Rarest factory paint combos

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I would pass on the 15", they are just too small in diameter. The 16" lock ring wheel will look very beefy with 7.50 - 16 bias ply tires. The 17.5 is a good choice if you want to stay with solid rims, but the 8-17.5 tire is not as beefy as a 7.50-16. IMO, if you have a rare original paint truck, original wheels and caps are a must to complete the look.

Yeah the 15" wheels are small but they might be special order because they don't show up in the regular production options for 1966. Original wheels do complete the look.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by factorystock

So that's the book I read about in some literature. Yep, your paint color is somewhere in that 200 special color book.

Its neat putting the literature together as my data book does not have that page.

And the Color is Tan. Code W83E5531

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Paint comparison

[60-66]

Any chalk marks with the 5531 under the hood ?

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by 60-66

Any chalk marks with the 5531 under the hood ?

I will check tomorrow. Most of the chalk marks are intact.

[VictoriaHardware]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Well after searching ebay for years I finally found a 1966-1967 GMC data book and better yet a special paint colors book. It has 200 special order paint colors.

Any chance there is a red in there with a code like CA106S?

I have a '65 Chevrolet with that paint code. I am hoping that since the Chevys and GMCs were all built in the same plants that they shared the same special paints and that there was not much difference year-to-year. Any info about that code would be appreciated.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by VictoriaHardware

Any chance there is a red in there with a code like CA106S?

I have a '65 Chevrolet with that paint code. I am hoping that since the Chevys and GMCs were all built in the same plants that they shared the same special paints and that there was not much difference year-to-year. Any info about that code would be appreciated.

All the paint codes in the book start with W83E5 and 3 more numbers after that.

[GMCNUT]

Chiming in a little late here, but after reading all the above I'd say you are all correct - Maroon, Yellow, Saddle, Black, Grey and Silver were all seldom chosen over the common Light Blue or Green, Red, and White. Orange was mentioned above, but Orange was used as a fleet color mainly for the DOT rucks in each state, so there were thousands of them painted orange. Today, that color is uncommon because those were all worked to death and crushed, and its true very few were ordered for non-government purposes in orange.

The rarest of all colors is when the customer chose a color that was not available on that years' standard color chart - this option was called "special" paint and it cost about 35.00 extra to have one sprayed another color. My 1966 Short fleet was ordered with Special paint and they chose 1965's pale Yellow because he bought it for his wife (not sure why she needed a 327 V8 too, but oh well) so he chose a more feminine color. If your truck was ordered with special paint, the trim code will say "SPEC" instead of the paint color.

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

My dads 1966 GMC with factory paint. The closest color we can match it to is dark yellow.

I'd say this truck was sprayed in MESA TAN - a 1960-61 GMC color. Thought to be less "pink" than Palomino, and could have been ordered with this color as special paint - look it up and see if you think that's it

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by 60-66

Any chalk marks with the 5531 under the hood ?

Well I looked and there is no 5531 under the hood that I can find.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

I'd say this truck was sprayed in MESA TAN - a 1960-61 GMC color. Thought to be less "pink" than Palomino, and could have been ordered with this color as special paint - look it up and see if you think that's it

I think you are right.

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by 60-66

That is a tough one Classic V6 , Not 100% on all the 66 colors, still missing that Data book but here are the 65s.

its really funny that orange is the only colour that wasn't shown as a two tone option

[factorystock]

Another '66 GMC with special paint. Not mine.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-C-...m=172229360235

[lowbuck]

My 1965 Suburban has paint code 548 light yellow/ivory two tone combo. It must have been purchased by the lady in charge.

[jocko]

I think 66-only dark aqua is one of the rarest I've seen (one total..) This one on ebay a little while back. What a nice truck.
EDIT: Oops! Sorry, just realized this is a rare paint COMBO thread, not solids. Oh well, anyway, there you have it.

[andyh1956]

On the 1st page of this thread on the paint chart for the '66 it list two codes for light blue. Solid is 507 & two tone is 537. I intend to paint my truck light blue & the roof & back of the cab white. Why would there be two blues? There is only one chip. Can anybody really tell the difference? I'm partially color blind so I know I couldn't.

[jocko]

537 is 507 blue with white roof. Same blue - the code signified two tone. Factory also painted the top of the door window frames as well, leaving the doors totally body color on a two tone truck would be non-factory.

[andyh1956]

OK thanks- two codes made no sense to me! I don't like the way the factory applied the two tone scheme to the doors. Looks like they held the cab upside down & dipped it in white paint!

[jocko]

I can see it both ways, but still prefer the factory method. One thing I will say that I thought didn't look so good is when the painter DOES paint the A-pillar but DOES NOT paint the door window frames - that really highlights that something's missing. If you do just the top and back, like you mentioned, that looks better (to me anyway) - and Chevy must've liked it also, as they went that route in the square body era.

[AustinBelair]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Well after searching ebay for years I finally found a 1966-1967 GMC data book and better yet a special paint colors book. It has 200 special order paint colors.

OMG! I need that color book! Can I rent it? My paint code is "SPECIAL" and the back of the cab and firewall are still painted that color (A medium to Dark Green shade) and I would LOVE to have it repainted the stock color or close to it.

[davem815]

'66 GMC 3/4 ton yellow/white two-tone.

Forgive the crappy pictures, these are from the late evening two weeks ago the night we bought it after we got home. Ignore the yellow on the bottom half of the truck, it's been repainted and is not even close to a match.

This yellow does not look like the '66 GMC yellow, that colors more of a yellow/orange. It does not look like any of the earlier year GMC yellows. To me is looks closest to '65 Chevy light yellow. But this is all from looking at chips on the computer. I think it might be a special order paint color. The comments in this thread seam to point to special paint colors being more "common" in '60-'66. It seem possible this was an ordered truck because it well equipped. Two-tone, chrome, custom cab, comfort, PS, BP, hazard flasher, 3/4 ton, 4.10.

Any help in finding the paint codes for this yellow would be greatly appreciated.

I'm having trouble attaching pictures. We will see what happens.

[davem815]

more pc's I couldn't attach in last post

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by davem815

The comments in this thread seam to point to special paint colors being more "common" in '60-'66. It seem possible this was an ordered truck because it well equipped. Two-tone, chrome, custom cab, comfort, PS, BP, hazard flasher, 3/4 ton, 4.10.

I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that "special" colors were limited to multiple truck/fleet purchases for company identification. Probably had to order a minimum number or be a repeating customer.
This is not fact, just my guess.
Since fleet purchases are generally for company use, trucks wearing "special" paint are likely utilitarian, stripped-down work trucks.
So, finding a full custom option-loaded example with a special color would be somewhat of a "special" find indeed!

Oh, that look's like a nice one, by the way!

[AustinBelair]

Originally Posted by oem4me

I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that "special" colors were limited to multiple truck/fleet purchases for company identification. Probably had to order a minimum number or be a repeating customer.
This is not fact, just my guess.
Since fleet purchases are generally for company use, trucks wearing "special" paint are likely utilitarian, stripped-down work trucks.
So, finding a full custom option-loaded example with a special color would be somewhat of a "special" find indeed!

Oh, that look's like a nice one, by the way!

Mine is "Special" paint code and loaded for some odd reason.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by davem815

I think it might be a special order paint color.

Nice find! Yes, special order paint, just like on Classic GMC V6's tan 3/4 ton. It appears to be very similar to '59 GMC "Inca Gold" or '60 and '61 "Lunar Yellow". Color should be in the "special color book". Nice candidate for a factory restoration.