What did "original paint" really look like?

We all know what tractor show tractors with high gloss automotive paint look like, and sure it's nice for a showpiece. What did the original paint on a 30's-50's JD, Case, Farmall etc really look like? I assume they were just sprayed quick with primer then a couple coats of a semi gloss paint, stenciled with logos and shipped out the door.

I am on the fence with some of my machines. All my tractors get used regularly for their original purpose, so show paint makes no sense. Several of my Case tractors have decent original paint, but my 1930's Deeres all need paint.

I just hand brushed some cast wheels for my Case and they turned out nice, I plan to do a set of wheel weights for it the same way. Seems to work well on cast iron and steel.

Thoughts?

Some sub-assemblies were probably painted off-line but I'd guess most of the tractor was primed and painted the near the end of the assembly line.
Inside the tubs, front side of the fan, behind the carburetor and under the foot plates are usually unpainted. I've found plenty of runs on bottom
surfaces. I found overspray on the flywheel of my E4 under the cover. It's your tractor, paint it how you like.

Yup pretty much any paint with a ten minute prep will look beautiful right after it is done. Some people spend more time and spend more money because they want it to look pretty much as good ten years later.

Original paint jobs on old machinery and the re-creation of them for restoration have been debated for years. Most original factory paints back before the 1960's were the simple alkyd enamels
which were actually quite durable even without a primer. Even to this day, if I use that paint, it will sick to anything like glue. Manufacturers back then were more concerned with protection
and color than surface perfection.

Paint is like everything else, they take something that works well and alter it until it doesn't work at all.

As said, they were far from perfect.

As for originality, they are only original once, and for that you would want to keep it as is if shown as
a survivor.

But trying to do a by the book restoration, intentionally putting on a strictly utilitarian paint job
would probably not sit well with the viewers or judges.

What makes you think that the original paint was semi-gloss?

I think tractors were made glossy. It's just a basic aspect of paint that a glossy paint is more durable than a lower sheen.

(quoted from post at 08:35:09 02/28/23) I think tractors were made glossy. It's just a basic aspect of paint that a glossy paint is more durable than a lower sheen.

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It is just a matter of aging. Gloss turns to semi-gloss, then into flat, then into rust, LOL. The same as starters turn from tractor color to black, so a lot of guys think that they were originally black.

Here is a Ferguson TO35 with .07 on the clock. It is a showroom in Pa. I have several pictures of it.

That is cool as heck. I would be torn between wanting to run that tractor and leaving it alone!

The one PA is all original paint, I don't think it has a buffer on it but I guess some car polish like the old Dupont
#7. Most all of the show stuff has clear coat and then sanded and buffed. Most guys can't paint with out orange peel
and dirt in paint and need to buff it out. When I did a complete rebuild, replace, restore on my 1955 TO35 done in
2005,2006 I did use PPG Omni with hardener. Mine has had no buffer used on it. Here is a picture of my TO35

It is probably just the light but it looks like a very dark green. Very good attention to detail!

When I was pulling my 555 apart I chanced upon this. Pulled the light switch knob off and the tip of the stem was bright red!! If it's factory Massey Harris red it has probably never
seen the light of day since the tractor was built? Do you think the color would have degraded over the years even if it has never been exposed to sunlight? With the technology thats
out there could you ever get a paint code from that little sample?

I've been painting and mixing paints since mid 1960. The younger painters never did understand it made no difference as to what the formula actually was in it to get it to math, it took a eye and experience to understand what mother nature did to it. The green on the 2 Fergusons are metallic paint and viscosity, air pressure and the painter all affect the final color.

showcrop, the showroom Ferguson was under florescent lighting, and my Ferguson was in daylight under a canopy. I found
the best green on my steering tube under the dash that had seen on light and is still there as I masked off to keep it
original. The best light gray was under the ID tag on dash and under the green rear fender braces, The fender toolbox
is green on outside and light gray inside thru fender openings.

It probably hasn't faded. It's not big enough for a computer match however by trial and error a person could match it manually. I would start with a fire engine red. You might have to add a touch of yellow or white to it.

My first job at IH's FARMALL PLANT in Rock Island, Illinois was running a washing machine used to clean all the machining oils off the various front axle components on some of the first 86 series tractors built in the fall of 1976. The BONDERIZER was also part of our department, sheetmetal parts from IH's East Moline combine plant were shipped bare, no paint of any kind, only a tiny bit of oil applied at the steel rolling mill and drips from machines the parts ran through. Cast iron parts were ALL sealed before shipment from IH's Foundries, the castings were ALL stored outside. Once they were brought inside for machining they stayed inside. The Bonderizer was a extremely hot caustic hot water wash that phosphates the surface of sheetmetal parts, made paint stick better, In later years I bought PAINT and I PROMISE, I NEVER bought a single drop of primer. 2150 red came in 325 gallon totes, 935 white came in 55 gal drums, wasn't until the 88-series, both 2+2's and 3x88 & 5x88's the tractor chassis got painted semi-gloss black.
My first job, the washing machine was right across a corrugated roofing wall from the first paint booth on the Start assembly line, in the 3-4 months I worked there by the paint booth I NEVER got a wife of paint fumes. There were 6-8 big fans pulling the fumes up outside the roof and a waterfall to control any dust or overspray. There were 3-4 guys spraying in the booth all the time.

I like reading your posts on working at IH. Its good inside information, interesting details about the manufacturing. Dave