Quote:
Originally Posted by R68GTO
Was it available in '68? I know it was in '69 but I don't think any vehicle manufacturer had an orange in the lineup in '68? Could you get a special paint in a random non-manufacturer color?
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Special Paint process, per Eric White:
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.
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 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.