Factory primer color

[65chevysub]

Looking at some of the trucks found in fields etc on this site and I've noticed some of them have black primer and some have red. My 65 Suburban had black. Does thr factory location have any bearing on the color? Or is it the final exterior color?

[Keith Seymore]

Yes - there is some variation in primer color (black vs red) based on final assembly location. All vehicles produced at the same plant will have the same primer color regardless of exterior final color coat.

Some vehicles will also have different colored primer on the body/cab/box vs front end sheet metal, since those were often painted in different areas of the plant.

K

[65chevysub]

Thanks Keith. That answers my question

[vince1]

I've been working on my box and there was lots of heavy red primer there but the hood all by itself is now showing more black than green.

[LVPhotos]

I found green on '62 from L code for LA.

[65chevysub]

UPDATE:
I stripped my door frames down last week, and found red primer under the original Light Blue paint.

[Chevyland]

TTT

Got into a discussion with some truck buddies tonight
Freemont truck

[cryowagon]

On this generation of trucks, it looks like they used red on the cab and doors and black on everything else.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by cryowagon

On this generation of trucks, it looks like they used red on the cab and doors and black on everything else.

I agree! Try telling that to a body shop who works on only late model cars.

[60-66]

Almost every 60-66 was black on bed and front sheet metal. Red on cab and doors. Suburban main body red oxide front sheet metal black. On a very rare occasion there can be a yellow/green base on beds. Canada is what Im thinking at the moment may be the different with all red oxide but not much to go on there

[Steeveedee]

Back in the '60s it was a common problem for lighter colors (especially yellow) to look different between the hood and fenders, and the rest of the car. I forget with was primed which color, though. This was on cars, though I wouldn't expect it to be different on the trucks.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by 60-66

Almost every 60-66 was black on bed and front sheet metal. Red on cab and doors. Suburban main body red oxide front sheet metal black. On a very rare occasion there can be a yellow/green base on beds. Canada is what Im thinking at the moment may be the different with all red oxide but not much to go on there

I pulled a one owner '69 out of the woods and got it back on the road a couple years ago. It was original paint and had a few spots of greenish primer mixed in with the black primer on the bed sides and fenders. I didn't find any green spots on the fenders or hood. The cab and doors were red oxide.

[60-66]

My 66 GMC original black paint truck is showing some green underneath also. Heres another sample of the green primer on NOS Suburban quarter panels .

[VictoriaHardware]

WOW! How can you have an NOS quarter panel but not have a 6 cyl fan shroud?