Anyone have any input on this Fisher body plate?
http://i5.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/f2/94/bd0c_12.JPG

Would indicate a paint that's not standard for the car -ie: special order

Special paint on a '68 SS 396 ElCamino with a black bench seat, built in Fremont, 3rd week of May. Any pics of what the tag came off of? Any chance of finding the original paint color on the car anywhere?
BillL

Special paint on a '68 SS 396 ElCamino with a black bench seat, built in Fremont, 3rd week of May. Any pics of what the tag came off of? Any chance of finding the original paint color on the car anywhere?
BillL

I have a ebay search of stuff that is close, and this Elky is about 20 miles or so away.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/68-El-Camino-SS-396-375-HP-COPO-CA-Car-73K-Original-mi_W0QQitemZ220237781630QQihZ012QQcategoryZ6153QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am watching that auction too! Gorgeous car.

Another made up 1 of 197 numbers. Where do they get this stuff? :noway: Even Dan Carr's poster of statistical probability of distribution puts the number of El Camino L78s at 393 out of 4,751 sold in 1968.

I'd be curious to know what the original color was, if it's known. Does look good. :thumbsup:

Believe I saw that car a while back and Camaro Orange is what I thought then.

PPG doesn't show any Orange on Chevrolets in 1968. Hugger Orange didn't appear until 1969. Could be what Jim Mattison affectionately called 'Road Commission Orange'. We can only speculate unless someone writes him and asks for any 'before' photos. He's already erred on the production number on the 'rare' side - have to see photo or paper proof of its original color.

I am curious what a window sticker would say on a car like this. Paint normally shows something like

6900LL Teal Blue .00

I wonder what the charge was etc.

I'm trying to figure this one out.

It is a C.O.P.O car because of the special order red/orange paint.

I didn't know you had to go through "Central Office" just to get another color other than the "standard" offerings.

Yup ,COPO could be anything not on the standard order sheet for a specific car.

Dale ,how far into the model year is this car?
138808Z154642

Fremont's May production ended at 158132, so the number is within range.
BillL

A gentleman named Jim Mattison was in some threads I picked up on sometime back who worked in the Fleet & Special Order depeartment, and in his words in one thread, "It appears that your car was special ordered through the Chevrolet Fleet & Special Order Department (many of you folks call it the COPO Group). During the years that I was a part of this group, we processed many orders for vehicles with special paint. Although these vehicles were ordered with "special paint", they are not considered to be COPO cars. I'm surprised that more of these "special paint" cars haven't shown-up, as many of these orders were for performance cars."

COPO (Central Office Production Order) has become synonymous with the ZL1s, 427 Camaros & Chevelles and other exotic rare things but more often than not dealt with rather mundane things like special orders for fleet cars, taxi cabs, police cars, etc. Since the term COPO is better known than F&SO and has a greater WOW factor, naturally it's an attention getter even on a special paint car, like it's something secretive or really special, not something 'just' out of the ordinary.

It's kinda like Burger King when you order a hamburger w/extra pickles instead of a #2, you can have it your way. :D

Yup ,COPO could be anything not on the standard order sheet for a specific car.

Dale ,how far into the model year is this car?
138808Z154642

Fremont's May production ended at 158132, so the number is within range.
BillL

I noticed the engine stamping date and transmission date were at least date-correct for the car too. All-in-all, it sure looks good in the photos. :thumbsup:

PPG doesn't show any Orange on Chevrolets in 1968. Hugger Orange didn't appear until 1969.

I have a friend who used to own a 1968 Camaro SS 396 375hp that was a paint delete.
the car was originally Orange. There was proof of the original Orange paint all over the car.
I think it is cool to find a mysterious or car that makes you wonder.

The window sticker for a '71 with special paint would show option code ZP7 Spl Pnt. Don't know about any other years.

I am beginning to wonder how rare special order paint was on these 68 Elkys... There is another one on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-El-Camino-SS396-Clone-1968-Chevrolet-El-Camino-Custom-SS396-California-Truck_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6153QQihZ010QQite mZ200225898193QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

I'd say they would still be very rare. How many people actually go into a dealer and say they want one color and one color only? I see it every day... very very few do believe it or not.

I believe Kevin Suydam has a Documented unrestored 1968 Orange Dana Chevrolet 427 Camaro. I know of a Grossman Chevrolet 1969 Nova SS 396 car that has a - - code and the original color was orange.Schonye in Iowa is doing the restoration for Alan Forman. This was a extremely rare find with this color.Has a Black Vinyl roof too...

Just fyi

Jim Mattison is the owner of Pontiac Historical Services, worked for Chevy and Pontiac for many years and as recent as 2002 was representing them. He was at the Corvette Museum for a big event in fall of 2002. I was there too. I believe he also owned or owns a big AC Delco warehouse distributorship too.

I drove special paint vehicles for over 30 yrs, all orange. Tangier Orange was the last, a 1999 K2500 Chevy Suburban (DOT Survey Crew). We had Orange El Camino's back in the 70s'. 100's of them all over the state. The earliest I recall were 1970 models but they must have been using them before I stated there in 1972. They were all orange and bare bones, maint. supervisor vehicles.

Most of these special paint cars were ordered by dealers for stock or special zone promotions. Customers rarely though of colors.

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