Willys Jeep Paint Color Guide

[AmyB]

Here is a good example of paint colors used for Willys Jeeps from 1946-1963.

http://www.kaiserwillys.com/willys_overland_paint_colors

[Lefty]

What was the factory color for the Hurricane engine and also the transmission and transfer case?

[LarrBeard]

I asked this question earlier this year and, of course, I got different answers. The general opinion seemed to be that for my '48 2WD pickup, the engine color was black. I had the machine shop paint it a gloss black.

I left the transmission and bell housing in a neutral powder coat.

[pelago]

when i powerwashed my engine with 180degree water under pressure, all the accumulated crude came off, and the majority of the engine was a green color. i can onslydescribe it as BUCYRUS/ERIE GREEN as a kid there were a lot of machine shops with huge old machines and lathes and milling machine. some of these were used inthe railroad industry so they were BIG. but many of them came in that color green, and that is sameone on the engine???

[LarrBeard]

when i powerwashed my engine with 180degree water under pressure, all the accumulated crude came off, and the majority of the engine was a green color. i can onslydescribe it as BUCYRUS/ERIE GREEN as a kid there were a lot of machine shops with huge old machines and lathes and milling machine. some of these were used inthe railroad industry so they were BIG. but many of them came in that color green, and that is sameone on the engine???

If I correctly recall some of your other descriptions, your flock of vehicles, or at least one of them, was probably a USMC M38 or M38A1. If that was the case, I'd guess the original color was ... wait for it .. USMC green. Seriously, government vehicles probably would have been a green or OD based color. The Bucyrus/Erie machine green isn't all that far from the USMC green.

On civilian vehicles, the general opinion is that engine colors were black (no real info on gloss, satin or flat). Transmissions were generally left unpainted. Axles and transfer cases were black, or in the M38 case, probably green as well.

Or, someone may have a different set of information altogether.....

Isn't it strange; guys who can't match ties and shirts and shoes worry about what color to paint our engines and transmissions .....

[pelago]

"""Isn't it strange; guys who can't match ties and shirts and shoes worry about what color to paint our engines and transmissions""". AW COME ON NOW, HELL MY PROBLEM IS FINDING THE SAME PAIR OF SOCKS!!
no, the color is just different, it is not the same old olive drab that i remember, drove a lot of M38A1's hell even drove one into the south china see, running!! But this critter is just different and the color is not olive or usmc grunt green. tried to get a color picture but just does not show green like on the motor,,,, not a big deal, at least it is clean and it runs just can not see it as a M38 hood and fenders way different. amd the civilian version has the glove mbox on dif side, and civ was 12v this has the typical dash of a m38a1. glove box on left and only five instruments in dash. but enjoyed the quip