Priest question

[jknaus]

Anyone know if the whole interior of a Brit Priest from the dessert5 would be in OD? Would the gearcase be white? Would they maybe paint it the exterior colour? All the refs I have and that simple question is not answered. Thanks in advance.
James

 

[AndyFettes]

I would say that the driving area would still be in OD and the firing area maybe be in the desert scheme
I dont think Ive ever seen an interior painted in white anywhere in pictures

 

[willem]

Hi James,

Recently I had the same question.
After googling and searching for many hours I came to the conclusion that all M7's interiors where simply OD.
Only the dashboard could be white (but not always !)

Succes !

 

[jknaus]

Hi James,

Recently I had the same question.
After googling and searching for many hours I came to the conclusion that all M7's interiors where simply OD.
Only the dashboard could be white (but not always !)

Succes !

Thanks. I went with that also. The drivers area is white, and the inside face of the forward plate. I did all the rest OD. Its amazing how few pictures there actually are on the web of the insides of one of these beasts.
James

 

[Bagge]

Looks like all OD, atleast on the few pics i found
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M7_Priest_crew_refilling_shell_rack_17-01-1944_IWM_NA_10923.jpg
//Mats

 

[Sharkmouth]

Well, I don't trust museum photos so here are some TM images:

Engine Compartment is white.

Transmission is white.

A period photo:

Anything visible from above is Olive Drab (I have seen instrument panels in black or Olive Drab depending on date, there are also two types of dash.

Later type in OD.

Now look at the M3 Lee type dash in the Sexton posted here:
http://panzerfaust.ca/AFV%20interiors/sexton1.html

Here we see the Sexton type dash in a museum example so don't use for color matching:
http://panzerfaust.ca/AFV%20interiors/sexton2.html

Last page since I showed you the other two:
http://panzerfaust.ca/AFV%20interiors/sexton3.html

Hope this helps,

 

[jknaus]

Its awesome Saul.It doesnt help though, now I have to repaint the interior. Appreciate the pics and links. Oh well :pinch:
James

 

[willem]

As a possible reference I used this one, not pretending its the absolute or only truth:

As you can see, on the primer/rust surface there are only traces of OD visible.
Dash is white.

It could be a field conversion, but at least no museum painting.

Hope it helps,
willem

 

[Sharkmouth]

It could be a field conversion, but at least no museum painting.

It definitely has been repainted. For one, the complete interior side of the transmission was white directly from the subcontractor and appears so in every period photo I have seen and all the manuals. It shouldn't appear in primer. See my previous post. Second the control columns are in the same primer yet these are produced from another subcontractor. The primer also covers the handles which appear as black in every period image of any Sherman variant. I have see the columns in both white and Olive Drab.

The only mention of painting red in the M7 manual or the three piece transmission manual (TM 9-1750 from which the above image appears) is "Paint a few gear teeth with a light coat of mixture of powdered red led and any light machine oil to allow the bearing surface to be observed." The only other mention of paint during maintenance is white lead for screws and "Alumilastic" for flanges and bearing surfaces. Alumilastic is a sealing material.

This is too late for James as he has already painted the entire area, including transmission, in Olive Drab. Hopefully, others will catch this thread.

Regards,

 

[jknaus]

So I could have left it white like I originally had it? I give up.
James

 

[Sharkmouth]

So I could have left it white like I originally had it? I give up.
James

Only the inside of the power train unit as seen in the previous image. The rest was from the factory which made the hull so OD seems to be correct.

Forgive the Moire effect as I didn't calibrate the scanner. This is from the 1942 TM for the M4 and M4A1 Sherman. In this image, see the driving control lever handles.

Don't worry James, I won't tell anyone. My concern was the implication that the colors are original since it was stated that "no museum painting" was done. This may be true but some painting was done along the way.

Regards,