Thanks for all of your help! I eventually ditched the whole "right color" mentality and settled with a nice shade I found on the forum.
SOUTH BEND GRAY by bradjacob.
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Hard to really tell the actual color you chose due to different lighting temperatures and different cameras, There are as many opinions on this forum about paint color as there are
about lubrication oil. Ultimately, the decision is up to you 'cause you're the one that will have to look at your machine from day to day, not those on this forum. And just because
it might be an "original" SB period-correct color doesn't mean it's going to look good anyway. (And with all due respect, this forum doesn't care all that much about originality anyway).
If I might offer a suggestion, before you commit the whole machine to this "South Bend color", I'd paint something small first like the tailstock or maybe a few guards
just to see if you do like it. Actually, I found an original S Bend color under a switch plate on my '58. I had it matched; painted the apron, and was completely under-whelmed
by how it looked. Kind of a baby-crap green. Ultimately, I went back to the machine gray that I've always used and liked.
If you are anti-gray, maybe try black.
Like Texas Gunny said above, spend some time in the South Bend Picture Gallery for suggestions....there are some really great-looking machines in there.
And its okay to obsess about color; machinists obsess about everything else so why not. Just keep it clean from time to time and the paint will last.
Or just walk away from it covered with crap and it won't.
Besides, South Bend saw fit to paint their machines at the factory, otherwise they could have saved a lot of money by just spraying them with diesel or Cosmoline.
IMHO