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.