Truck Facts
The International Harvester R-Series Paint Facts
According to International Harvester records (Paint Committee Decision No. 172 PDF 1.8 MB - Source: Wisconsin Historical Society), the following colors were available as standard for the L and R-Series line starting in 1949:
Standard Colors
- Harvester Red No. 50
- Adirondack Green No. 10
- Apache Yellow No. 165
- Arizona Blue No. 143
Optional Colors
- Salt River Sand No. 33
- Door County Green No. 4
- Black Canyon Black No. 60
- Valencia Orange No. 90
- Palomino Cream No. 102
- Chesapeake Gray No. 112
I have two paint chip sets that I managed to find. One states that it is for International colors from 1950 through 1953, and the other states that it is for colors through 1956. The image above is for the chip set covering the years 1950 through 1953, and the image to the left is for the set covering the years through 1956.
You can view a larger image of the paint chip set by clicking on either image. You can also download a high-resolution printable PDF of the paint chips under the "Files to Download" section in the right margin.
Many of these colors "carried over" at some of the plants. My original truck, the '53 R-110, was maroon; so the Maroon No. 22 was obviously a carry-over color at one of the plants since it had supposedly been discontinued earlier. If anyone has an further information on this, please let me know and I will gladly post it for everyone's benefit.
Paint Mix Information
These formulas accompanied the paint chip cards. The information is undoubtedly old and likely outdated. Hopefully it might still be of some use and can possibly be cross-referenced to modern mixes. At the bottom of the page is some current information for a few of the colors.
INTERNATIONAL (Acme Paints in Detroit MI) Lacquer Formulas
1396 CUMBERLAND GREEN No. 7
Fill To:
716 White - 25-1/4
731 Blue Toner - 46-1/4
721 Medium Yellow - 53-1/2
726 Green Toner - 54-1/2
715 Black - 56
1397 YUMA CREAM NO. 106
Fill To:
716 White - 52-3/4
723 Oxide Yellow - 54-3/4
721 Medium Yellow - 55-3/4
715 Black - 56
1398 CASCADE LIGHT GREEN
Fill To:
716 White - 42
786 Tinting Green Toner- 47-3/4
787 Tinting Oxide Yellow - 53
788 Tinting Black - 54-3/4
742 Gold Toner - 56
1399 GULFSTREAM BLUE NO. 46
Fill To:
716 White - 46-3/4
731 Blue Toner - 51
715 Black - 54-3/4
726 Green Toner - 56
1470-A HARVESTER RED NO. 50
Fill To:
831 Vermilion - 34-1/2
732 Dark Red - 51-1/4
736 Bright Maroon - 55
716 White - 56
1472 ADIRONDACK GREEN NO. 10
Fill To:
723 Oxide Yellow - 26-3/4
715 Black - 44
810 Prussian Blue - 55-3/4
716 White - 56
1473 APACHE YELLOW NO. 165
Fill To:
721 Medium Yellow - 39-1/2
811 Orange - 52-1/4
807 Yellow - 55-1/4
715 Black - 56
1477 CHESAPEAKE GRAY NO. 112
Fill To:
716 White - 42-3/4
715 Black - 49
723 Oxide Yellow - 55
724 Red Oxide - 56
1478 VALENCIA ORANGE NO. 90
Fill To:
811 Orange - 30-1/2
733 Flame Red - 52-1/2
716 White - 55-1/4
715 Black- 56
1553-G CAMBRIAN CORAL OR SALMON PINK
Fill To:
716 White - 39-1/4
725 Cadmium Red- 53-3/4
723 Oxide Yellow - 55-1/4
788 Tinting Black - 56
1554 MAGNOLIA IVORY OR IVORY
Fill To:
716 White - 48-3/4
742 Gold Toner - 52-1/4
723 Oxide Yellow - 53-3/4
788 Tinting Black - 55-1/4
787 Tinting Oxide Yellow - 55-3/4
715 Black - 56
1555 ADOBE TAN OR COPPER TAN
Fill To:
716 White - 39
714 Burnt Sienna - 52-3/4
750 Maroon Toner - 55-1/4
715 Black - 56
1556 WILLOW GREEN
Fill To:
716 White - 47-1/4
722 PC Green Toner - 54-1/4
742 Gold Toner - 55-1/4
715 Black - 56
1557 CANARY YELLOW
Fill To:
716 White - 36-1/2
749 Lemon Yellow - 44-1/2
723 Oxide Yellow - 51-3/4
786 Tinting Green Toner - 56
Sherwin Williams KEM Synthetic
DARK GREEN No. 10 (1939-49)
ADIRONDACK GREEK No. 10 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Beading
55-1/2 Chrome Green Dark (F3G 43959) / 55-1/2
29 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 84-1/2
8 White (F3W 43950) / 92-1/2
2-1/2 Chinese Blue (F3L 43960) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
MAROON No. 22 (1940-49)
Parts / Gauge Reading
45-1/2 Maroon, Light (F3M 43961) / 45-1/2
39-1/2 Tinting Maroon (F3M 43970) / 85
9 Toluidine Red (F3R 43953) / 94
1/2 White (F3W 43950) / 94-1/2
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 99-1/2
ARIZONA BLUE No. 43 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Reading
40-1/2 Perm. Purple Blue (F3L 43973) / 40-1/2
32 White (F3W 43950) / 72-1/2
14-1/2 Perm. Toning Green (F3G 43967) / 87
7-1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 94-1/2
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 99-1/2
HARVESTER RED No. 50 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Reading
91-1/2 Toluidine Red (F3R 43953) / 91-1/2
2 White (F3W 43950) / 93-1/2
1-1/2 Maroon, Light (F3M 43961) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
ORANGE No. 90 (1939-47)
Parts / Gauge Reading
68 Chrome Orange (F3E 43956) / 68
24 Crimson Red (F3R 43965) / 92
2 White (F3W 43950) / 94
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 99
APACHE YELLOW No. 165 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Reading
75 Chrome Yellow Medium (F3Y 43955) / 75
14 Chrome Orange (F3E 43956) / 89
5-1/2 White (F3W 43950) / 94-1/2
1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
1950-1951 International Optional Colors
DOOR COUNTY GREEN No. 4
Parts / Gauge Reading
45-1/2 Chrome Green Liqht (F3G 43958) / 45-1/2
37 White (F3W 43950) / 82-1/2
8 Chrome Yellow Medium (F3Y 43955) / 90-1/2
4-1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 85
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
SALT RIVER SAND No. 33
Parts / Gauge Reading
43 White (F3W 43950) / 43
34 Perm. Toning Yellow (F3Y 43957) / 77
14 Sienna (F3N 43971) / 91
3-1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 94-1/2
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 99-1/2
VALENCIA ORANGE No. 90
Parts / Gauge Reading
70 Chrome Orange (F3E 43956) / 70
15-1/2 Toluidine Red (F3R 43953) / 85-1/2
9-1/2 White (F3W 43950) / 95
T Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
PALOMINO CREAM No. 102
Parts / Gauge Reading
81-1/2 White (F3W 43950) / 81-1/2
10-1/4 Perm. Toning Yellow (F3Y 43957) / 92
2-1/2 Primrose Yellow (F3Y 43972) / 94-1/2
1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
CHESAPEAKE GRAY No. 112
Parts / Gauge Reading
75-1/2 White (F3W 43950) / 75-1/2
9-1/2 Carbon Black (F3B 43974) / 85
8 Perm. Toning Yellow (F3Y 43957) / 93
2 Oxide Red (F3R 43952) / 95
5 Kem Mix (V66V5) / 100
Sherwin Williams - Opex Laquer
DARK GREEN No. 10 (1939-49)
ADIRONDACK GREEK No. 10 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Beading
48-1/2 Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 48-1/2
25 Light Chrome Green (L3G 31117) / 73-1/2
13-1/2 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 87
12-1/2 Prussian Blue (L3L 31044) / 99-1/2
ARIZONA BLUE No. 43 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Beading
48-1/2 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 48-1/2
28-1/2 Perm. Toning Blue (L3L 31244) / 77
18 Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 95
5 Perm. Toning Yellow (L3Y 31163) / 100
HARVESTER RED No. 50 (1939-51)
Cannot Intermix
APACHE YELLOW No. 165 (1950-51)
Parts / Gauge Beading
100 Chrome Yellow (L3Y 31002) / 100
T Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 100
International Optional Colors (Opex Laquer)
DOOR COUNTY GREEN No. 4
Parts / Gauge Beading
44-1/2 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 44-1/2
33-1/2 Light Chrome Green (L3G 31117) / 78
16-1/2 Chrome Yellow (L3Y 31002) / 94-1/2
5-1/2 Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 100
SALT RIVER SAND No. 33
Parts / Gauge Reading
52-1/2 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 52-1/2
32 Perm. Toning Yellow (L3Y 31163) / 84-1/2
10 Sienna (L3N 31116) / 94-1/2
5-1/2 Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 100
VALENCIA ORANGE No. 90
Cannot Intermix
PALOMINO CREAM No. 102
Parts / Gauge Reading
86 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 86
8-1/2 Perm. Toning Yellow (L3Y 31163) / 94-1/2
5-1/2 Perm. Green Yellow (L3Y 31262) / 100
T Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 100
CHESAPEAKE GRAY No. 112
Parts / Gauge Reading
80-1/2 Auto White (L3W 31001) / 80-1/2
12-1/2 Carbon Black (L3B 31253) / 93
4-1/2 Perm. Toning Yellow (L3Y 31163) / 97-1/2
2-1/2 Sienna (L3N 31116) / 100
Some Current Information
Finally, here is some more current information obtained from OldIHC.org's Paint FAQ section for paint mix:
Adirondak Green: PPG #DAR42243, Centari #9384155, DuPont #2498D
Gulfstream Blue: DuPont #BS164N
Note: DuPont BS164N crosses to PPG 501766 'Spectra Master Blue' aka Gulfstream Blue, but there is no formula in the PPG library for 501766.
Magnolia Ivory: DuPont #LS012N
Note: DuPont LS012N crosses to PPG 91843 'Light Neutral' aka Magnolia Ivory, but there is no formula in the PPG library for 918443.
Harvester Red: DuPont #74014. (According to a color scan).
You can also check Auto Color Library by typing in "International" then the year of your truck. It will then show you paint chip information and give you current mix information and provide you quotes.
