Model 2 Restoration - Paint

[tony991]

I just got a Federal Model 2 siren a few weeks ago. I'm planning to completely go through it. I want to strip and paint the housing first though. It looks like it was originally yellow then painted red later on. Do you guys think it was a civil defense siren painted red? Or was is it the original federal red? If it is the original red paint, what paint best matched the original. What yellow should I use if its civil defense?

Also, How can I tell what year it is? Through the searial number correct?

Thanks!!

[Brendan W]

Take some photos of the ID tags and post them, Someone may be able to determine when they were made,

[holler]

Yes I would also recommend getting the housing sandblasted. Here are two Model 2 sirens that I recently sandblasted and repainted. Both were painted with Acrylic Urethane automotive paint.

Red


Yellow

[tony991]

What is the name/codes for the red and yellow paint that you used?

[Bryan]

From the pictures its hard to tell if it was red or yellow originally. I'd venture to guess that it was yellow originally and was repainted red. Its really up to you on the color you'd like on the thing, if you want a "proper" CD restore then obviously yellow is the color.

[Tyler]

Well in order to tell what model it is Federal usually puts the year the product was made in the last two characters of the serial number. For example, lets say that a Thunderbolt was made in 1974 and you didn't know what year it was made on. You could look at the last two characters of the serial number and it will tell you that the Thunderbolt was made in 74.

[RyanJamesDean98]

Well in order to tell what model it is Federal usually puts the year the product was made in the last two characters of the serial number. For example, lets say that a Thunderbolt was made in 1974 and you didn't know what year it was made on. You could look at the last two characters of the serial number and it will tell you that the Thunderbolt was made in 74.

That is somewhat far from the truth. A LOT of Federal Signals products don't follow that serial number order. My Model A for example had no year whatsoever in the serial number. The only reason I know the year it was made is because it was printed on the motor. But then again, the Model 2 is the rarest siren known to man.

[RyanJamesDean98]

What I would do to find out the original color is to take off the ID plate, and see whats under it. Then to be sure I'd lightly scrape/sand that paint to reveal what was underneath it.

[ThunderboltFan102]

It's your call. However; there's not many yellow ones out there; so maybe yellow would be cool.

It's just a suggestion.

[tony991]

What I would do to find out the original color is to take off the ID plate, and see whats under it. Then to be sure I'd lightly scrape/sand that paint to reveal what was underneath it.

That was a good idea!
There was more rust than there was paint under the ID plate. But it looks like it use to be yellow.

What kind of yellow should I use to best match the Civil Defense yellow? I read somewhere that Caterpillar yellow was a close match.. What do you guys think??