1953 Kohler Generator

I own a 1953 Kohler generator model number 10R63 rated at 10KW. Does anyone know what color these units were originally painted? Mine has been painted gray and the original color must have been stripped off because there is no paint under the gray. The old Waukesha engine is running great now it's time to make it look good! Thanks in advance for the help.

Gene Largent in southern Ill.

Might well have been a Navy unit, in which case it would have been gray to begin with.

The unit was the emergency generator for the Renard Hospital Building at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where I am employed so it was probably not a military unit.

Gene

Gene, I've seen may cases of military units being used in institutional setups. I seem to remember owning a plant like yours which was originally light gray. Harvey

Uncle Sugar had massive giveaways of equipment like generators over time, and your machine was probably one of those donations. I have one of the 28 volt Homelites that Uncle Sugar donated to charge the battery bank powering the emergency lights at the Rochester War Memorial Auditorium. Don Denhart has one, and there are a few postings on this board about his machine. His may be smaller than your. Don has also put up a web site with the complete manual for Navy Kohlers, http://geocities.com/dondenhardt/index.html

The prevailing opinion is that my unit is probably a military unit and came in gray, hmmm. Does anyone know what color the civilian units were? Not that I am arguing the fact that it was probably a military unit but that if I like the civilian color better, I will paint it that color! The unit is powered by a Waukesha model 180GL four cylinder water cooled engine with a water cooled exhaust manifold if that helps with identification any. Thanks for the input!

Gene

Gene;

I saw one about five or six years ago at a show that was painted gray. Without seting it next to one I would say about an 8N Ford gray. I just thought it came from the factory that color. I even took a picture of it.

A really nice metalic blue might be interesting.

That's just my OPINION, for whatever it's worth.

"DELCO DON" Southern Illinois

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess she will be staying gray! I need to get together with you sometime Don. I live in Monroe County Il. and would like to see your collection.

Gene

Late 60's Kohlers were painted a medium blue. I don't think it was metallic but it does have a silver cast.

Generators in the fleet

~ 1970 Kohler 1.5 CM25 with a 4 HP K91 engine

~ 1967 Kohler 2.5 RM22 with a 6.6 (7)HP K161 engine ( just got this one today)

1953 Onan 4ABG 5KW Military spec with a Continental N56 aluminum 4 cylinder water cooled flat head. 192 hours on the clock.