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color help needed - 1973 case 644

6975 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  silvertogold
I know the power train is Power Red (kind of orange tint to the red) - I'm good with that - it's a great match.

My problem is the yellow...

Power Yellow is VERY close to caterpillar yellow which is too dark.
From what I have read, the 1973 is Desert Sunset.

I did a google search on "Desert Sunset", and selected the images option and see that some images show Case tractors that are yellow with a slight orange tint, while other images show tractors with a faded yellow, kind of a beige/yellow. When I look at the descriptions, both pictures claim desert sunset.

With my 1973 Case 644, I have found the original color to be closer to the brighter yellow with a slight orange tint.

What color paint should I be looking for????


:crazy:
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Case did not use Desert Sunset on the 600 Series tractors.

You are correct that you need Power Red for the frame, axles, hitch, wheels etc but the tin was painted the bright yellow that you are finding on the areas that were not exposed to sunlight. There was a colour called Federal Yellow but I am not positive that this is correct for your tractor. If I were you, I would call Messicks and talk to them. Do not get Power Tan. This colour was not used until late 1976 on the 600 Series to bring it into line with the colours used on the construction equipment at that time.

http://www.messicks.com/
Please excuse me, I just returned from the porcelain throne after researching the :Federal Yellow:

It Appears that Federal Yellow was also the color choose for Cub Cadet's of similar vintage...Further research indicates that both were legacy companies of IH, hence the shared paint color.

If I had not had such horrific luck with the low quality Cub Cadet Products in the past 5 years I would not be in such shock. How could these two possibly be related??? Cub Cadet Tractors are built cheaper than craftsman (which is not saying a lot) and the other products that prostitute their name are even worse,,,

Please tell me I an interpreting their relationship incorrectly!!!
:facepalm:
I'm a little confused about your point about paint colors and Cub Cadets. There has never been any relationship between Case and Cub Cadets in so far as the garden tractors are concerned. Case sold off the garden tractor line before their acquisition of IH.

The older Cadets were rugged machines unlike the modern versions.

I think your best bet on finding the correct color is to visit a Case ag dealer who carries all of the legacy colors and you should be able to easily match the proper color to a sample from your tractor.
silvertogold said:
Please excuse me, I just returned from the porcelain throne after researching the :Federal Yellow:

It Appears that Federal Yellow was also the color choose for Cub Cadet's of similar vintage...Further research indicates that both were legacy companies of IH, hence the shared paint color.

If I had not had such horrific luck with the low quality Cub Cadet Products in the past 5 years I would not be in such shock. How could these two possibly be related??? Cub Cadet Tractors are built cheaper than craftsman (which is not saying a lot) and the other products that prostitute their name are even worse,,,

Please tell me I an interpreting their relationship incorrectly!!!
:facepalm:
Cub Cadet was a brand name invented and developed by International Harvester in the very early 60's. At that time, the Cadet's were made by IH in their own factory and were of a very high quality. Most of the people involved in the sport of garden tractor pulling, choose the early Cub Cadet tractors because of the rear axle assembly that was originally designed and used on a much larger AG tractor put out by IH. Because of economic factors beyond the control of IH during the late 70's, IH formed the Cub Cadet Corporation to separate the garden tractor division from the AG division in 1981. MTD had built a brand new 160,000 square foot manufacturing plant a year or so earlier and entered into a deal with IH to build the Cadet's for IH at that facility. When IH got into deeper financial problems, MTD had positioned itself to purchase Cub Cadet outright. In the beginning of the MTD ownership, the quality of the tractors remained high but owners of later models began to notice changes that were not to their liking. There are those who would argue that MTD got what it wanted out of the deal and that was the rights to the Cub Cadet name and signature colour combination.

I will not comment about the quality or lack thereof when it comes to the Cub Cadets made by MTD because I don't have any direct, personal experience with the product. Shortly after MTD purchased the Cub Cadet Corporation, Case purchased IH. Shortly after that.....the Winneconne division of J. I. Case was sold off to Jack Ingersoll. That's the extent of the relationship between Case and IH but the fact remains that Case/IH dealers exist today and those dealers have access to paint used on both lines of machinery. Paint names can be rather confusing as in the commonly made mistake of calling Desert Sunset.......desert sand. There was a Case Power Yellow, a Case Federal Yellow and a Case Industrial Yellow apparently. That is why I suggested that you contact Messick's, who are a long-time Case/IH dealer and ask them as to which of the yellow's is correct for your tractor.
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WOW, that is an excellent history lesson, I hope there is not a test - I hate tests :lol:


I shall call them today.
There's an even better history lesson on this site's home page. :thumbsup:
I used federal yellow on 2 644s i have restored and think that to be the correct color. horton20
horton20 said:
I used federal yellow on 2 644s i have restored and think that to be the correct color. horton20
I went with the Federal Yellow, and the color is amazingly close. I called the company Hydrive suggested and they admitted their records did not go back that far so they could not commit to an answer (as any one else I have asked), but emailed me the color chart they had. - Really nice guy.

My only issue with the Federal Yellow is that it does not cover nearly as well as the Power Red, but is sure looks nice. :thumbsup:
Thanks gator,

I already purchase the paint today from a Case Dealer, and after reading the posts from that link, I think I made the right choice as it is reported to cover better.
:trink:
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