Original Color of the M543 Wrecker

[rumplecat]

What was the original color(number) of the M543 wrecker? A local vet. told me he remembers the new wreckers arriving with everything below the body in a dull black, except the axles?
James G.

 

[DDoyle]

To answer your question literally would take several pages. However, if you want to know what color to buy to repaint it, you want either FS 595A 24087, or FS 595B 24084 (the same color, but two different numbers) - you do NOT want FS 595B 24087 - that color is not correct for vehicles of the Vietnam and earlier period.

I've got some color photos at home, I'll take a look as to the black chassis.

HTH,
David Doyle

 

[rumplecat]

David:
I had a look at the photos you shared with me, all of them are all green, but this guy was absolutely sure they were black, and that one of the first things they did was to paint everything OD!
James G.

 

[maddawg308]

I've heard that the undercarriage of almost every mil vehicle was black as well. I think the axles were indeed painted whatever color the body was.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I know that it's not an M543 but my M108 wrecker was strata blue. Under the dash, the frame, the axles and the transfer case were all carefully blasted down and the last color I saw before primer was the strata blue. I was a bit amazed by that.

 

[cranetruck]

The drive train/undercarriage on my 1969 xm757 was OD as was everything else on the vehicle. Some parts of the frame were painted black by previous owner (not Army).
The best match I have found is the Aervoe 24084 (997B). David did not suggest Aervoe, but the color match is very good.

 

[clinto]

I have started stripping my truck for paint and everything underneath is the original semi-gloss drab. Inside of the frame, axles, springs, etc.

 

[jasonjc]

Some of my trucks have black under coating with color over the top of that. I can get pic if you what or you can come by and look.

 

[DDoyle]

The black on the frame of the M135 family of vehicles is not paint - it was applied via a process called Bonderizing - which was pattened by Ford Motor Company (who evidently then licensed it). It is possible that the five tons were given a similar treatment. I've got a copy of the first contract for the G744 series at home - I'll take a look and see it this is mentioned.

HTH,
David

 

[67Beast]

We had a debate about this over on the M715zone awhile back about proper frame color. My 67' had a factory green frame that looks like it was later sprayed with a black rubberized undercoating. And during the stripping of the frame, the green was the last color before the primer. I have a pic that shows a spot from under the bed where the undercoating is flaking off to show the green under it. Now several other members swear that black was the only color coating on thier frames before stripping them. Who's correct? I don't know, but I know that I restored mine the way it was on my truck. Who knows there have may have been a change in production that they started to use black, or my be the day the painted mine they ran out of black and just used some green they had around?