Industrial color scheme

komputatek · Mar 25, 2010

I"m restoring a 1960 240 industrial. I"ve found the correct colors to use (#483 Federal yellow & #901 Harvester White) but I need to know the layout of these colors. I believe the tractor frame from front axle to rear end is yellow, but I don"t know what colors the hood, grill parts, dash, seat, wheels, etc should be.

Anyone got an "expert" idea or perhaps a good picture of one. It doesn"t have to be a 240, but at least something of similar vintage and layout.

Thanks

J.J. from Afton · Mar 25, 2010

My dad has a 340 Utility that was originally painted yellow because it was a county tractor. As far as Ive been able to tell everything was yellow, inlcuding rims, sheetmetal, etc. Only Thing that I cant remember is if the dash is showing yellow underneath or black.

Coax · Mar 26, 2010

Lookup Pictures of a "regular " IH 240 and paint accordingly. Everthing yellow except Grille Piece,Hood skirts, wheel rims....

Jim Becker · Mar 26, 2010

The standard "industrial" yellow was set in 1960. If you are trying to match that, you won't need the white paint. Check these 2 paint decisions at the WHS McCormick archives. Note that the May decision is the first that mentions the 240.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/ihc/paint/display.asp?pageurl=I446_01.gif
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/ihc/paint/display.asp?pageurl=I478_01.gif
(I suspect, but can't verify, that the rear rims were silver and that yellow rims were the result of repaints after the tractors were in the hands of the county or whoever.)

komputatek · Mar 26, 2010

I since talked with a couple people who has previously restored 240s & 340s. According to them there wasn"t necessarily a specific paint scheme. IH wanted to sell an industrial enough that you could have it painted any way you wanted. The default color seemed to be all Yellow.

Jim Becker · Mar 26, 2010

there wasn"t necessarily a specific paint scheme.

That story has been overworked by people that want a license to do their own thing. The bottom line is that most industrial tractors were orange or yellow, with orange pretty well a thing of the past by the mid-'50s. The major exceptions were the state highway departments and occasional companies that wanted their colors on tractors.

Paint it however you want. But don't expect the rest of us to bless it as something that came from the factory.

komputatek · Mar 27, 2010

Whoa! I'm not necessarily wanting to do this. I truly would love to find a definitive answer as to how it was painted. The last thing I want to do is create my own style.

I pride myself on making my tractors as near to factory floor original as possible. My problem though is that I'm getting several opinions and subjective answers. I'd love to talk with an old IHC employee and hear their stories.

sflem849 · Mar 27, 2010

(quoted from post at 22:35:02 03/26/10) Whoa! I'm not necessarily wanting to do this. I truly would love to find a definitive answer as to how it was painted. The last thing I want to do is create my own style.

I pride myself on making my tractors as near to factory floor original as possible. My problem though is that I'm getting several opinions and subjective answers. I'd love to talk with an old IHC employee and hear their stories.

You are going to hear that industrial tractors got painted however the customer wanted.

I don't think the last post was very subjective. It had date codes and tech bulletins...

komputatek · Mar 27, 2010

I realize that the previous post was not subjective. My comment about being subjective was more in reference to people I have actually talked to and some pictures I have seen.

I actually already had the Wisconsin paint memos. They still don't specifically say that the industrial tractors were painted only "Federal yellow" it shows it as an optional color. So part of my question is whether they were solid yellow or had white trim?

I"m not trying to be difficult or create a "fuss" about this. I"m only wishing I could get a substantiated answer. Actually, painting it solid yellow seems to be the best answer I have gotten.

Just trying to have a friendly conversation....

Industrial color scheme

komputatek

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J.J. from Afton

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Coax

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Jim Becker

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komputatek

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Jim Becker

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komputatek

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sflem849

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komputatek

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