In regards to a 70 SS with the bright red paint........a dealer said that paint color wasn't a standard choice that year but it was an option that could be ordered. A special order paint would show no paint code on the cowl tag.

Any expert advice would be appreciated.

Cranberry red was a factory color in 1970. The paint code on the tag would be 75. What paint number is on the tag? There are some orange and yellow cars that are coded with some strange numbers on the tag.

Apparently the tag is blank where the color code would be.

If there is/are dash(es) where the paint code would normally be, your dealer is correct. Any paint color available (except Cadillac Fire mist colors) could be ordered - and that includes non-GM paint colors.

This has been printed here before and attributed to Mr. Jim Mattison but warrants a repeat.

[quote]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.

First, back in the late 60s and early 70s anyone could order their new Chevy with a special color. Literally any color under the rainbow was available, except for the Cadillac Fire mist colors.

The pricing for a solid color "Special Paint" would vary between no charge and $125.00. Volume would dictate the pricing.

If the customer was a fleet account, or if the dealer would order multiple vehicles in the same color, the pricing would be n/c. However, if the dealer would order a single unit, the pricing could go as high as $125, with various prices in between, based on many other factors.

Some of the other conditions that would require a car order to come through my group was: "Delete Stripes" on a Z-28, Chevelle SS, or other model with painted stripes. Colors that were current production, but on a different model, would also require our approval. We did lots of cars in "Hugger Orange" that normally didn't come in that color as n/c. Also, you wouldn't believe the number of Chevrolet's that were painted the popular 1968-69 Pontiac color, "Verdoro Green"! I even remember a fair number of cars being ordered in the 1970 Chrysler color "Plum Crazy"!
[quote]

I guess the neat thing about finding one now is you can paint it any color available at the time and still be 'correct'. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I appreciate the feedback.

Let me reword this question.

Why would this 70 SS that was originally painted Cranberry red, have a blank on the trim tag where the color code should be?

Originally posted by GNSS:
I appreciate the feedback.

Let me reword this question.

Why would this 70 SS that was originally painted Cranberry red, have a blank on the trim tag where the color code should be? It wouldn't have been painted any factory Chevelle color without the correct code. I think Dave assumed a factory Cranberry red until you clarified there was no code on the tag.

I'm guessing that the claim that the car was originally Cranberry red is wrong and that the blank paint code indicates some other original color.