Flathead Colour

[horsa]

Most of the Ford sites on-line that I've seen don't cover the wartime years since no dealer catalogs were made during that time as civilian vehicle manufacturing was suspended. Some speculate that the postwar colors must have started following the last published pre-war listed color which I don't think is accurate.

The Ford 4-cyclinder used on jeeps was a gray color while that same engine in a Willys was the color of the vehicle body.

For the T-16 V8 engine which is the 24-stud pattern, the color was a very dark rifle green shade. This had been one of the pre-war colors as compared with the postwar blue. We found this color on two T-16 engines and transmissions that were still hooked up inside vehicles. And NOS wartime Ford G166 tagged water pump pulleys and crank shaft pulleys I've had were this color as well. I've also got a pair of NOS heads that color but they are not tagged.

Attached shot is a wartime water pump pulley made in 1944. Doubt this was repainted after the war since the vehicles and parts were all sold as surplus.

Not sure of colors for the 21-stud V8 used on British and Canadian carriers.