MTFCA Forum

Uh, I mean, a gentlemanly, polite discussion ?

Much has been posted in the subject of the pyroxylin finish on bodies for the Improved '26-'27 cars, and how they were a "satin" or low luster finish. This photograph is from promotional material for the new series, and it sure looks like it's about as shiny and high-gloss as anyone could wish for. Thoughts ?

Someone probably had it "Simonized". As I understand it, the cars were not polished at the factory. Dealers could polish them, or the owner could do it, or have it done.
I'd think the paint would take a much better shine after having cured for at least a few weeks. Ford did not keep cars sitting around the plant waiting for paint to dry.

Wouldn't Ford want them to be shiny when new? Because shiny sells much better than not so shiny. I suspect the shine didn't last very long after purchase and being exposed to the elements except for the most meticulous owner.

Ford advertising mentioned the low gloss finish on the cars with color. Look over the 1926/1927 ads.

This photo shows the gloss at assembly. The color may not be as reflective as the black on the fenders which may have still been Japan Black. Competing against other makes, I think they would have had to be somewhat glossy. Advertising photos would have been taken with the best lighting. Nickle plating and striping would complement a semi-gloss very nicely.
It is a good subject for contemplation.

Ford may have "dolled" this one up for a promotional photo. The numbers in the lower right-hand corner of the photo suggest to me that it's a factory photo. Or, maybe black ones were still shiny?

I think they still painted the chassis , fenders, and running boards in a glossy black, perhaps an enamel. The bodies on select models were in colors in pyroxylin "satin finish". It could be polished out, but was not polished out from the factory. A procedure for sanding, then spraying the finish with thinner was also desribed as a way to obtain a glossy finish. I'd think the paint would have been very glossy until it dried, and that final hardening suitable for polishing probably took days or weeks, depending on conditions. Dodge touted "baked-on" finish in the 1920s. I don't believe that Ford did. Dodge bodies contained little or no wood, while even the late Fords still had some wood in them, which made them unsuited to high temperature baking such as Dodge used.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:25 pm

I think they still painted the chassis , fenders, and running boards in a glossy black, perhaps an enamel. The bodies on select models were in colors in pyroxylin "satin finish". It could be polished out, but was not polished out from the factory. A procedure for sanding, then spraying the finish with thinner was also desribed as a way to obtain a glossy finish. I'd think the paint would have been very glossy until it dried, and that final hardening suitable for polishing probably took days or weeks, depending on conditions. Dodge touted "baked-on" finish in the 1920s. I don't believe that Ford did. Dodge bodies contained little or no wood, while even the late Fords still had some wood in them, which made them unsuited to high temperature baking such as Dodge used.

At what temperature did Dodge bake their bodies?

I couldn't find any Dodge Bros paint temperatures but found 175 to 325 degrees in other topics. I did find this which might be interesting to some:

I don't know what the baking temperature was specified to be, but Dodge made the point that their all-metal body structure allowed for it, whereas, the far more common composite body structure did not.

I'm pretty sure the heat range for baking enamel that Rich posted would depend on the coating used and the item itself. Perhaps I'm wrong, but touting "baked enamel" was likely somewhat of a marketing ploy in an era when the term would tend to get consumers thinking of items like bathtubs and Granite Ware coffee pots coated with ceramic "porcelain".

Baking oil based enamel paints was a forced drying process. Anyone who has ever removed the "skin" from a can of oil base paint is familiar with the way such coatings dry - i.e., from the top down. By baking commercial items, the coating is assured of being thoroughly dry, and thus more durable, less prone to scratches. Speeding up the drying process of course had advantages in mass production.

Not exactly a scienterrific analysis, but back in the '60s, in our bygone days of exploring relics and gathering junk, I recall stumbling onto the occasional cast-off Dodge body or fenders which were as thoroughly rusty and innocent of any trace of paint as any of the contemporary Ford pieces we found. At the time, I was aware of the Dodge Bros. advertised advantages, all-steel bodies and baked enamel finishes !

They coulda rubbed some kerosene on the car and cliced a few pictures!
Shiny wouldn't last long in the country anyway, mostly the city folks probably kept theirs shiney because they had cobblestone streets and weren't driving in mud. OF course there was the Autobowl if you got mud on your tires!