Special Paint Mystery

[VictoriaHardware]

Does anyone know what “Special” paint means? I have a ’66 Suburban that has trim “STD” and paint “SPC” stamped on the kick panel plate. The glove box sticker says paint “SPECIAL” as well. The thing is that it appears to have originally been solid white with no chrome- bumpers, grill, side molding, or anything. It was built in Fremont and delivered to a state agency known for no-frills. It definitely was not school bus yellow or any fleet-type color. It certainly looks like White – normally paint code 521.

[tincan1966]

Maybe it was a "special" solid white for that particular customer. I haven't run across anything like that, but someone here has and will educate us all.

[markeb01]

I once bought a 1967 Chevelle that was originally sold to the State of California. It was also stamped special. It had the state seal on the door which had been sanded off, and I wanted to paint the doors to match the rest of the car. The color was sort of a greyish off white. The guy at the paint store was getting angry when I insisted there was no paint code stamped on the plate. His attitude changed when he looked for himself and found there was indeed no factory code. He had never seen that before either, and just mixed up some custom paint to match. I always assumed the original special paint specifications were probably identified in the purchase contract.

[63burban4x4]

back in the late 70's, early 80's, I was the fleet manager for a construction company, and put together the orders for the trucks we bought, ( 5 or 6 every year) Chevys, Jeeps, and Fords. The dealers had big fan decks with maybe 200 colors for special order "fleet colors". We used a special green that was not a standard color. I have no idea what the cowl tags or glove box decals called them, though. Not much help, right?

[VictoriaHardware]

Well here is part of the answer. I found this on page UPC 0, B6 of the 1966 Assembly Manual (page 459/525 in .pdf file)



My SPID has “SPECIAL” in the upper right, but does not have any mention about the paint in the lower section. This must have been a fleet order paint color although it seems awful close to just plain 521 white. It was ordered by the State of California, so maybe it is as markeb01 mentioned- greyish off white. It’s hard to tell the original shade since it was re-painted and badly faded. The firewall is original, but dirty so it’s no help.

SPID:

Kick Panel Plate:

[jonzcustomshop]

you should still be able to find some clean original paint under a bolt or bracket, if they wern't removed for the repaint, maybe pull the heater cover, or the column support on the firewall?

[VictoriaHardware]

Well there are lots of places where I find the original white, but all of it just looks like plain white to me. I'm still at a loss why the factory would offer a white so close to the 521 white.

Am I the only one with a Special paint code ?

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by VictoriaHardware

Well there are lots of places where I find the original white, but all of it just looks like plain white to me. I'm still at a loss why the factory would offer a white so close to the 521 white.

Am I the only one with a Special paint code ?

I can't recall where right now, but I've seen a couple of those on here.
If you don't like the orphan color, look at it this way: This is your ticket to paint it any color you can dream up, and it'll still be "correct".

[60-66]

From the data book.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by VictoriaHardware

Well there are lots of places where I find the original white, but all of it just looks like plain white to me. I'm still at a loss why the factory would offer a white so close to the 521 white.

Am I the only one with a Special paint code ?

why the white may be a little different. if it was a fleet colour and that fleet may have been previously one of the other manufacturers who had supplied a white, they may have had to match it.
it is funny sometimes as to how one has to spec out a vehicle. When I was selling IHC and Pacific trucks in the mid 70's, i had to quote to BCFP for a couple of off highway trucks. The specs that they supplied had all come from Hayes. you had to work to their specs. that was an interesting one in more than one way
ron

[kieth]

Originally Posted by VictoriaHardware

Well there are lots of places where I find the original white, but all of it just looks like plain white to me. I'm still at a loss why the factory would offer a white so close to the 521 white.

Am I the only one with a Special paint code ?

Their are thousands of whites, all whites can vary a lot. Fleets specify their own colors so they can repair the trucks easily, and so one can tell when their trucks are around and so that they convey a consistent image. I sold class 5,6,7, & 8 trucks for years. We always said we did not care what color the truck was as long as it was sold !!!!

[BLK65K10]

Originally Posted by VictoriaHardware

Well there are lots of places where I find the original white, but all of it just looks like plain white to me. I'm still at a loss why the factory would offer a white so close to the 521 white.

Am I the only one with a Special paint code ?

I have had at least 2 trucks that had the special paint tag. I still have one of those tags I just have to find it. If I remember correctly it was off a 66 suburban that was a medium green poly. It might have been a forest service truck.