| 36 conv sedan | -- 12-17-2011 @ 8:04 PM |
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Hi: I am wondering if anybody knows if Mercury offered optional colors for 49? I remember reading on some cars that for an extra fee you could choose a special color. The reason I ask is because my '49 Mercury woodie is currently a dark red, and paint is very good as to consider painting it again, but on the other side, I would love to do it correctly (though my Merc will never be a show car), so, if there was no chance of having a special color, then I might consider changing the color to a correct one, particularly now that I have the front end and engine removed, which would make the work much easier. By the way, my woodie was apparently some sort of brownish gold, metallic. I believe it was called Lima tan, from some other posts I found in the forum. I like the lima tan color, but perhaps not for a woodie as I don't believe it combines well with the interior wood trim color and would not make the outside wood stand out well. Of course, it is only my point of view. So.... were there optional colors? Thanks, Victor
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| TomO | -- 12-18-2011 @ 8:48 AM |
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Victor, New cars were still scarce in 1949, so I doubt that you could have a special color painted at the factory. The dealers could sell anything that was delivered to them. In lean years a large dealership may have been able to get a Lincoln color on a Mercury, but the factory frowned on anything that was not standard as it required special handling through the assembly process. Dealers did repaint some cars for special customers. The standard colors for 1949 were: Black Alberta Blue Royal Bronze Blue Metallic Dakota Gray Biscay Blue Metallic Berwick Green Metallic Bermuda Cream Lima Tan Metallic Tampico Red Metallic You can see representations of these colors at http://tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/?gclid=COeM_YWFjK0CFQHsKgod3ysung Colors with 8H or 8L suffix were Lincoln colors. I would choose one of the standard colors for a repaint, even though it would not match the data plate. Tom
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| 36 conv sedan | -- 12-18-2011 @ 10:14 AM |
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Tom: Thanks! It makes sense that the factory would not like to deviate from original colors. I will try to get a set of paint chips to get a better look at the reds and marrons that were originally offered. Thanks for the link. Attached is a pic of how I got the woodie. I already got the missing Mercury letters, emblems, correct mouldings, wheel trim rings, etc. Wood had been replaced already and needs to be partially repaired again. It will never be a show car, but I want to turn it into a nice looking driver. Thanks again for your help, Victor This message was edited by 36 conv sedan on 12-18-11 @ 10:19 AM
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| TomO | -- 12-19-2011 @ 1:23 PM |
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It looks like a nice solid car that should be easy to finish so that it will be a very nice car. Tom
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| 36 conv sedan | -- 12-25-2011 @ 7:40 PM |
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Tom: Thanks for your kind words. It will never be a show car but hopefully a good user. It was deffinately Lima Tan color originally... now I am debating with myself about returning it to Lima Tan, using an original red or maroon or leaving the incorrect but still usable red it has now. Thanks again and Merry Christmas! Victor
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| Mercury8 | -- 12-28-2011 @ 2:55 PM |
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Victor: I have a complete set of DuPont color bulletins for Ford and Mercury for all our years. This is what I found that may be of interest to you: DuPont lists the following colors on the 1949 color bulletin for Lincoln and Mercury: Biscay Blue Metallic, Berwick Green Metallic, Banff Green Metallic, Lima Tan Metallic, Lido Green Metallic, Blue Steel Gray Metallic, Haiti Beige, Teal Blue, Alberta Blue, Dakota Gray, Mogul Green Gray, Bermuda Cream, Temple Gray, Calabash Yellow, Calcutta Green, Adelia Green and Pirate Red. NOW, when I look at the back page of the 1950 bulletin, they list two additional 1949 colors not listed on the 1949 bulletin: Royal Bronze Maroon Metallic #M-14270 and Tampico Red Metallic #M-14272. DuPont did not even have a match for these two colors!!! I checked the back of subsequent year bulletins. DuPont did not come up with a match for Royal Bronze Maroon Metallic, Dulux #181-10679-M until 1953. They never listed a match for Tampico Red Metallic. I know from my 1940 Mercury that Ford introduced two spring colors for a few weeks around March. Ford often did this in other years. Many paint manufacturer color books do not show these spring colors at all. Could Tampico Red Metallic and Royal Bronze Metallic have been some kind of "special color" or "spring color"? I dont have the answer to that one, but I will bet that "Jimmy Chips" at the AutoColorLibrary in San Diego would know, or could find out for you. Hope this helps, I could photocopy these pages and mail them to you the old fashioned way, if you want. Alan Mercury8 Alan
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