Paint your wagon

[Botty]

My new toy turned up tonight:


By botty1 at 2010-02-24

Not quite as immaculate as in the photo above so I am less worried about turning it into this:


By botty1 at 2010-03-01

But should I? Is it a reasonable captured/requsitioned vehicle as used by a second line support unit or a complete farb fest leaving me open to ridicule and humiliation?

[Salacious Crumb]

In the 30'ies American vehicles where popular in belgium. Take a Flemish newspaper of the 30'ies an look in the classifieds. Almost all American... So if they confiscated vehicles it would be something like that.

[Jungmann]

I'd paint it. You can always paint it back to civi colours later if you wanted.

Most captured trucks I've seen our painted by the wehrmacht.

[Hoffman Grink]

Paint it Mark! DUNKELGRAU!!!!!!

PAINT IT PAINT IT PAINT IT!!!!!!!

And make it lived in....... I know you'll do a good job - I can't wait to see it.

[Botty]

Paint it Mark! DUNKELGRAU!!!!!!

PAINT IT PAINT IT PAINT IT!!!!!!!

And make it lived in....... I know you'll do a good job - I can't wait to see it.

Paul,

you seem almost more excited about this than I am

[Hans Gowert]

yes,

paint it in grey !!!

you and less could do a circus act in the battlefield in victory with both of you getting blown to bits !!

[andy d]

Does it have the wooden cab at the back as well?
post up some pics of it as is.

[les hearn]

yey park next to me and we can both go up together

[Botty]

The top picture is as is. It's just a bit more used now.

[KDF]

Then a splash of Grey or Tan colour on it ?

[Hoffman Grink]

Mark - if undecided use a water based paint which should leave the paint underneath intact as well as the chrome. You can always top it up periodically and given a month or two it will collect dust etc. and look lived in.

Civilian vehicles were not often taken into service and left unpainted. I suppose a commandeered vehicle would be that way immediately upon seizure until it was able to be painted. In order to move freely in a military zone, a vehicle would need to have legitimate plates, be recognisable as Military and have tactical markings...... Or risk being fired upon. You could always use bright blue tape on the windows and mark out "PRESS" with it! Seemed to work in Iraq (Oh.......... wait a minute - it didn't did it?)

[Botty]

Thanks everyone it seems I am moving towards painting. Waterbased seems the way to go. Lucky the bright work is stainless rather than chrome so easier to paint.

I am happy enough I have the vehicle (long term ambition to own a vintage vehicle) but if I can also use it for re-enacting then so much the better.

The original post was more to gauge opinion about if the vehicle is reasonable to use for German re-enacting. Answers seem to suggest yes.

Just don't expect to see it fully painted up any time soon. As PD says, must do things properly.

[KDF]

This is not to put anyone off, just some of the things I learnt and hope you can avoid the same.


...Water based paint is not a perfect system of painting a vehicle ( yes I know they use lots of it these days, it`s a supposed safer system than 2 pack iso paints , which are rather harmful ), however that`s not my point on here.Moreover most people think it is safe to not wear protective gear when spraying because it`s water based, it`s still got chemicals in it, it`s the thinning agent or diluent that the water is about...which is a very simple way of looking at it.

What system you use, really depends on a couple of factors.

1, what paint is already on said vehicle. If it`s something compatible then its fine EG water based should be okay to put water based on top of it etc.

2, If it`s a high quality paint job, then it`s going to need a high quality one to put it back to what it is if you ever want to reverse it.

3, Unlike cellulose/synthetic paints most other paints need force drying or baking in a spray booth with that feature.This may increase your costs and lower options of who and where to do it.

4, The slower drying paints ( almost everything expect Cellulose ) mean there`s more chance of dirt and reactions to existing older paint happening.

5, Some systems of painting require lots of years experience to use and do a fantastic finish with. Again cellulose is a simpler paint to use, is generally cheaper to buy and the thinner is cheap. It`s being phased out ( sighs ) but can still be brought.

Anyway, hope these general points are enough, and if you are still awake at this point I hope it`s helped.

Keith

[Botty]

Dont worry, if/when this gets painted it wont be me doing it. Someone who knows their job will get to do it.

[JDR]

theres one on ebay at the moment

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1930-FORD-MODEL-A ... 3a585c17d2