D90 Stripes

[IZRSSS]

Charley,

If you locate the build sheet please post a pic...

[IZRSSS]

I am not all that familiar with NC Basketball but I believe they won their first National Championship in the 70's so it makes sense the name "Carolina Blue" as it relates to First Gens would have surfaced around this time. However, I am familiar with Lobo Basketball and it will be a cold day in H before we start referring to them as; Here in Albuquerque Monza Red Country...

Hope I didn't mislead anyone...my point is that I am a native New Mexican and I don't ever remember a time when the University of NM athletics program was worthy of branding itself after a First Gen color. If it was legit, it would have to be UNM Monza Red.

[rat pack]

Marty, the Camaro's I have found with broadcast sheets showing the special paint used Dupont formula #96881 which is now referred to as Wedgewood Blue National Fleet color. The mix formula was actually first used in 1964 in the BOP lines under various names: Wedgewood Blue (Buick), Bermuda Blue (Olds), and Skyline Blue (Pontiac). It has been many years since I originally researched this, but I am pretty sure when we scanned the sides of the cowl and a couple areas under the cowl panel this car used the #96881 formula. The other mix formula that shows up in 1970 on some Chevelles is 926-98371 which is what I believe is on Charley's buildsheet for his Chevelle.  I have never come across a documented car that mentions paint code 80 or the Dupont formula number or 5022L/D  on the paperwork, and that color actually has a purple tint to it. I will have to check tomorrow, but I need to cross-reference the 5022L again to see what the 5-digit formula number is from Dupont. From what I have found is that both the #96881 & #98731 were both used through the 80's as fleet colors off and on. There was supposedly a buildsheet found in a 69 Nova that had a Dupont number of 4531L printed on it, which is exactly the same as the #96881, but I have personally never seen it. When looking at a buildsheet/body broadcast sheet, the GM order number for non-metallic special paint should start off with 926, and if it is a metallic it will start off with 927.  I have a buildsheet for a 70 Chevelle with special paint and it reads:    - - PAINT DEPT  1001HA:  HOOD, FENDERS, AND ENTIRE BODY - 926-99616 ORANGE ACRYLIC LACQUER. This car is an LS6 out of the Arlington plant sold new in Broken Arrow OK.  I hope this helps................RatPack......................

[IZRSSS]

This is by far the most helpfull & detailed explaination I have had to date with regards to this color. A local friend of mine owns one of the most reputable restoration shops in the country. I will ask him to scan areas of the car which I am certain has the original paint and will get back to you with the information.

Thank you for sharing what I am certain took years for you to research. The two numbers, 96881 & 98371 should give us an excellent reference point.

[rat pack]

Kurt and Rat Pack, have you ever seen a C80 Camaro that actually was sold by an NC dealer in that color?

The car I have shown in the pictures above was sold new out of a dealer in the Asheville area. It spent its entire life in Gatlinburg before being bought in the mid 80's by a guy here locally. It traded hands twice by the time the current owner bought it...........RatPack................

[Charley]

Yes I mis-remembered...... Mine does say 926-98371 Blue A.L.   I must be remembering someone telling me it was a Cadillac color.

[lakeholme]

Rat Pack,
Thanks, and the car in your pictures is a lighter shade (less purple in the mix) than Marty's, right?

[KurtS]

This isn't complicated.
You went to the dealer and said I want this color.
- If it was a current GM color, they knew the code.
- If it was an old GM color that you liked, they could find it.
- Some dealers had color books and you could find something that worked from it.
- Or you could spec it out (e.g. Mopar Plum Crazy)

However you got there, they just needed to know, paint it this color. Special paint was special - all these sky blue cars were not the same shade depending on how they arrived at their color choice. The zone may have helped by saying 'oh, this color is what other dealers use', depends on how helpful the zone was. RatPack's #'s are just 2 possible codes, there definitely were others.....

And the Carolina blue and Colorado blue colors may have been shades different.

[tom]

And I presume the names: carolina blue, colorado blue, etc were provided by local salespeople, in order to encourage buyers

[IZRSSS]

I just had a lengthy phone discussion with Rat Pack. It is amazing the amount of time and effort he has put into researching this color. The majority of cars, if not all the cars in his search have from the Carolina's or the same general Zone. Most if not all came out of Norwood. As was mentioned before, these particular cars scanned out to paint reference numbers 96881 & 98371. This explains what Kurt and others have been trying to explain to me. Sorry Kurt...sometimes these things need to be spelled out so they make sense to me. In other words, none of these have anything do with GM Paint Code 80. They are simply colors that are similar. As Kurt mentioned, It could have been just about any color combination and from just about any paint line.

Here is where this discussion finally begins to make sense. It was determined there is a definitive color difference between "Carolina Blue" cars and my car in that there is a very distinct purple hue. According to RP, this is one of the distinguishing characteristics of GM Paint Code 80. RP was able to pick up on this difference by simply looking at the pick of my car. After he stated this, I mentioned needing touch up paint which I acquired from a local restoration shop who scanned the paint. I recall this shops owner stating there was an unusual high amount of purple pigment required for the mix. Although it is difficult to see in pictures, the purple hue is quite noticeable in person.

RP also mentioned there is a complicated procedure for determining if this car is a PC80 car. I am hoping to find someone here locally who can perform the same tests he has done to determine if this paint differs from 96881 & 98371.

Thanks again RP!

Thanks for the pic Charley...

[IZRSSS]

And I presume the names: carolina blue, colorado blue, etc were provided by local salespeople, in order to encourage buyers

Makes perfect sense to me Tom...anything for a sale.

[IZRSSS]

Rat Pack,
Thanks, and the car in your pictures is a lighter shade (less purple in the mix) than Marty's, right?

You are exactly right Phillip. Thanks for noticing...

[Charley]

My Chevelle was sold new at Foss Chevrolet in LaGrange. N.C. 

[lakeholme]

Charley,

What year was the Chevelle?  I think that color is closer to Carolina blue...

[Charley]

1970 LS6. The orig. owners name was on the build sheet and I tracked him down. He said they charged him I think 102.00 for the special paint.