For the steering column... I'd use a brown half way between the brown you used on your steering column and the color of your speedometer and gauges in the below picture.
The steering wheel and mast jacket are always the same color. May be very slightly different due to different types of paint used, Same color for horn button also.
To put things together in my mind, how about this synopsis.....
According to this article from Barry Weeks, the “instrument panel is a a dark gray with a mottle of Perl gray”. Since the article also references the color of the “instrument cluster”, I assume that the “instrument panel” is the dash. That color goes along with what Gene says. So I’m looking at keeping the dash gray. At least that’s written down by GM........
Olie mentioned checking out Carter’s for the period paint. Carter’s had a Perl/gray for 1941-?. Maybe they had the date wrong? Jim put a lot of faith in Carter’s research and it looks like a vote for what Carter suggested which is Perl/gray......
Gene also mentioned using Perl/gray for the interior although the color I found under my interior panel does not show that color(previous picture) The entire truck had been repainted at one point except under moldings and underneath the interior panels
Looks like a lot of votes for Perl/gray.....
Gene mentioned the steering wheel, column, button are all the same color and are brown.... Ole’s picture seems to verify this....
I took some new pictures of the dark brown paint for the steering wheel assembly, and the Perl/gray both offered by Carter. (Bronze on the left, Perl/gray on the right)I also have one of the Brewster Green Medium I created (the center color is actually a different test from the two other ones). Seems to match up to Ole’s truck color.
Lighting sure makes a difference....
I’m still conflicted about using a gray dash.... maybe 1940 was an odd year....?
Regarding your interior... I think the most important and reliable post, pictures, and information comes from Jim's post on 10/21/20 06:06 PM. He's the one who had an original unmolested 1940 to begin with, and recreated just that. I think if you base everything around his information you will be as right as you can be. That's really where I was going with my previous posts.
I have seen cases where published preproduction information didn't quite match what eventually came off the production line. I have to suspect this to be the case with the "dark gray" dash. Especially as I really can't see Chev using a brown instrument cluster from the 1940 cars and brown steering column and wheel in an otherwise gray cab. Not when you consider how well they put colors together in the rest of their vehicles.
Maybe there was a color change midyear... but if it were me, I'd stick with what Jim has to offer.
Ok, Ole, you mentioned that you thought that the gauge background color changed from light to dark mid year.... maybe that’s not the only thing they changed. I believe Gene made a comment about having a hammered gray dash and a non hammered gray for the interior. That would seem to fit... the older pictures you posted seem to show that.
I doubt very much that there was more than one 1940 truck interior colorss but is possible that Canadian trucks were not the same as US. The 1940 parts book does not list more than one seat, etc or other interior parts.
Gene, respectfully... I didn't think so either... but look at my 2 posts above. Two of the three trucks are gray and appear original. One is pearl beige and also looks original. And Jim's truck was positively pearl beige. My parts books show a change in gauge color between 1940 "first jobs" and later 1940 trucks. Light brown in early, then the common darker brown after. They are even different part numbers. Isn't it at least possible that the gauge color change was done along with a change from hammered gray to pearl beige on the interior panels?
Doesn't that all seem to sort of fit together and make some sense?
As for trucks up here in Canada, I'll have to look at my brothers 1946 2 ton again, but I think they used "wrinkle brown" up here.
My master parts book shows different numbers for cars and trucks. Only my 1938-46 truck parts book shows the change between "first jobs" and "after jobs" in 1940. Later books make it look like there was no change due to a "one size fits all" approach. I don't have a 1940 or 41 passenger parts book to know if the gauges actually changed or not during that time in the cars.
