Just checking before I spray the glove box paint color and around the shaped alike instrument panel.

I assume the backside of the glove box door is like the front? (in my case the lighter gray) correct?

Also was the quote "frame" behind the door that you don't see once it is shut the light gray or the darker gray like the complete dash?

Someone had painted my whole (KNOBS, CHROME AND ALL) car black so I'm not 100% sure after 36 years or so?

As always Gracias from New Mexico!
Over my head but learning!

Dads 51,

Click onto my pics album, there are some interior shots, maybe they will assist you.

Wow thanks for the photos. Looks like you live or at least your car does in a great place! I'm in the mountians too.
Ok the picture of the interior of the glove box appears to be the dash color too?????
and even the back side of the glove box door?

So that would just leave the front the light gray?? Correct? or not?
plan on painting weds afternoon??? please &
thanks

yes, just the outside is the lighter gray.

thanks easier masking job!

Yes, we and the '51' live in the mountains, nice area, in my opinion. I was away from the computer today, but Scotti gave you the answer. Glad the pics assisted you.

New developement today. A neighborhood ranch has a 51 I have had my eyes on for parts. Kinda a crotchety old gal lives there with a 30-30 most likely in the corner of her home.
Got the guts to make another run at her and the car today. She let me look at it but NOT FOR SALE! Anyway original and deteriorating, the surface and frame behind the "light glove box door" is light gray as well.

I'm happy to hear she let you look at it.

My '50 is light outside and dark inside also.

I agree, look at my pics again.

Not doubting your expertise, if i could figure out how to add a photo to this post you could see the color difference as I did.
It would make sense that it was all the same color as you opened the glove box door and see the inside attached to the dash all as one, glove box dark as well.

thanks

speaking for myself and myself only .... I have no expertise ! LOL

Something to think about... is it possible the dash was painted different depending on which factory your car came from? Mine was Oshawa built, so I will look at it today. I know it's original.

Interesting development here... When you compare the lower part of the dash in Bob's car compared to mine, his grey seems a lot darker. That is the same grey on the back of the door as well. If you look at it in bad lighting, the grey on the front and back of my glove box door is hard to tell if it's a different shade. To me, Bobs's looks almost the same colour as the top of his dash, and mine is definitly lighter. Like I stated, mine is original paint, from the Oshawa factory.
Mine:

Bob's

Bob's gray does look dark on the pictures. May be a camera thing. The steering wheel and the little edge of the glove box door looks like the correct color. Its the same gray as the Thistle gray color used on the exterior in 1951.(in the US)

DrScotti says the brackets and inside are all the dash colour... Does he mean the upper or lower dash? You can see on mine that the hinges are clearly a different colour than the rest of the inside...

Ok and to add to the mix I looked at the picture I took of the old gals "parts car" again and there is a definate perfect strip of dark gray on the bottom of the glove box door frame inside and the upper half is light and so is the balance of the inside frame. The lower dash if you will was dark gray as well. The hinges are rusted and the back of the door is hard to tell.

3 cars and what appears to be 3 different paint jobs? If some one can tell me how to post the photo I will or I could e-mail it to someone to post. Kinda interesting. jpredlinaol

Here is what I can tell you. I bought my '51' from the 2nd owner, a guy much older than me who previously bought the car from the original owner ... a guy much older than him.

I'm certain the dash was never painted.

That being said, if you look THROUGH the windshield glass in my photo of the interior, you will see the car is outside, but it is almost dark. I believe that is what is making the color look different.

Bob

The pictures I took of mine were also in the dark...in the garage under the car cover!

Now, if you look at this view of my dash, you can see that around the radio knobs the dash is a different colour, as though it had a plate on there at one time. My Uncle Nick bought the car with the radio, but it was likely dealer installed, as my Grandfather worked at the dealership. The area around the knobs appears to be the same colour as Bob's entire lower dash, and you can't see a different colour around his radio. This says to me either early build/late build differences, or different factories doing different things.

1951 Dash


...........
1952 Dash



Notice the difference in color across the bottom, around the radio knobs.

I went into the garage this morning and looked at my dash ....mine is a 1951 and the entire dash ( lighter color ) is the same shade, no variation by the radio panel.

Bob

Both the dashes you posted have the radio delete cover on. The colour difference on mine appears to be below the cover. The light grey on my lower dash is not the same as the light grey on the outside of the door. It definitly is not a '52 dash, so maybe a change was made during the'51 production run. I think my car was built in June of '51.

a few more taken from my 51.







Note, the flash of the camera does make the grays look different than in person.

On both of our cars the top of the dash (dark metallic grey) and the face of the glove box door and gauge area (Light gloss grey) are the same. The metallic grey below the dash where all the buttons are, and the inside of the glovebox appear to be lighter in my car. Notice that the hinges on my glovebox door are the same colour as yours... this shows that it isn't the camera or flash.

Here is the photo that dads51 took of the '51 on the ranch near his place. It appears to be most like my car...ie) darker hinges, and a lighter lower dash colour. Is there any chance you can get a serial# off of the fire wall tag, Jay?

I misquoted myself. The last part of the above statement SHOULD read ....."with a darker variation by the radio panel". The lower panel, where the radio mounts, is a dark grey, much like the upper dash or the steering column.

Bob

Based on Scotti's photos, my dash looks the same as his does. Perhaps the difference in Brewsters'is the assembly plants, time of year produced or body model. Mine is a Styleline Deluxe, was produced late in the 1951 model run, in Janesville.

Bob

Look at how much darker the left hing is than the frame surrounding it. I think Bob and Scotti have the frame painted the same colour as the hinge, ie) a darker shade of grey.

I'm not sure I want to ask another color question, but...,It appears by the photos that the heater was a "different" color than the dash? I was thinking they were the same?

Dr. Scotti, since you are "I have been documenting the various running production changes for 1951" you and others might be interested in this Supplemental Bulletin dated June 20, 1951 that is hand typed and came with my color chart. It says: On or about March 24, 1951, Shadow Gray Poly, 30872, was revised. The new shade of Shadow Gray Poly is coded 30889.
Use 30872 on cars produced before March 24th and 30889 for cars made after that date.
Paint code
459 Shadow Gray Poly
and it list the ditzler codes
Not sure if they are talking about the inside or out on the above. Then it gones on to talk about the "two-toned combinations" with
460 upper Shadow
lower Thistle

461 upper Thistle
lower shafow gray

If nothing else, your initial color question will make us all intertior dash color experts.

OK, after further inspection, with the car pulled outside in the daylight, The brackets and the inside of my glove box door are the same dark gray that is on the steering column. Not the color of the main dash. hhhmmmm

Brewster,

Where was your '51' asssembled ....what plant?

Bob

Al 1951 Deluxe cars had the same colors on the dash. ie-dark gray on lower portion and light gray on the glove box door and around instruments. The steering column and shift lever were the same dark gray EXCEPT they were painted with enamel instead of lacquer and no metallic was added (or very little)...which makes the color appear different. This was true for all years.
The 1952 had the light gray (satin gray) on the lower area of the dash and the center of the steering wheel, steering column and shift lever were changed to the light (satin) gray. The radio dummy plate always matched the color of the lower dash (note Special models had a different dark gray and no light gray was used)
The 1952 Deluxe dash was colored keyed to the exterior color, with it being a gray, green, or blue on sedans (more colors on hardtops and convertibles).

I just went out and took another look at my dash in the daylight. Two things I noticed this time. The area around the gauges is painted the same colour as the lower dash area, the outside of the glovebox door being the only part that is the Gloss Gull Gray. The second thing I noticed was that the radio delete cover has been replaced with a cover with holes in it. You guys all likely knew that... it's just the first time I noticed it's a separate piece! That piece is painted the dark grey that everyone elses dash seems to be painted. I talked to my Dad last night, and he assured my that the dash has never been painted. One thing he pointed out was that the car was built on the Oshawa assembly line, with Pontiacs being built on the same line. Is it possible that all cars on this line recieved a common dash colour?



I think this is an area where we have a difference in my car and Dad51's car in the field. The bottom of the dash is the lighter grey, which you describe as a '52 colour. My serial # is 1101142440...is this late enough that the paint change occured before acctual '52 production began?

I know we're beating a dead horse here... but I also know that these things also get discovered on the judging field, and even the experts learn new stuff. It's far better to dicuss it now, then have someone with an original interior repaint it because it's 'wrong'! A lot of things are different on Canadian cars as well, that often don't show up in US literature...

I am resonabaly sure the Canadian cars could have had different colors in different locations. Note also that the cheaper Special series had a different gray. Your best bet would be to find some Canadian literature or sales catalogs.
Gull Gray was never mentioned in US paint charts.

My mistake...I meant thistle gray. I'm getting my Chev paints and model car paints mixed up again!

I would also suggest emailing Bill D., the 1951 T.A. (see front pages of the G&D) and ask him if Canadian cars used different combinations. He has been the 1951 T.A. for a good many years, attended many meets, etc. and would have picked up on it I am sure. Tell him I sent you and we are both wondering.

I love to do light purple color on my door its great looking color,.