Paint Colour of South African vehicles North Africa WW2?

[Daan Kemp]

Left sided side-cars for driving on the left side of the road, as in South Africa?

[GeeRam]

Left sided side-cars for driving on the left side of the road, as in South Africa?

Correct (or any ex-British colony area)

[GeeRam]

To all: Does anyone know if "Light Stone, British Standard Colour No.61" is also known as "BS 361 light stone"?
As in BS 381C - 361

Yes, BS381C - 361 is the right one.

Also, its very likely these were all made in the USA in either a standard civilian colour, (or if production after Jan/Feb 1942) in US Army No.9 Olive Drab and then locally in-theatre painted in the appropriate colour, which was by hand with a brush in quite a crude manor. This often meant that the original colour would start to appear, once weather and worn in.
Restoring a WW2 bike (or any AFV or softskin) by spraying nicely in Light Stone 61 etc, is NOT the authentic way of doing so. When my friend restored his BSA WD-M20 into a desert scheme, he did restored it factoy bronze green sprayed finish, then went over it all with light stone by hand using a brush. After a few years the light stone started to weather and wear showing bits of the bronze green showing through. Looked cock on

[Gil Boyd]

As a comparison, I think my bike was a lighter colour then on purchase, it is certainly Olive Drab now!

[bigduke6]

Rob, The light stone was only the lower half of the vehicle colour, ........

Early UK WW2 vehicles would of left the factory in Khaki, 42-44 Service brown then olive drab, even though its a 42 dated bike I'd go with Olive drab.

Link below small bit by Steve Madden (knows a bit about WD Bikes)

Colours

[Gil Boyd]

Saw the Pawn Stars shop in Las Vegas programme last night where they bought an Indian in red and white looked a bit gordy.
Went into his mates covertion shop in LA and came out decked in WW2 green visor and leather Thompson and grenade holder on the front right......brilliant. Bought for $9K and finished in authentic Army as supplied up for sale $25K
To me thats a bargain, anybody else see it?

[GeeRam]

Rob, The light stone was only the lower half of the vehicle colour, ........

Early UK WW2 vehicles would of left the factory in Khaki, 42-44 Service brown then olive drab, even though its a 42 dated bike I'd go with Olive drab.

Link below small bit by Steve Madden (knows a bit about WD Bikes)

Steve does indeed........however, these SA HD's were not ever WD, nor lend lease supply, as they were ordered direct by the Union of SA, and before US entered the war, hence they were built as HD civilian bikes in the HD factory (later supplies were built after Pearl Harbour though) and so as I mentioned would have been likely then built as per US Army supply, in US drab paint finish.
Any that ended up in North Africa with allied forces would have then been hand painted in-theatre in Light Stone (or other possible METO colour combo's as they often used what they could get hold off unlike ETO)