I acquired a 425B early last year to use for my camp outings. Filthy little bugger when I got it but some carb cleaner, a fine brass wire brush and a feather got it into perfect working order. I was told it was a 1958 model. The stove, as most of you know, has no date markings on it. From what I've seen, the only differentiating thing about this one is that it has the copper painted tank rather than the red. Does anyone have any ideas of when Coleman switched from the copper colored tanks to the red tanks? And since it needs some restoration, does anyone know what the correct colors are for the Coleman stoves? Sure, I can grab some John Deere Green and Copper Ultrametallic but I'd really like to be as close to original as possible.
Coleman two and three burner stoves are often dated on the tank tabs that fit into the stove slots. "Forest Green" is a pretty good substitute for Coleman Green. Good luck with your restoration. Paul
You may not have a date stamp. But, you can look closely all over your tank. Google search results Spiritburner link and oldtowncoleman link and tgmarsh link Searching on this site and Coleman Collectors Forum will keep you busy a few days or more. Ken in NC
nekksys Fyi my name is "ole" but I'm fairly new to classic camp stoves. You were told it was a '58 and you doubt that? I wouldn't know for sure. Please do as ken suggests, in minutes you can see the Marsh site w/"425B's are not dated" (like soooo many other stoves arghhh, I feel your pain). A lil more digging you may begin to think for a 425B that the copper color isn't "different". 2 points I'll toss out are: A. the 425B introduces the newer tank, it became Coleman's most common tank of all time. Having an orig stove w/that tank in a copper color is rare (not rare for a 425B). Of the millions of those tanks almost all are red. B. When 425B production began the tanks were copper color and the last 425Bs made were red. "Does anyone have any ideas of when Coleman switched from copper ... to the red?" Funny you should ask. The answer may not "date" your stove but would get it into a range of years. IF you get an answer to color change question (as best you can anyway), I'll like to... HEAR what you find and everyone always likes to SEE pics. rots o ruk
Is the tank a cylinder or a normal shaped tank? A 425B should not have a cylindrical tank. They changed the tanks to red in roughly 1959. Pics would help but you will not be able to definitively date it. If the tank is a gold/copper color, the best you can do is 1954-1958.
In that case, Wim, I'd have to say 1948! Incidently, I find that a birthday in the 1940s seems to my grandkids like my own grandparents' birthdays-- in the 1890s-- seemed to me: an unimaginably time ago. And yet, I was 29 when my paternal grandpa died, and 46 when my grandmother died. He was born in 1895, and she in 1898. Somewhere in the last few years, time has become even more of a mystery to me than it was before....
I haven't painted one (yet), but I've heard Valspar copper is a good choice. Rustoleum copper metallic #7273 seems a bit dark, but good; another says Rustoleum copper (no number given) is a bit light...? Testors copper is good, but not perfect. The actual color originally can vary with age and exposure. The green is often Rustoleum Dark Hunter Green for the older ones. I agree, 1954-58 is as close as you'll get. Maybe if it had dated paperwork you could get it narrowed down. John
