Trunk and under hood colors on 53

[Flashback]

I have seen it stated several times, that the colors in the trunk and under hood
(on South Bend cars) was Loma gray. Even in "Studebakers Finest", this is mentioned.
I suppose I have two that were paintd wrong at the factory. My 53 coupe and four door,
both are close, but NOT loma gray. They both are original, and never painted, and the
paint looks almost like gray primer. Does anyone know for sure, the correct paint?

[Welcome]

>>>I suppose I have two that were painted wrong at the factory. My 53 coupe and four door, both are close, but NOT loma gray. They both are original, and never painted, and the paint looks almost like gray primer. Does anyone know for sure, the correct paint?

Well, since no one else has jumped in thus far, please allow me to.

YES, anyone can find out …as you say …”the correct paint,” for the painted parts on a 1953 Studebaker!

There typically are 15 to 20 sheets in the “PAINT INFORMATION BOOK” Studebaker’s Engineering Dept. wrote for each model year Studebaker. Sure, there is a minimal cost associated with obtaining your own photocopy of these same documents Studebaker’s Paint Dept. used …BUT compare that cost with getting it “wrong” and the cost of “re-doing” it all over again!

Here is where to go and what to ask for:

http://www.studebakermuseum.org/contact.asp?attention=archives

Ask for a Photocopy of every page in the Painting Information Book, P-5300

Good luck and good painting!

[StudeRich]

There were year breaks for these paint colors, I believe the gray started much later on most cars. My all original '54 Starliner is fully undercoated inside on all floors AND trunk and painted body color RED over that. This also could possibly vary with the three plants that built the Cars as well.

[studegary]

I have seen it stated several times, that the colors in the trunk and under hood
(on South Bend cars) was Loma gray. Even in "Studebakers Finest", this is mentioned.
I suppose I have two that were paintd wrong at the factory. My 53 coupe and four door,
both are close, but NOT loma gray. They both are original, and never painted, and the
paint looks almost like gray primer. Does anyone know for sure, the correct paint?

The trunk interior was gray, but I don't know why you refer to "under hood". Under the hood would be body color which may be gray if the car was originaly gray, but not Loma Gray.

[Flashback]

I tried the SNM and there has been a connection problem. I am going to contact them. Thanks.
My car also was undercoated underside and all the floors, including trunk, but inside the trunk, sides
and underside of lid is gray.
I got the ( underside of the hood)loma gray from several places, I have read it. Not the inner fenders,
just the hood underside.
This gray is a flat, not gloss, on both the 53's I have. Does anyone have an original 53, with the gloss
loma gray in these areas. I would love to hear from you. Thanks everyone

[ddub]

I have owned two '53s, both assembled in CA, both body color in those areas. However, I didn't get either one new so who knows?

[Jeff_H]

The grey in the trunk and the underside of the hood seemed to me more of a neutral grey rather than the pinkish grey that loma grey fades to. At least for the hood backside I wonder if it was just the primer like Flashback suspects since at least on my green '53, Studebaker used a grey primer under the color coats. It sure was thin since it was all surface rusted under there with only a few spots remaining. The trunk color was thin and surface rusted too but still mostly there.

These trunk and hood greys were faded enough it would be hard to tell what shade it was though. But, compared to the dash they did not seem the same.

[rockne10]

The trunk in my '53, which appeared to be original when I got it 33 years ago was gray but not Loma. The trunk floor had been undercoated and painted over. When I re-did the car I mixed a quart of Rustoleum white and a quart of Rustoleum black. It was pretty much dead on to what I had. My South Bend final assembly date was 4/30/53.
Underhood was also heavily undercoated over body color paint.
That doesn't indicate it's the way it came from the factory; more likely the way it came from the dealer.

[StudeRich]

I think the Gray under hood paint was a new Factory Replacement hood, as the originals all seem to be body color.

[studegary]

I tried the SNM and there has been a connection problem. I am going to contact them. Thanks.
My car also was undercoated underside and all the floors, including trunk, but inside the trunk, sides
and underside of lid is gray.
I got the ( underside of the hood)loma gray from several places, I have read it. Not the inner fenders,
just the hood underside.
This gray is a flat, not gloss, on both the 53's I have. Does anyone have an original 53, with the gloss
loma gray in these areas. I would love to hear from you. Thanks everyone

Thanks for clarifying your request (at least to me). The trunk interior should be gray, but I do not believe that it was Loma Gray. The underside of the hood was primer gray on all of the original (South Bend) 1953 C/Ks that I have owned or cars that I remember working on.

[Deaf Mute]

I purchased my '53 coupe in '63, the underside of the trunk lid was grey, underside of hood was coral red, as was rest of car.
Floor was honeycombed rust!

[studegary]

I purchased my '53 coupe in '63, the underside of the trunk lid was grey, underside of hood was coral red, as was rest of car.
Floor was honeycombed rust!

Is that car a South Bend, Vernon or Hamilton build?

[Flashback]

Thanks for the responses . I am getting info from SNM also, and yall have helped me very much.

[Welcome]

Thanks for the responses . I am getting info from SNM also, and yall have helped me very much.

[tim333]

I was going to pose the same question before reading this thread. My 57 Commander hood underside appears to look like a gray primer, I see no evidence of any body color. Inside the fenders is taupe mettalic as are the sides and roof. The tops of the hood, fenders and trunk are white.