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EFV-8 Club Forum / 1940 Ford Discussion / 1940 commerical colors

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 1940 commerical colors -- page: 1 2     donnicoli 08-31-2013 @ 3:41 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 56 Joined: Mar 2010 were there specific commerical colrs in 1940? in addition to the 1940 passenger car colors? Anyone know where to find examples? Thanks, Don (925) 639-7146 donnicoli@comcast.net kubes40 08-31-2013 @ 8:33 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3388 Joined: Oct 2009 Trucks and commercial cars were available in Vermilion Red w / Tacoma Cream stripe, Black w / Tacoma Cream stripe, Cloud Mist Gray w / Vermillion stripe, Lyon Blue w / Tacoma Cream stripe, Manderin maroon w / Vermillion stripe, Folkstone Gray w / Vermillion stripe and Yosemite Green w / Tacoma Cream stripe. Wheels were black unless special color to match body was ordered at $5 extra. There are some exceptions to the above. Fleet buyers could get pretty much whatever colors they wanted (maximum three colors per truck) for an additional charge. Fleet buyers had to purchase a minimum of five vehicles for immediate delivery. Another exception were "commercial concerns" that for an additional $14.50 could get their vehicles painted with up to three special colors. I am not 100% certain what qualified one as a "commercial concern". There were also options wherein the chassis could be special painted in one solid color (no stripes) for $10. That included the frame, both axles, springs and spring brackets. For another $5, in addition to the aforementioned, the fenders, running boards and wheels would also be painted. Hope this helps... Mike "Kube" Kubarth ford38v8 08-31-2013 @ 9:33 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2754 Joined: Oct 2009 Don, Mike is the expert on the subject, but I will offer this and hope mike will confirm: With regards to Mike's statement that "Fleet buyers could get pretty much whatever they wanted", I will condition that to whatever paint was in the factory. Ford would not allow a paint from outside the factory, knowing that if allowed, eventually a request would be made for a competitors color. In other words, the plant may have Mercury colors that ordinarily would not be available on a Ford, let alone a Commercial Ford, but coiuld be specified by a fleet buyer, for a price. The same policy woiuld of course apply to a fleet of passenger cars as well as Commercial vehicles. Alan kubes40 09-01-2013 @ 6:33 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3388 Joined: Oct 2009 Hey Alan, I believe you'd made a valid point in regard to fleet buyers choosing colors within the Ford family. Still, as I am perhaps a tad obsessive, I had to check in to this more thoroughly. My "gut" told me that if a company, say for an example, Kodak, came to Ford and wanted 250 delivery vehicles painted THEIR shade of yellow, that Ford would not (insist)they stay within Fords color choices. I did come upon a letter that indicates (quote): "No extra charge is made to fleet owners for painting the bodies of their units in their combination of not more than three colors, except those designated as "pearl-like finishes." Any commercial concern shall be considered as a fleet owner if it places an order for five or more units for prompt delivery, or if qualified for listing in accordance with Form 2425 "National Uses of Ford Products". (unquote) The specific use of "their combination of colors" leads me to believe the fleet owner could choose any color(s) with the exception of pearl like finishes. The mention of pearl-like finishes in this letter leads me to believe Ford may paint such finishes but an extra fee would be accessed. The letter does go on to allow the painting for additional colors on the body, special lettering, art work and decalcomania application. All for an additional cost to be determined by the Ford Branch. I could not find any mention of cars being painted fleet colors but would tend to agree that if a fleet purchase was done, Ford would paint them per request. I'd really enjoy seeing any documentation to this regard. So, what say yee? This message was edited by kubes40 on 9-1-13 @ 8:02 AM ford38v8 09-01-2013 @ 10:27 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2754 Joined: Oct 2009 Mike, This may be an example of what happened to me once a long time ago... At that time I thought I was wrong, but as it turned out if memory serves, I was mistaken. Alan kubes40 09-01-2013 @ 1:43 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3388 Joined: Oct 2009 Alan, I am certainly not saying you are wrong on this. I quoted from the Ford book I have so we at the minimum have the same information available. The wording is perhaps just a tad ambiguous and leaves a little wiggle room for us (the lawyers) to decipher. I am open to others opinions on how this is to be properly read... ford38v8 09-01-2013 @ 3:50 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2754 Joined: Oct 2009 Mike, from your quote of the letter, and paraphrasing a famous quote from the past, "It depends on what the definition of 'their' is". (..their combination of colors). Remember also that Mercury did at the time have a 'pearl-like finish', so as you suggested, lawyer-talk may have a field day. A related question, did you turn up the Form 2425 referred to in the letter? Alan donnicoli 09-01-2013 @ 4:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 56 Joined: Mar 2010 Thanks Guys, Anyone know about seats for a '40 Sedan Delivery? Were they called Jump Seats? Stroker 09-01-2013 @ 4:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 I was lucky enough to have "grown-up" with our 40 Ford ton-and-a-half that we used to haul oranges and lemons to our local packing house. This was a wonderful truck that was officially clocked by the CHP at 70 on route 66 with my brother driving. Dad bought it new, and it was painted Folkstone Gray with a Vermilion stripe and Vermilion highlights on the raised, embossed V8 stampings on the hood sides. I drove it to high school whenever my sister wouldn't relinquish her rights to our 38 woodie, and of course I made many trips hauling citrus fruit and empty boxes back to the ranch. My only issue is that as I recall, it had Vermilion wheels. My brother sold this "cherry" SoCal example to the long-time publisher of Hot Rod Magazine; Pete Peterson. As I recall, the running boards were black, as was the frame. The wheels, however were Vermilion. Kube: Any thoughts on this? kubes40 09-01-2013 @ 6:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3388 Joined: Oct 2009 Stroker, Thanks for sharing the cool memories. The color combination you recall was a stock color. The wheels being painted Vermillion was simply an extra cost option, $1 per wheel. The black frame was the typical "stock" frame.

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