WE 532 Light Gray/Oxford Gray

[magicbrain]

ebay link:
https://tinyurl.com/y85dbnu7

I found this WE 532 listed on ebay and even though the pictures did not show much detail, being a scarce model I took a chance, placed a bid & won it.
Very glad I did as the shell, handset & caps are all dark Oxford gray painted a light gray.
The base & ringer are dated 3-56, the handset cord is II 58, the line cord I 59 and the dial is a 7G 3 dated 2-59 - so maybe assembled in early 1959 to fill an order for a light gray 532?

[magicbrain]

Couple more pictures

[RotarDad]

Awesome find!  532s in color are hard to find, and Oxford Gray is really cool.  Interesting refurb there!   Now the big question- clean up and leave as is, or attempt a paint removal and restore back to Oxford?  You'd need a cord set and a dial bezel. The bezel may be extremely difficult to find, as you probably know. It looks nice as it sits....  Thank you for sharing your find. - a FOTM candidate if you'd like to submit it.

[FABphones]

Nicely spotted. 

What are your plans for it, will you be returning it to dark gray?

[magicbrain]

What are your plans for it, will you be returning it to dark gray?

Good question - I think I may strip this one - The paint on the shell is in very good condition, but the handset & caps are covered with scratches & scuffs that go right though the light gray paint.
Also, this phone does not have a color code "61" for light gray anywhere and may even have been originally black - dial being marked as "7G 3"

[magicbrain]

Opinions please - What about stripping plastics back to the Oxford gray and using dark gray cords with a black dial & metal finger wheel?

Would such a configuration have been available/correct for late 1956?

12-55 Shell
12-56 Handset & Caps
3-56 Base & Ringer

[jsowers]

Opinions please - What about stripping plastics back to the Oxford gray and using dark gray cords with a black dial & metal finger wheel?

Would such a configuration have been available/correct for late 1956?

12-55 Shell
12-56 Handset & Caps
3-56 Base & Ringer

A black dial and fingerwheel would be correct for 1954 but not 1956. By 1955 dark gray was all matching. You could use a black handset, cords and dial and make a dark gray two-tone that would have been available in 1956, though you'd probably not see that on a 532 since that phone was uncommon to begin with. The dial with the 1959 date was part of the refurb process and doesn't indicate anything about the phone's original configuration. And for all you know, the dark gray plastics weren't original either since their dates vary widely. Refurbs were made up from disparate parts that were painted and dark gray was usually painted light gray, but not always.

Be that as it may, you did get this phone for a nice price, so congratulations! Let us know what you decide to do, and post pictures when it's finished.

[Jim Stettler]

Here is a link to a some bsp's  that address two-tone 500 sets after MD. It might be worth a look.
If you look up two-tone or color 500's  you can find threads discussing some of the many   variations.
Jim S.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1886.msg26924#msg26924

[JorgeAmely]

I would try oven cleaner to see if the paint is acrylic and easily stripped off. If it is Polane, sanding and careful use of solvent may remove the light painted on color.

[Key2871]

That is a very nice find. For me, I would remove the paint and bring back the original color. Yea it will be some work but I think in the end it will look much better.
Good find though.