Paint for 1946 Chief - Was Midnight Blue a Factory option?

[rmmccon]

Looking at buying a 1946 Chief. Was Midnight Blue a legitimate paint option? Copy of the 1946 Sales Brochure doesn't show many paint options?

[pisten-bully]

According to Jerry Hatfield's Indian Motorcycle Restoration Guide: "Navy Blue ('blue-black') observed on some unrestored 1946 Chief's"

[exeric]

This was the '46 Chief that Toney Watson did. It's also the featured '46 Chief that is in Jerry Hatfield's book on Indian Chiefs. I remember Toney saying he had a few naysayers question the color but the bike did very well in AMCA judging so obviously he was able to prove the color was correct. My 1917 Henderson is virtually the same color which is a Packard Blue (i.e. very dark blue). Toney's '46 was the best restored '46 I've ever seen.

[cdf6333]

46 Chief paint color

Looking at buying a 1946 Chief. Was Midnight Blue a legitimate paint option? Copy of the 1946 Sales Brochure doesn't show many paint options?

There was no option for the blue on that 1946, or any later, Chief. Toney Watson was one of my favorite people, we shared a lot of info over the years, but this is wrong. First 1946's=black, then Police Silver at some point, then Indian Red at some point. When?? When did the Prairie Green become available in 48? A copy of an original 1948 Chief Factory Order sheet is on my web site. Oldstylebolts.com---assembly sets----1948 Chief-----Order sheet. The order sheet clearly dated 1948 lists Deluxe Black, Indian Red and Seafoam Blue as the only options. Then go to the 1948 Indian Accessory catalog, page 14. Indian Genuine Enamel, 3 can sizes available for: Indian Red, Royal (what happened to Deluxe?) Black, Seafoam Blue and Prairie Green. No nutty blue, sorry.
Bob@Beard Machine, 41 year 46 chief owner, 54,000 miles since restored, none slow.

[phillie]

exeric I have an article on that bike it scored a 99.25 and received the winner's circle award 3 times. He called the color "a deep shade of blue almost black" - Police Blue.

[rmmccon]

So if Midnight Blue or Police Blue wasn't a standard showroom color, does this mean someone could have opted for the $5 option of picking from Dupont's other colors?

[jim d]

I have one of Steve Johnson's Indian original paint porcelain enameled signs.The literature that is with it uses these two as a reference. 1. Indian Accessory Bulletin #19, page 3, April 14, 1947: (346-347) Red, Black, Seafoam Blue, Dark Blue, Police Silver. 2. Indian Accessory Bulletin #35, page 9, November 17,1947: (346-347) Red, Black, Seafoam Blue, Dark Blue, Police Silver.This sign has all of the factory colors from 1946-53. Nine out of the twelve colors are factory paint the other three were matched from factory paint. Also included was a list of the Indian literature listing paint colors for the same years that were considered standard. I beleive that there was a article on this sign in the AMCA magazine about 5 or 6 years ago.
Thanks
Jim D.

[Greasy rider]

Is Toney Watson still with us, or the current owner of the '46? I have a '48 that is going to paint in a couple of months, and i'd like to know the paint code of the dark blue that is on Toney Watson's bike.
thanx