wondering the same thing,if the seat cover rubbed the paint to give it a glossy look.When I took off the front fender,a square of original paint was still there and it seemed the same color but definitely a matt finish to it.I will now use the fender paint sample to match the paint,unless Mike can find in his search a proper paint code to use.It is going to be cold here for awhile and won't be painting anything for months yet so I have time to find a proper shade to use.I am glad it turned out to be matt paint as I like that look better on an army vehicle.My problem is it will have to be stored outside for the next few years until I can afford to build a garage to store my vehicles in and would want a durable paint that won't sun fade bad.If I tarp it,the wind will rub the paint in certain spots and either polish or remove the paint.Any suggestions on what brand of paint is the most durable to use?Oh and don't worry about runs in the paint,that's a guarantee when I paint!
Derk.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by derk derin

My problem is it will have to be stored outside for the next few years until I can afford to build a garage to store my vehicles in and would want a durable paint that won't sun fade bad.If I tarp it,the wind will rub the paint in certain spots and either polish or remove the paint.
Derk.

Have you considered a portable garage, one of those frame things covered with a tarp? I used one of those for a year or so until I built an extension to my garage (the day I moved my stuff into the garage was like heaven). They can be a pain in the snow but don't 'polish' the corners like a tarp and also allow some air flow.

[rob love]

The inside of my mk1 carrier spare barrel stowage box also had that semi gloss brown/green color on it. I thought that it might have been the il from the canvas or the polishing effect of the canvas on the Derk's seat frame, but the semi gloss seems to work right around the tubes of the seat frame.

A semi gloss paint is certainly a lot less porous than a flat color. Personally, when I am using automotive paint on my carrier, I simply use a lessor level of reducer (such as paint thinner) to flatten the colour from the gloss paint. It's a lot cheaper than reducer, and a heck of a lot cheaper than the flattening agents.

[derk derin]

Bruce,
I don't think a portable garage would stand up to the winds that happen here in the winter and even in the summer during a storm.I look at my neighbors portable garages and there is nothing left of them.The tops of most of my spruce trees have broken off due to high winds here from storms.That and the ambulance is at least 10 feet high and around 20 feet long which makes it too large a vehicle for the Canadian tire portable garage so would be looking at a larger package.If I have to tarp the vehicle,I guess blankets off the contact points where the tarp will rub the paint would prevent too much damage.How come we all end up with the garages we dream of having in life when we are close to retirement and not when we need them the most?

Rob,
I will need to have a paint that won't let the truck rust again like that aervoe paint does.If it is epoxy paint,will it flatten enough to give the right look but still give a good seal coat?
Derk.