J Model Paint colours

[Shawn]

1950 Panhead,

I wish i could just sand off the paint to uncover the bottom layer. There is no paint left on mine just rusty metal. I want to restore my sidecar as close to factor as possible. Thanks

[Ric Bolduc]

The color of the 1917 through twenties sidecar frames were Brewster Green, although black was an option beginning sometime in the later twenties. I have a 1925 accessory manual listing touch-up paints available and it lists Brewster Green as the touch-up paint for sidecar frames. I also have an old factory photo from the early twenties showing sidecar frames being painted with a brush... Hard to believe but once I saw the photo I looked close at my original 1917 sidecar frame and it does appear to have brush marks.

[Tommo]

I agree with Ric but the big question is when did HD start painting their sidecar chassis black.
Brewster green ages to appear to be almost black and the only place I've found that has unfaded paint is under the step.
I've seen the odd 1926 chassis with either colour but have only found black paint on 1927 and later chassis.
My guess, and its only a guess, is that black sidecar chassis started somewhere in 1926 and was definitely in by 1927.
I'd be interested in other peoples thoughts on this issue.

[Steve Slocombe]

For 1932, Harley tightened up on special orders by making a standard chrome package and saying all motorcycle frames would be black. Some or all export frames continued to be olive green until at least 1936. That would leave a 1927-1931 period with green motorcycle frames and black sidecar frames, which sounds a little unlikely, although applying logic to the Harley factory in this period does not always work.

[Tommo]

Steve,
With the sidecar chassis being a different colour to the frame from 1917 approx. to 1927 approx. (with the exception of 1922 and 1923 when the standard frame colour was Brewster Green) why wouldn't Harley carry on like that into the 30's.
The real question is not if but when did the chassis colour change to black.
You see my guess in my previous post.

[Ric Bolduc]

I purchased an unrestored 1931 QT (two-passenger) sidecar rig a few years ago and the frame still had remnants of original Brewster Green paint, which leads me to believe that Brewster Green was at least an option up to this point.

[Shawn]

Does anyone know what parts of the sidecar frame were painted and which parts were pasteurized? I assume all the nuts and bolts were parkerized. Were the springs painted or Parkerized? Were any sidecar parts nickle plates?

[Chris Haynes]

pasteurized?

Pasteurized?

[Shawn]

Sorry, it should have said Parkerized. I used my phone and it self corrects words it doesn't recognize.

[Chris Haynes]

Sorry, it should have said Parkerized. I used my phone and it self corrects words it doesn't recognize.

:-) .......