61 Corvette Grille option
11-16-2010, 08:05 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
61 Corvette Grille option
I read in a magizine that 61 Corvettes grilles came in either black or gold. It was a option or choice of the buyer. My Corvette black book does not show this option. Were these writers drinking draino?
11-16-2010, 08:09 PM
#2
Tech Contributor
61 grilles were silver.
62 grilles were supposed to be black. I'm unclear on the current thinking regarding 62 grilles but at one time gold grilles were also believed to be correct, although nobody knew why last time I read about it (20+ years ago)
Here's my 62. Car was parked in 1974 with 79,000 miles on it. The grill in the car was gold-ish, more gold behind the license plate area when we pulled it out of storage in 1981 and began the restoration. When I restored the car, I went back with gold.
62 grilles were supposed to be black. I'm unclear on the current thinking regarding 62 grilles but at one time gold grilles were also believed to be correct, although nobody knew why last time I read about it (20+ years ago)
Here's my 62. Car was parked in 1974 with 79,000 miles on it. The grill in the car was gold-ish, more gold behind the license plate area when we pulled it out of storage in 1981 and began the restoration. When I restored the car, I went back with gold.
Last edited by 62Jeff; 11-16-2010 at 08:15 PM.
11-16-2010, 08:11 PM
#3
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11-16-2010, 08:15 PM
#4
My 62 came with a gold grille as original. A NOS replacement was black. I still have the gold one which resembles brass or some type of cadium plating. It held up well for all the years it was exposed to the elements.
11-16-2010, 10:24 PM
#5
Race Director
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
11-16-2010, 11:18 PM
#7
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Is the gold colored plating underneath the black paint perhaps? Maybe people stripped the paint for a custom touch? Or the dealers after delivery?
11-17-2010, 02:59 PM
#9
Safety Car
Here is what Mike Ernst, who is a C1 expert, had to say about the 61/62 grilles:
Mike Coletta
61 grilles were markedly different than 62's, so it's not just a silver vs. black vs. gold issue. One might want to read an article done in the Restorer in the late 70's regarding gold grilles. 62 black grilles were NOT PAINTED, they were ANODIZED. You can not just paint a silver 61 grille and get a 62!!!!!! There were wind whistle issues with the 61 grille (again, a TSB printed in an old Restorer details that) and the 62 grille was a redesign with only mesh, and with no flat area of material in the center like the 61 grille had. Gold grilles in 62's are real--2964, 2266, 3390, and 12231 have had gold grilles that I've documented. They seem to be more prevalent on early cars, but there's been no correlation between early and late, between high and low horsepower, between different exterior colors. We've been observing this phenomenon for 30+ years, and all we can determine is that GM did produce gold grilles on some 62's. Why? Probably because 62 was the golden anniversary (50th year) of Chevrolet.
11-17-2010, 06:04 PM
#10
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
I don't know if it's true or not, but years ago I was told that the gold grilles were done in 62 to commemorate Chevrolets 50th anniversary. 50th anniversaries are also refered to as a "golden anniversary".
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
11-17-2010, 06:57 PM
#11
I don't know if it's true or not, but years ago I was told that the gold grilles were done in 62 to commemorate Chevrolets 50th anniversary. 50th anniversaries are also refered to as a "golden anniversary".
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
According to Noland Adams' Restoration Guide; "The 1961 grille was bright and the 1962 was a dyed black finish" Adams goes on to say; "The logical assumption was that the 1962's black finish flaked off in a few years, resulting in a pitted, yet still gold-anodized finish" Finally Adams says; "A records search determined there was never an intention to produce a 1962 with a gold grille". So NO!! the '62 was NEVER produced with a gold grille.
11-17-2010, 07:01 PM
#12
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According to Noland Adams' Restoration Guide; "The 1961 grille was bright and the 1962 was a dyed black finish" Adams goes on to say; "The logical assumption was that the 1962's black finish flaked off in a few years, resulting in a pitted, yet still gold-anodized finish" Finally Adams says; "A records search determined there was never an intention to produce a 1962 with a gold grille". So NO!! the '62 was NEVER produced with a gold grille.
We have also learned much since these books were printed.
And I recall one of the golden rules for these sorts of issues...NEVER SAY NEVER!
11-17-2010, 07:14 PM
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St. Jude Donor '07
According to Noland Adams' Restoration Guide; "The 1961 grille was bright and the 1962 was a dyed black finish" Adams goes on to say; "The logical assumption was that the 1962's black finish flaked off in a few years, resulting in a pitted, yet still gold-anodized finish" Finally Adams says; "A records search determined there was never an intention to produce a 1962 with a gold grille". So NO!! the '62 was NEVER produced with a gold grille.
Bill
11-17-2010, 07:25 PM
#14
Tech Contributor
And mine was more gold behind the license plate where it was better protected from the elements, and grungy everywhere else. The only thing I don't know is whether or not my grille was original to my car. It was in the car when the car was parked in 1974, that's about all the data I have.
11-17-2010, 08:06 PM
#15
I don't know if it's true or not, but years ago I was told that the gold grilles were done in 62 to commemorate Chevrolets 50th anniversary. 50th anniversaries are also refered to as a "golden anniversary".
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
Chevrolet played up the 50th anniversary quite heavily throughout 1962. They ran a big sale called the Golden Jubilee Sale. Much of their sales and advertising material focused on the Golden Anniversary and the color gold was used on banners, buttons, match books, salesmans vests, etc., even a reprint of the first Chevrolet parts book was printed with a gold cover. Chevrolet also offered a special anniversary gold paint color for 62 Implala coupes and convertibles. Not much is known about the anniversary gold paints availabilty, it carried paint code 927, but it was not listed in the dealer album or the Finger Tip Facts book.
11-18-2010, 06:09 PM
#18
What did it take to arrange what sounds like a COPO?
11-19-2010, 07:56 AM
#19
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Chevrolet actually did this?? I thought only Caddys got special hand painted cars? I thought Dealers were the only way you could get a Chevy painted a special color??