2 Corvettes Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I just bought a 51 Ford pickup. The V8 engine is painted "PURPLE". This can't be the right color. Does anyone know what color the engine was painted in 51. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RICHM V-8 Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Hi, I believe if it is the original 8BA, then it should be the rather unusual color of the Mercury V8 which is an aqua green-blue. I say this because I recently noticed this on my friend's very recent restoration of his '52 1/2 ton pickup and he said it is concourse judged correct and I believe he said it was the same for the '51 and the '53 flathead truck engine also. Passenger cars in '52 and '53 using the 8BA were an orangy-red color. Bill Hirsch www.hirschauto.com has this paint available in high temp engine enamel for brush or spraying. Contact him first to verify application. He is expert on this. I have bought it at C&G Early Ford Parts in Escondido, CA. in quart cans that is easily shipped via UPS www.cgfordparts.com . It is relatively close but not exact in the Alpine Green #EN-60 by Seymour as their "Hi-Tech Engine Coating" in 12 oz. aerosol spray cans being sold for Detroit Diesel Engine by several vendors. www.seymourpaint.com Regards, Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 (edited) Hello gentlemen,I am new (as of 5 minutes ago) to your AACA. Every Google search that sent me to AACA had great answers from knowledgable people. AACA must be a great club.My question is this: I just bought a 1949 Ford F-3 pickup/farm truck from my cousin in Iowa. I think it's a solid and pretty original truck. It has a flathead V8. But, look at the engine in these pictures. Can that be the right engine color for a 1949 Ford F-3 truck? It seems to be a bluish green like an aqua green??Please advise. Any help will be greatly appreciated.Sincerely,JohnPS: I hope I attached these pictues okay. I don't know how to view a reply to this question so here is my email address: jyakel@scrtc.com Edited November 25, 2011 by jyakel new title (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 The color of '51 truck 8BA engines was red. The '51 car engines were bronze. The trucks in '52 and '53 were green. Chuck Mantiglia of Chuck's Trucks says the green is '52 Lincoln green. The exact red shade I don't know. Chuck recommends getting paint and paint advise from Bill Hirsch. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hello Stu (Truckdog),Thank you for your help. I am new to all of this so I posted my request for an engine color under someone else's thread. My truck is a 1949 Ford F-3. Can you help me with the correct color of a 1949 Ford F-3 V8?Any help will be greatly appreciated.Sincerely,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Pretty sure they were red from 48 to 51. Here's a good link. It's the Vanpelt site. StuFlathead Specifications: 1949-53 V8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Stu,Again, thank you! The VanPelt site is great. Can you tell me anything about my truck from the serial number? It seems to be different than other standard Ford serial numbers.It is 98RY198311. Does each digit have a code associated with it?Thank you again for your help.Sincerely,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 (edited) On the '48 to '50s I know only enough to be dangerous when it comes to VINs. Except to say that the "R" is V8, the "Y" is F-3 (heavy 3/4 ton), and the 198311 the individual number. The expert on '48 to '50 VINs is member "mtflat" over on the Ford Truck Enthusiast's site. Here's a LONG thread that will tell you all there is to know I think. Stuhttp://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/423340-1948-1960-1949-1950-vin-cut-off.html Edited November 26, 2011 by truckdog62563 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Stu,I really appreciate your help. This will be a long (and fun) learning curve. Sincerely,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 John - Now if I may I'll take you in a different direction. Your '48 F-3 has a breed "problem", I'll call it, that at some point you'll need to address. All two wheel drive '48 to '52 F-3s have 17" two part wheels. The technical name for the outer rim design is Firestone RH-5°. The present day working name for them is "widow makers". No reputable tire shop will touch the things today. Replacement options do exist. This subject gets a lot of traffic over on the FTE site I linked you to above. You might join us over there, and you might do a Google search of those terms. You'll find a lot of comments and tech info connected to my user name. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Stu,Thanks for the info on the "widow maker" rims/wheels. Sounds like the learning curve here just got a lot steeper. I will jump over to the Ford Truck site and read up on these rims.Sincerely,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jyakel Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Stu,I read many of your comments on the various ford truck sites. You are to be commended for sharing your knowledge with everyone. Actually, the more I read from different people the more confused I became. So, if I may, let me start here by asking you if you can identify in these pictures if these are the dreaded split rims on my Ford F-3.Sincerely,JohnPS: Do you have split rims on your F-3 truck? If not, what did you do to resoslve the split rim problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I was told that Ford changed their truck engine to "8RT" around 51, is that true and what are the differences between it and the "8BA"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 (edited) Stu,I read many of your comments on the various ford truck sites. You are to be commended for sharing your knowledge with everyone. Actually, the more I read from different people the more confused I became. So, if I may, let me start here by asking you if you can identify in these pictures if these are the dreaded split rims on my Ford F-3.Sincerely,JohnPS: Do you have split rims on your F-3 truck? If not, what did you do to resoslve the split rim problem?John - Based on the pictures, and based on old catalog research I've done for guys several times, those are widowmakers. From what I've found in the old catalogs, there were only two 17" truck wheels made back then having the 8 lug x 6.5" bolt pattern. One is the widow maker Firestone "RH-5°" two piece used by Ford, the other a three piece Kelsey Hayes "AR" wheel used by Chevy. I'll link in some pictures I took of one of my widow makers to allow you to compare. The surest way for you to see this for yourself is to look at the concave side of a wheel. There will be a raised band like area that the center is riveted to. That is the centerline joint of the widow maker.My F-3 Marmon-Herrington trucks used different wheels than the 2wd F-3s. The 17" wheels used by M-H on these trucks were used on no other Ford products. Long story short, finding correct replacements is what started me studying truck wheels. The only other trucks that used my wheels were Studebaker M15s of the 1940s and IHC R150/160s of the early '50s. Edit - so that I don't look like I'm contradicting my above statement about 17" truck wheels, the M-Hs had 5 lug x 8" bolt pattern deeply dished Budd type wheels. StuDave- As explained to me by Chuck Mantiglia (Chuck's Trucks), the '48 to '51s had the 8BA, the '52s had the 8RT. I think the '53s got the EAB heads, but I didn't hear that from Chuck. The difference in the 8BA and 8RT is compression ratio. The 8RT has less compression. Stu Edited December 1, 2011 by truckdog62563 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Thanks for the answer on the 8RT,Stu. You know your flatties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest truckdog62563 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Thanks for the answer on the 8RT,Stu. You know your flattiesNo I don't. Only what I've been told and read. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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