Hi Star guys. I am completing the bodywork and am now preparing to paint the Star. It is a speedster body. It once had a painted green frame, varnish on the wood spokes, red centers and rims, and siver painted wheels. The body was once yellow with black fenders, splash aprons, hood shelves and latches. Questions: Is it ok to paint the wooden spokes, and what color? Are there paint choices? Is it ok to paint the frame black? How about body colors? How about pin striping and on what parts of the body? Am not trying to produce a show car at all, but would like to show public what a Star Speedster looked like. Thanks for ANY help. Ben

What year is the car? Wheels were either natural or black. Hubd were black. Chassis was black. The color would be your choice but it should be some color that was available in the year the car was made. Colors most in use were black, maroon, blue and maybe green. No matalic. Engine was gray-green. Speedsters were not made at the factory but were the hod rods of the day so who knows what they really looked like.

Bob

Ben: Just to add to what Bob said. Speedsters were not sold new by the automobile companies but were built by the owners from scratch or from kits (Mercury Body) and could be painted to please the owner. Go to the following website and take a look at various speedsters and you will see that they vary in color and style. This is an excellent club and although it is affiliated with the Model T club a lot of the cars are not Model T's. I have built two speedsters and painted one Blue to match my 1923 Moon and the other one was black which matched my 1916 Model T. If you are married ask your wife what color she likes and please her. http://www.nwvs.org/Home/home.shtml
Hope this helps
Jan

You have forgotten about the most famous, factory made speedster of all times, the Stutz Bearcat, made in Indianapolis, IN.

Where Are You From? Kokomo,IN

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 Star F, formerly a 4 dr. sedan

i have a stutz radiator emblem in my drawer....the one with winged sides

Where Are You From? penna

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1929 model 60 4 dr durant ; 1925 star f roadster; 1929 '60' coupe

If you think back on it, red was a popular color for old equipment, barns and railroad cars. Reds come from iron oxides and can range from yellows to browns to red.

A lot of old houses were white, made from lead oxide.

Old farm wagons were green with red wheels. The green probably comes from copper mineral.

Black was common, made from carbon, or lamp black.

Blues are more of a mystery. I think of bluing ink. Anyway, blues derive from compounds of cyanide. They became practical in the mid 1700's. Before that, blue was very expensive.

I had a 1935 REO with aluminum paint color. Don't know how far back that could have been used. Somewhere back then, complete car bodies were cast in aluminum and polished up.

John Deere was green and yellow from early days. It wasn't until late 30's that most farm tractors started getting colorful. Then they covered just about every color. Yellows, oranges, greens, reds, blues, and silvers. Fords and Fergusons kept the traditional greys. (Bird droppings didn't show up so much.)

The fluid in the paint would have been fish oil, whale oil, seal oil, linseed oil, turpentine, or even cow's milk.

All this adds up to is that by 1920, most any color could have been mixed up. It was mostly tradition, cost, and a sense of dignity that ended up with so many dark cars. The giants of consumption and setters of style were the railroads.

Do You own a car built by Durant? yes

One Bright Color! Speedsters were the "Hot Rod" , "Sports Cars" or "Racers" of the day in the Teens and Twenties. Styled from the earliest Race cars; like Locomobile "Old 16" the 1906 Locomobile Vanderbilt Cup racer that brought America its first international grand prix victory at the Vanderbilt Cup race held on Long Island New York in 1908.

Because of their Sporting nature "Speedsters" or "Cut-Downs" were the opposite of "normal" cars and were usually done in very bright colors; such as Red, Yellow, White or sometimes Blue or Green. The frame, running gear and wheels were usually ALL done in the same BRIGHT color, with usually Black pinstripes.

Factory made Speedster examples come to mind of; Stutz, Mercer, Mercedes or even Duesenberg that were individually or sanctioned raced. Many times the frames were cut down (shortened) to be lighter or more sporty, and the bodywork was always made Light or abbreviated.

Many were "homebuilt" or made by the individual to just re-use an old car. Most were on a production Ford or other chassis's the owner had, and many used the aftermarket Mercury Body's as mentioned. Lately some have been done on Teen's/20's LaFrance fire-truck chassis's cut down to be sporty (But still huge).

Speedster bodywork usually consisted of the "basic's"; just an engine Hood, Cowl, 2 Bucket seats on a flat floor, with Fuel tank and Spare tire(s) behind. Later in the 20's fenders and low sides were added to the body.

Since I don't have a complete 28 Locomobile 8-70 Sedan to restore (and can't find body parts!). I am taking my Loco 8-70 chassis & engine parts and putting together a 28 Loco 8-70 speedster in the early Loco "Old 16" style. There's litle bodywork from the cowl back and just 2 early bucket style seats on a flat wood floor, Big gas tank, spares, and possibly fenders. It will be a Bright color (yelow?) on the body, frame, wheels, etc. and possibly pinstripes? And Oh Yes; "a HUGE straight 8 Continental engine" in this short 120" inch Loco chassis!

Built just for FUN to get it on the road again!

Lance C.

Where Are You From? Niceville, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 and 26 Locomobile JR-8's, 1928 Loco 8-70, 30 Durant 610