Grill Colour from the experts!

[essex pete]

Thought some of you might smile but our local New Holland agent Ernest Doe has just sent out their annual mag and on the front cover are old and new. The old is a rather nice orange wheel super with yes you've guessed an orange grill!

If any of you in the south east can make their show next week it might be worth a visit, particularly if the weather is kind as the working demo usually includes a few triple Ds.

[Brian]

You're just stiring Pete! I have just spent a few happy hours watching original Fordson Films and was not going to mention that there were NO orange grills to be seen.

[Gman]

Hello everyone, hope all is well. With the help of others some pictures of my power major is under the misc. forum and as you can see she could use some paint work. What is the correct color for the grills, mine appears to be faded grey/white? Also what about the grey wings and wheels on her. Are they grey because of import to US, should they be empire blue wings and the orange on the wheels? Thanks to all for the past help.
Gerald

[Brian]

You have the correct colours for an export tractor. Here it would have been silver/grey grills and orange wheels.

[Gman]

You have the correct colours for an export tractor. Here it would have been silver/grey grills and orange wheels.

Thanks Brian, did they repaint after import, my wheels have the orange under the grey or this may just be primer I'm seeing.
Again thanks for all your help in the past.
Gerald

[Kim]

Hi Gman! My '57 Major came with a Ford 713 backhoe and loader and was yellow from stem to stern. Underneath the yellow on the tractor and black on the wheels was empire blue paint with orange wheels. As far as I can tell, it was repainted by the dealer before delivery when he set it up as a backhoe/loader. No lift arms and the PTO cover doesn't appear to have ever been removed.

[MAXPOWER]

my 56 is empire blue, the rims orange grill is too rusty to determine original color, was going to paint it blue.
Yellow with no lift arms is usually the industrial model.

[essex pete]

Hi Gman! My '57 Major came with a Ford 713 backhoe and loader and was yellow from stem to stern. Underneath the yellow on the tractor and black on the wheels was empire blue paint with orange wheels. As far as I can tell, it was repainted by the dealer before delivery when he set it up as a backhoe/loader. No lift arms and the PTO cover doesn't appear to have ever been removed.

I am sure Brian will confirm but even the skids went out of Dagenham in blue. Our old Weatherill is certainly blue underneath.

[Dandy Dave]

At some point in the late 50's, or early sixties, it became a law over here in the USA that construction equipment working on the highway should be painted highway yellow for visibility. Many machines were repainted to conform to the standard. I bet that has something to do with it. Before then the IH bulldozers were painted Red, and AC's orange, JD's green, ect. Many were repainted to conform. Dandy Dave!

[Brian]

Yes, all skids were painted blue. All wheels were orange and as there were no wheels on skids .......

The only paint Fords had in the spray booth was Empire Blue which was sprayed everywhere . (Or new Forson Blue for the New Perfomance units).

We changed to all yellow for industrials around the same time as the US and the people who converted thed tractors to industrial machines also sprayed them yellow.

I don't remember yellow units coming out of Dagenham or Basildon until Ford went into industrial production of diggers when they took over the French manufacturer back in the 1970's.

[Kim]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there was a specific yellow paint used or just any shade of yellow that was at hand?

[essex pete]

At some point in the late 50's, or early sixties, it became a law over here in the USA that construction equipment working on the highway should be painted highway yellow for visibility. Many machines were repainted to conform to the standard. I bet that has something to do with it. Before then the IH bulldozers were painted Red, and AC's orange, JD's green, ect. Many were repainted to conform. Dandy Dave!

Dave I think we must have had a law change here in UK towards the end of the 50s. Loading shovels and dumpers were often painted in a manufacturer's livery but by the 60s it would seem all were yellow.

[Dandy Dave]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there was a specific yellow paint used or just any shade of yellow that was at hand?

Hello Kim, The color is "Highway Yellow." I think the law is more of an OSHA thing and may be universal in developed nations.

With that said, highway yellow is in slightly different shades from different manufacturers. But over all, it is close. I think "School Bus Yellow" is also about the same shade, and falls under the same catagory. Dandy Dave!

Looking aroud the web, I find that OSHA has it's own OSHA Yellow.

[Kim]

Thanks Dave! I guess each manufacturer used what shade of yellow they got the best buy on! I've noticed some machinery gets painted whatever color the highway department favors in their jurisdiction, frequently orange or lime green. I like blue and orange!

[essex pete]

Well some of you might smile at the latest installment.

The very tractor on the front cover of the Doe News was at the show pride of place at the front entrance, resplendent with yes!! the proper silver grills.
Later I met a chap I know whom has been very helpful to me with tech knowledge on our baler. I said to him ''see the tractor out the front with the silver grills? Yes was the reply, its our one!''
I had not realised I cannot remember numbers. I have stood in Dennis and Bill's work shop admiring this tractor last summer but I did dare point out the wrong colour grills. They were not convinced but he recently came across a picture taken when the tractor was new in about '61 with he himself at about 6 yrs. The tractor was sporting a very smart set of silver grills.

[MAXPOWER]

frankly i think the orange grills look better