1914 Stutz Bearcat radiator grille color

[Longbox55]

Got a question for anyone that might be familiar with the Stutz Bearcat. I'm working on a build of the old MPC Bearcat kit (Connoisseur Classics version), and need to know what would be correct for the grille, plated or painted? The grille in the kit is plated, however my research is coming up with conflicting results on which way is correct. I've seen pics of them both ways, and even a few with the plated parts in brass instead of nickel/chrome.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Art Anderson]

Got a question for anyone that might be familiar with the Stutz Bearcat. I'm working on a build of the old MPC Bearcat kit (Connoisseur Classics version), and need to know what would be correct for the grille, plated or painted? The grille in the kit is plated, however my research is coming up with conflicting results on which way is correct. I've seen pics of them both ways, and even a few with the plated parts in brass instead of nickel/chrome.

Any help would be appreciated.

Well, an easy question to answer!  With the Stutz Bearcat, as with most any brass era car, the radiator shell would have been brass, whether "brass", nickel plated, or painted (all three finishes were available in the era of the MPC Stutz Bearcat) the radiator core would have been black, coated with a thin coat of back tar!  That was very common back in the day, in fact. a black tar spray was used alll te way into the late 1950's (even later I think into the 1960's) on radiator cores.

Art

!

[Longbox55]

Thanks Art. I've done some more research with a little help for a friend, and we came up with a really good video of an unrestored Stutz belonging to Corky Coker. His is painted, so that's what I'm going to go with. Good to know that any of those finishes would be correct, though.

[Johnt671]

I painted mine with brass brush paint.