WW II OD (was) Original paint color for M135?

From: Jim Gilmore (jgilmore@ptd.net)
Date: Wed Feb 25 2004 - 17:42:04 PST


Joe wrote,

>"......I believe you are correct. Rapco's 319 is supposed to be
>late WWll. This is the color I used on my 1945 MB.............."

Just to clarify this a bit........

There was no such thing as "early" or "late" WW II OD paint. Although several paint vendors state this....... it is incorrect.

   All WW II jeeps and other vehicles used by the US Army were all painted Lusterless Olive Drab Synthetic Enamel.

Lusterless Olive Drab and Lusterless Olive Drab # 319 were the exact same color.

Both Willys and Ford used the same color paint all throughout production from 1941 to 1945.

There is no commercially available paint that is the correct color for WW II Lusterless Olive Drab.

Some paint vendors also state that Olive Drab # 34087 is the same as WW II Lusterless Olive Drab but this is also incorrect. # 34087 is a post war color paint and is not the same color as the WW II paint.

Jim Gilmore

data - Ford Motor Co. Industrial Archives
Willys Motors B.O.M. sheets
QMC paint files- National Archives
QMC - Plastics and Coatings Branch



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