Olive drab paint

[Chris in Japan]

Well... this issue of the color is getting more complicated than expected. I have asked Antique Cycle Supply to quote me an HD civilian green valid for 1917 and let's see what comes out... They should certainly know better than me!

I attach here the picture the brand new (even not in my hands yet!) bought "Motorcyke" that I will try to restore (including paint) by myself - should be easier than a motorcycle!

I attach also a supposedly original paint one belonging to a collector in US... Does somebody recognizes the color?

Kind regards.

Chris.

[23JDCA 808]

http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle522.htm

[don]

PPG says this 1001 isn't a good number. Anyone have a good number for the Olive green on a 31 vl?

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Don, with a bit of research you can still match Olive Green to the Seaweed paint code given earlier in this thread. My painter says the BS 4800 reference is important. I have painted up some samples of this onto small sheet metal plates if you get desperate or need to double check.

At the risk of further controversy, I think the WW1 Harleys were painted glossy Olive Drab, then it was called Olive Green on the subsequent civvy bikes, called Glossy Olive Drab again on the few 1930s military bikes such as my one-time 35VD6993, used through 1941 on for instance the South African 41WLA models, then used flat as Olive Drab for the bulk of WW2.

[vph-d]

Olive Drab is a military term. The shade was applied in gloss, semi-gloss, and flat finish over the years. I don't think there is any relation to the MOCO's use of the term 'Olive" to describe a green color.
VPH-D

[John A]

The question came up again elsewhere, so thought I’d share this.

Olive Green versus Drab, here’s the full 9 yards.
• In 1916 the standard civilian colour was Gray*.
• In 1917 Harley started using a gloss light green (the colour of green olives) on civilian bikes, now most often referred to as Olive Green. However, at the time, to cash-in on WW1 patriotism Harley named it Military Drab*.
• Some photos of military Harleys of the time looked to be a similar shade, but definitely matt, usually without lining.
• By 1919 Harley called the civilian colour Military Olive Drab*.
• It was not a drab colour, it was still the light shade that most people now call gloss Olive Green.
• In ’22 and ’23 the standard colour was a dark green, gloss Brewster Green*, though Olive Green was an option.
• In ’24 the standard colour reverted to the same gloss light green as before, Harley renaming it Olive Green* (people were trying to forget the war by then, Roaring ’20’s and all that). The name had changed but the colour had not (except for the Brewster Green years).
• Olive Green remained the standard colour till ’32 and continued as an option for many years.
• WW2 military 45’s were usually (not always) finished in a dark matt green, generally referred to as Military Drab, but nothing like the colour Harley referred to in 1917 as Military Drab and by 1919 Military Olive Drab.

*All taken from Harley annual new model brochures

John