Real '53 Ford pickup primer color?

[Ace-Garageguy]

I know some of youse guys restore real vehicles that I haven't.

Does anybody know the actual factory primer color for a '53 Ford pickup? 

I assume standard red-oxide or black, maybe gray, but I'd like to get it right.

EDIT: I found this on Ford Barn. Anybody say different?

"Did auto-body repair until 1961 (when I left the business ) Until that time Ford used red-oxide primer on all exterior body panels regardless of finish color."

 

Edited May 17, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

The new-old-stock front fenders on my '62 Fairlane are in red oxide primer, as is a NOS front bumper splash pan I have.  I think I have a spare NOS fuel filler door also, again in red oxide.

The used hood I unbolted from a junkyard car about fifteen years ago also has red oxide primer on the topside. Most of the metallic blue paint on it was burned away, apparently by the Arizona sun.  (Though the car was in New York, it had Arizona plates on it.)  The part number was stenciled on the underside of the hood, most of which is also red oxide primer. 

I suspect the hood was not original to the car I removed it from, as it was minimally painted on the underside unlike the original hood on my car (which was swapped out due to some rust at the front).  The replacement was probably NOS prior to its being installed on the Arizona car.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Mark said:

The new-old-stock front fenders on my '62 Fairlane are in red oxide primer, as is a NOS front bumper splash pan I have.  I think I have a spare NOS fuel filler door also, again in red oxide...

Thanks Mark. Much appreciated.

[Skip]

When we restored my Brother’s 1953 F-100 it had Red Oxide primer under the original Sheridan Blue paint. We found no other color primer anywhere on the interior or exterior.  Hope that helps.

[Dave G.]

I worked on a bunch of old Ford trucks back in the day, though not 53 specifically and not always pickups but larger commercial trucks. And to the best I recall, the body parts were all primed in Red oxide.

[Ace-Garageguy]

9 hours ago, Skip said:

When we restored my Brother’s 1953 F-100 it had Red Oxide primer under the original Sheridan Blue paint. We found no other color primer anywhere on the interior or exterior....

 

5 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

I worked on a bunch of old Ford trucks back in the day, though not 53 specifically and not always pickups but larger commercial trucks. And to the best I recall, the body parts were all primed in Red oxide.

Thank you both very much. I'd say we have a definitive answer at this point.   

[restoman]

Most everything I've worked on up until the mid-to-late-sixties has used red oxide primer. 

Was in the resto-end of bodyshops for close to 30 years...

[slusher]

I would not had no idea, thanks guys!

[Ace-Garageguy]

22 hours ago, restoman said:

Most everything I've worked on up until the mid-to-late-sixties has used red oxide primer. 

Was in the resto-end of bodyshops for close to 30 years...

Thanks for that, and for taking the time to respond.