special paint cars

[slimsls6]

Ive read some years ago about the special paint cars on how they were" painted", not on the process of special ordering of the color thru COPO, that I have. Does anyone have a link on this? If memory serves me body was painted on the Fisher side and front end in the body shop side, then they were assembled later. Any help or direction would be appreciated. I thought I bookmarked this but I cannot find it. I've owned my car now for 39 years this year. The front clip is a little darker then the body, I cannot find any evidence of a complete repaint or sheet metal replaced on the dog house. all hardware is original and not mismatched with all the correct markings. By looking at the car I can see red oxide primer in the door jamb on the body, front end looks like it was painted over the black e-coat, which could explain the darker color. Dunno TIA

[Crush]

What a beauty!

[Keith Seymore]

Special paint process, per author/historian Eric White (originally written for discussion on a Pontiac forum):

The procedure for getting a special-paint car ordered went like this:

• The customer (or dealership) determines what color is desired.

• An All Series Special Equipment order form is filled out.

The information required for a special-paint-request on this form is:
• Lower Color Paint No.
• Upper Color Paint No.
• Make of Car & Year Paint Used.
I am guessing that obtaining the correct paint no. would be left up to the ordering salesman/dealership paint department.

In the '60s and early '70s, before colored plastic/fiberglass trim parts became common, any color paint could be ordered, as long as the dealer could supply the paint formula no. on the S.O. form. After the mid-'70s when the crash-bumper fillers became common place, special order colors were phased out except for large fleet orders. [Keith comment - or, steel components substituted for painted parts, as in the Endura front bumper on a '68 GTO]

Several codes were used on the Fisher Body trim tag to indicate a special-order paint. Codes varied between the years and between Fisher Body plants. Some of the codes used were:
1= Standard GM paint, not a Pontiac color
2= Special Pontiac color. Sometimes offered a half-year "springtime" color.
3= Cadillac FireFrost color. This paint was not normally allowed on a Pontiac build because of the special processes required to apply this type of paint.
4= Body in primer
SPEC or ** would indicate a paint color from a source outside GM (Ford, Chryco, AMC, John Deere, International Harvester, etc.) Colors could also be ordered to match school or business colors. As long as a formula no. could be identified by the dealership just about any color hue could be specified.

• The order was then routed through the Pontiac Zone office, which then routed it on to the Central Office.

• Central Office then entered a request to the paint supplier, usually PPG/Ditzler, for the appropriate paint.

• The paint supplier shipped a quantity of paint to the appropriate assembly plant.

• The special-order build was scheduled and coordinated between the Fisher plant and GMAD or Pontiac assembly.

• Build was delivered to dealership with a quart of touch up paint in trunk.

[Keith again:]

I have also seen a && (double ampersand) to designate special paint, on a Pontiac plant cowl data tag.

Most assembly plants have/had a special paint system, separate from the main line, where smaller paint pots could be loaded with low production volume colors, which would minimize the amount of waste when flushing the system. Typically these were done for fleet and special equipment runs (Grand Trunk RR, RCMP, Bell Telephone, etc). We also have had some plants were the special colors were run through the paint repair line rather than the main assembly process.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by slimsls6

If memory serves me body was painted on the Fisher side and front end in the body shop side, then they were assembled later. Any help or direction would be appreciated. I thought I bookmarked this but I cannot find it. I've owned my car now for 39 years this year. The front clip is a little darker then the body, I cannot find any evidence of a complete repaint or sheet metal replaced on the dog house. all hardware is original and not mismatched with all the correct markings. By looking at the car I can see red oxide primer in the door jamb on the body, front end looks like it was painted over the black e-coat, which could explain the darker color.

That's the way the regular production vehicles were painted, too.

Often the body was painted at one end of the plant and the front end sheetmetal painted at the other end of the plant (or, in the case of Buicks, at the other end of town!).

My '80 Chevy (which I ordered and followed down the line as it was built) was built in Flint and the front end never did match the rest of the truck.

K

[Keith Seymore]

One more and then I'll quit:

I did not remember this but in the '73-77 timeframe you could not order a LD squarebody pickup in "black". It was not available as a regular production option.

You could, however, order it as a COPO and tap into Specialty Equipment Option 9V1 and access the black available for fleet and Medium Duty trucks.

We had a '75 2wd Short box in black, but I did not remember dad saying he had to do anything special to get it.

It became a regular option in '78.

K

[slimsls6]

Thanks Keith for you're knowledge. It was very informative. It just bugs me that the front end is a little darker and having to explain to some people why it doesn't match and I really don't have the correct process on how this was done to explain. people think the front end has been messed with. the only thing I can find on the car is the right front fender was repaired and blended right behind headlight bezel, I can see the blend. Actually it's been hit there twice. I got hit and run when we had the car at Chevell-a-bration in 2009. I re-repaired that spot and blended a blend with another. Nobody has ever noticed or said anything. Thats the only thing on this car I have ever found. I'm the second owner of 39years, original owner since got killed in a helicopter crash shortly after buying car, so I couldn't ask him any questions regarding car. If only the car could talk

[slimsls6]

SCR, don't remember the year in Joliet IL

[dykstra]

Originally Posted by slimsls6

SCR, don't remember the year in Joliet IL

2010 or 2011?? I love this car, I remember checking it out at SCR.

[RPOLS3]

Originally Posted by dykstra

2010 or 2011?? I love this car, I remember checking it out at SCR.

Yes - I have pictures of your beautiful LS6 there I think - will have to check at home.

Dave - doesn't that kinda look like Dad checking out under the hood in Slims picture?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by slimsls6

Thanks Keith for you're knowledge. It was very informative. It just bugs me that the front end is a little darker and having to explain to some people why it doesn't match and I really don't have the correct process on how this was done to explain. people think the front end has been messed with. the only thing I can find on the car is the right front fender was repaired and blended right behind headlight bezel, I can see the blend. Actually it's been hit there twice. I got hit and run when we had the car at Chevell-a-bration in 2009. I re-repaired that spot and blended a blend with another. Nobody has ever noticed or said anything. Thats the only thing on this car I have ever found. I'm the second owner of 39years, original owner since got killed in a helicopter crash shortly after buying car, so I couldn't ask him any questions regarding car. If only the car could talk

The only explanation necessary is "that's how they made 'em".

K