Newbie about paint

[Glenn]

Hello Fordson lovers;
Names Glenn, I'm from Iowa I have a 1954 Major (ser# 410076) This tractor was bought new by my father. We farmed with it tell 1969.
A year ago I retrieved it from a family member and brought it 1200 miles back to Iowa. I had not seen it for over 20 years. Needless to say it is in need off restoration, witch I have begone.
I have read many off the post on this board and have had a lot of my questions answered. One thing I would like to find is a US source
for blue paint.
Glenn

http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbn ... =snapfish/

[Kim]

Hello Glenn! My own '57 Major was built as a backhoe/loader so it came Yellow (underneath is blue and orange) but my local New Holland dealer said he can get the original Empire Blue although he doesn't stock it. I hope this helps.

[Dandy Dave]

Welcome Aboard Matey! Depending on how fussy you want to get. Tractor Supply has good tough paint that is not all that expensive. Colors may not be exact, but close enough if you plan on using the tractor and getting it dirty from time to time. But if your looking for a top shelf restoration show tractor with everything in original perfection, be prepared to spend some big bucks getting everything just right. Across the pond, they pride themselves with original parts only Fordsons, and from what I have read, the judges can pick up on un-original stuff fairly easy and pick a tractor apart. It is kind of like the antique car shows over here when they get serious, and down to the nitty gritty, a modern bolt used in place of an original attitude. I use my Fordson Power Major for bush hogging, york raking, and other chores, so I wanted a good tough paint that is easy to get and affordable for touching up down the road. Things like the gage cluster, and the tachometer, And voltage regulator, I replaced my bad originals with repro parts so that I could have the small stuff working. Originals are very hard, to impossible, to obtain. If NOS parts do show up on eBay, or elsewhere, from time to time, they usually command a high price. It is all about how far you want to take it, and how good the original condition of your tractor is. Dandy Dave!

[Dandy Dave]

We cannot view your photos without joining the photo site. Better if you post them dirrectly here. Dandy Dave!

[Glenn]

Don't know it this is how it is done. But here goes.

[Dandy Dave]

Now you have it! Looks like your tractor has some added hydraulics out front. Did it have a loader? Dandy Dave!

[Glenn]

Yes it did Dave. The history is in 61 dad bought a second major with it came a super six loader. When he left the farm in 68 the 61 was sold and loader moved to the 54 and he built the front hydraulics for it. It was used in town for snow removal for many years. When I got it last year the loader was beyond repair and was scraped. About the paint I did check check with the New Holland dealer they cam up with new ford blue only. Tractor Supply carries Van Sickle brand a call to the factory a very helpful rep sent me paint chips for all the blues they have but none matched. As I would like it to turn out like I remember it when I first learned to drive it. I may have to bite the bullet and spend the big bucks to import the stuff. Thanks for the reply's guys.

[super6954]

Hi Glenn Welcome to the forum. Nice to see another major thats going to get put back original and saved.

On the subject of the Empire blue you may be able to find an area of original paint that has not been exposed to sunlight or oil and polish it up and take it to a paint supplier and get it mixed. I used to live in the U.K and i used 3 different makes of pre mixed Empire blue from parts companies and none of them where the same color or came close to original.
This might be the best way to go as a few times I have painted a tractor and been a bit short and needed another can. If your paint is imported this is not as good as down the road 10 or 20 mins and will probably be just as cheap in the long term. Shipping will be expensive and chances are as its Hazardos goods nobody will want to ship it anyway from my experience of trying to get paint from the U.S into Canada .
I hope this helps you a bit
Regards Robert

[Glenn]

Sorry guys I'm still on this paint thing. Found this site today, anyone have any experience with this paint?

http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/ford_emp ... 9_prd1.htm

[super6954]

Sorry guys I'm still on this paint thing. Found this site today, anyone have any experience with this paint?

http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/ford_emp ... 9_prd1.htm

Hi Glenn I'm not sure that is the right color as 62 is too new for your tractor. I have a spray can of ford blue from New Holland that is 63 to 00 year i'm wondering if its the same blue as the later Ford 5000 diesel I have and 6x series Ford 5000 from 1965 and it may be too blue.
Empire is kind of a lighter shade from any of the 3 paints i used. there are so many story's of the paint changing through the years and different shades as it was stirred more or less in the factory when they where made. It might be hard to get the right shade if no 2 tractors came out the same.
you need Brian who worked on them when they where new to answer this really. He saw hundreds of them in his working life as a service engineer so he would probably know about the colors and what happened with the paint .
Regards Robert

[Dandy Dave]

I have a friend with a body shop and they can mix almost anything from an original piece of good paint. I agree, there must be a paint supplier, or body shop near you that can supply the paint. The tool used is a spectrophotometer. Dandy Dave!

http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/issue/a ... entid=4651

[starr]

Congrats on getting the tractor back. I too will be painting my 55 major, I had to buy two new head light assy. so I'll have the paint guys at PPG match the color on the new lights and go from there. Looks like you have a pretty dedicated helper on that major! Lived in Council Bluffs for about 3 years, sure miss Iowa.