# Does Color Really Matter



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

Debate time again. I have the NAA up on stands for a left rear tire/ wheel repair. I pressure washed before putting on stands and noticed some of the sheet metal is showing some surface rust. Right now it is just an inconvenience that should be taken care of before it becomes a major problem/ repair. The question is "Does Color Really Matter" since I decided to keep the old girl and use her for the smaller jobs around the place. I have enough leftover blue and white from the 4000 restore to paint the NAA, about 3 qts of each color. New quality paint in the red and gray run about $86 a gallon for each, and is out of my budget now with all the tire repairs during the last 2 months. Would it be terrible to use what I have on hand to prevent further rusting and repair? I just can't let it go as is and cause more major work later on. I keep telling myself to go ahead and use what's on hand, I can always repaint to proper colors later on when the financial condition is better. But the thought of a blue and white NAA is not very appealing as it has been red and gray for the 45+ years I have owned it. Any thoughts?


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Me, I'm a miser, and I'd use what I had on hand providing it was going to do the job.


----------



## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I'd go blue and white.... it's your tractor! I have a red and Yellow 8N!
http://images112.fotki.com/v189/photos/0/1509630/7520668/BlueGray1-vi.jpg


----------



## Redlands Okie (Nov 5, 2017)

Sounds like your practical side needs to win on this. Stoping the rust seems more important. If the color bothers you enough then later on you can repaint it. Not having to do a lot of repair and prep work due to rust would make the job much easier.


----------



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

I agree. The rust problem wins this debate. I will post new pics of a blue/white NAA.


----------



## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

If there was a "default color" for Ford tractors it would be Empire Blue. They built more blue tractors, for more years than all colors combined.


----------



## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Ultradog said:


> If there was a "default color" for Ford tractors it would be Empire Blue. They built more blue tractors, for more years than all colors combined.


PS,
And if you used a brush to paint it it would be totally in keeping with Ford tradition.


----------



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

I never knew the factory used brushed paint jobs.


----------



## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Ultradog said:


> If there was a "default color" for Ford tractors it would be Empire Blue. They built more blue tractors, for more years than all colors combined.


Over the years I've seen the red/white, blue/white, gray white and yellow/white of the 8N and NAA machines. So, it's your choice.


----------



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

Update. NAA has new facelift, blue & white. Started to run short on blue and thought about leaving center section red so I would have an all American red, white and blue patriotic tractor. I painted front first (hardest to prep) then rear and finished with center. Common sense won again and added 3 oz of thinner to have enough blue to finish. Yes Ultradog. I followed the Ford tradition you made me aware of and applied a brush paint job. It saves a lot of enamel paint lost in overspray, keeps the whole area cleaner, and produces a better paint film thickness on the tractor which should weat her better. I never dreamed I would pay $20 each for a quality fine bristle paint brush ( used a separate brush for each color). But the high end brushes virtually eliminate the visable brush strokes and produce a smooth high gloss finish. Yes. I talked to a pro painter friend who paints 8-10 houses a year. He almost had me convinced he could brush paint a car almost as smooth as a modern spray job, almost. I paint cars on the side and know that an auto paint job is heavily dependent on the quality of both base and clear coat paints, a quality atomizing paint gun, correct mixing and measuring of additives, and spray technique. I have seen the vast difference between quality and common auto paint jobs. That is why I own a $1000 Sada paint gun, final finish with a 2000 or 3000 hand rubbed wet sand, and polish with both a new wool bonnet and heavy cutting compound with a final finish of new foam pad and glazing compund. My paint jobs run $3000-$5000 and will last 15+ years, while a common job runs $500 and only lasts 2-3 years before deteriorating. So $20 for a 1.5 inch paint brush is not so bad. Some quality auto paints are now more than $300 per gal plus reducer and additives which can run the wholesale cost of paint to over $500 a gal. You typically get what you pay for. The tractor looks like a spray job from 3-4 ft out.


----------



## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Ed Williams said:


> Update. NAA has new facelift, blue & white. Started to run short on blue and thought about leaving center section red so I would have an all American red, white and blue patriotic tractor. I painted front first (hardest to prep) then rear and finished with center. Common sense won again and added 3 oz of thinner to have enough blue to finish. Yes Ultradog. I followed the Ford tradition you made me aware of and applied a brush paint job. It saves a lot of enamel paint lost in overspray, keeps the whole area cleaner, and produces a better paint film thickness on the tractor which should weat her better. I never dreamed I would pay $20 each for a quality fine bristle paint brush ( used a separate brush for each color). But the high end brushes virtually eliminate the visable brush strokes and produce a smooth high gloss finish. Yes. I talked to a pro painter friend who paints 8-10 houses a year. He almost had me convinced he could brush paint a car almost as smooth as a modern spray job, almost. I paint cars on the side and know that an auto paint job is heavily dependent on the quality of both base and clear coat paints, a quality atomizing paint gun, correct mixing and measuring of additives, and spray technique. I have seen the vast difference between quality and common auto paint jobs. That is why I own a $1000 Sada paint gun, final finish with a 2000 or 3000 hand rubbed wet sand, and polish with both a new wool bonnet and heavy cutting compound with a final finish of new foam pad and glazing compund. My paint jobs run $3000-$5000 and will last 15+ years, while a common job runs $500 and only lasts 2-3 years before deteriorating. So $20 for a 1.5 inch paint brush is not so bad. Some quality auto paints are now more than $300 per gal plus reducer and additives which can run the wholesale cost of paint to over $500 a gal. You typically get what you pay for. The tractor looks like a spray job from 3-4 ft out.


It looks great Ed. I think they call that a 20-20 paint job.
Looks good at 20' or 20 mph. 
I painted the rims on my 4000 a couple of years ago with a brush.
It was late spring time and I wanted to get going on my tires/wheels. So brush painted both the primer and finish coat.
Used a good China Bristle brush and implement enamel straight out if the can. Two coats.
They came out looking real nice.
I posted this photo on "What did you accomplish today" thread.
Painted my pal Kenny's tractor on Saturday. That's him in the photo. He's 84.
It's the back half of a 4600 and front half of a 4000 gasser.
I am a fair painter but don't do "jewlery". Nice and clean, extra time on prep work, no runs, use a hardner and shoot with tractor/implement enamel and I'm satisfied.
BTW, Now your two tractors match.
It's amazing what a couple of quarts of paint and a good brush did for the value of your NAA too.


----------



## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Ed Williams said:


> Update. NAA has new facelift, blue & white.


Looks great Ed. You'll have to update your 1953 Ford NAA Submission in the tractors section!
https://www.tractorforum.com/tractor-registry/1953-ford-naa.2101/


----------



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

Ultradog said:


> It looks great Ed. I think they call that a 20-20 paint job.
> Looks good at 20' or 20 mph.
> I painted the rims on my 4000 a couple of years ago with a brush.
> It was late spring time and I wanted to get going on my tires/wheels. So brush painted both the primer and finish coat.
> ...


----------



## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

It's hard to believe those rims are a 4 coat brush job. They look sprayed in the pics. I will tell my painter friend Larry that I have now seen some excellent brush jobs. All look smooth and shiney. I always thought brush jobs were rough and dull compared to spray. Amazing to me the difference I using a quality brush. I do have 1 question. Why isn't a urethane BC/CC system used on tractors? Both quality and longevity are drastically improved with the urethanes, and overspray and lost paint volume are minimal. EnameLS overspray is terrible and covers everything within 20 ft with the sticky overspray that needs cleaning later. Is it stRickly a function of cost. If you eliminate the flake, pearls and multiple spray additives, the urethane costs can be reduced significantly. Red is a problem as it always carries a premium ptice. Just wondering. Thinking of trying a urethane on the next tractor/lawnmower job.


----------

