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Old 11-03-2008, 09:19 AM
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Mybluc4
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Default Rare paint colors

What are the 3 rarest colors ever produced for the C4? I have a '95 Admiral Blue and do not see too many of them around.
Thanks.
Old 11-03-2008, 09:21 AM
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specter90c4
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i have a steel blue 90zf
Old 11-03-2008, 09:45 AM
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There are a number of colors that were never ordered in large quantities and I don't think they are necessairly "rare", just not popular.

Copper Metallic in '94 was an example of a "rare" color with only 166 cars in that color. But GM had lots of problems with the paint so it was dropped as a color choice. Its a striking color when you see a Copper Metallic C4, but with tthe paint problems, it never had a chance to become popular.

In '89 there was an Artic Pearl with only 27 cars painted that color. In '87 there was a Dark Orange with only 87 cars in that color; the following year, it was a "pilot color" and only 5 cars got that color.

OVer the years, there were a variety of colors ordered that were not that popular in a given model year. Yellow as an example never selected for much over 400 to 500 cars in any single year model year.

This link will show color selection and numbers for all the C4 years. Just click on the year to the right of the "Select" box to page thru to the 96 cars. This data will also be available in the Corvette Black Book.
Old 11-03-2008, 09:46 AM
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bizaro
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Originally Posted by specter90c4
i have a steel blue 90zf

That's one, copper is another. Nothing very rare after that.
Old 11-03-2008, 11:30 AM
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Andrew
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That is an interesting question. I looked at this about a year ago using the Corvette Action Center data and made some Excel documents grouping colors by year.

I cannot seem to attach anything, which could be my lack of skill, so if you PM me your e mail, I'll send you the document. In short, I put the exact description and made a generic color grouping in a pivot table by year. I know, this is a little nerdy, but I'm a stat kind of guy.

Here are all of the colors that had less than 1000 Corvette's produced (using exact RPO color description):

Dark Orange (Pilot) - 5
Yellow (Plain) - 8
Arctic Pearl - 27
Dark Orange Metallic - 87
Copper Metallic - 120
White / Silver 2 Tone - 195
Dark Beige Metallic - 245
Gray/Black 2 Tone - 316
Silver / Gray 2 Tone - 403
Lt & Dk Beige 2 Tone - 447
Medium Brown Metallic - 488
Dark Purple / White - 527
White / Silver - 693
Gray Metallic - 869

Here is color (using generic color description):

Orange - 92
Copper - 120
Brown - 488
Beige - 692
Purple - 1896
Turquoise - 2210
Black Rose - 4088
Gold - 5015
Bright Aqua - 5733
Yellow - 7549
Bronze - 11008
Green - 15976
Silver - 17443
Gray - 20207
Dark Red - 26123
Blue - 26437
White - 57122
Black - 60922
Red - 93632

Last edited by Andrew; 11-03-2008 at 12:35 PM.
Old 11-03-2008, 12:09 PM
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Rob10R
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I get compliments over my Admiral Blue everytime I take it out on the road! Even myself I can't stop looking at its just something bout that color..addicted to it... Thats why I'm keeping it longer but sold the Black C5 earlier this year...
Old 11-03-2008, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by bizaro
RED is one, copper is another. Nothing very rare after that.













Old 11-03-2008, 02:53 PM
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Mybluc4
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Thanks everyone. Pretty much answered my question. I also get a lot of looks at my Admiral Blue. Gonna stick with it as long as I can.
Old 11-03-2008, 03:18 PM
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94copper
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Hi everryone

Just a quick correction on the 1994 Copper Metallic
They built 116 total 91 Coupes
24 Convertables
1 ZR-1

Of course the ZR-1 belongs to GM !!
Don
Old 11-03-2008, 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 94copper
Hi everryone

Just a quick correction on the 1994 Copper Metallic
They built 116 total 91 Coupes
24 Convertables
1 ZR-1

Of course the ZR-1 belongs to GM !!
Don

That is correct, but they also made 4 in 1986. It has the same RPO description, but I'm not sure if it is the same paint mix code as the 94 version or not. Both the 86 and 94 even had the same RPO code of 66, but the 94 had a U after it. Maybe that means a slightly different mix.

Last edited by Andrew; 11-03-2008 at 03:30 PM.
Old 11-03-2008, 06:09 PM
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The letter U typically refers to Upper in terms of the original two-tone paint schemes with an L being the "lower" color. Build sheets and the Service Parts Identification decal should show the paint RPO code as a 2 digit numeric value with a U as the last character.
Old 11-03-2008, 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by c4cruiser
The letter U typically refers to Upper in terms of the original two-tone paint schemes with an L being the "lower" color. Build sheets and the Service Parts Identification decal should show the paint RPO code as a 2 digit numeric value with a U as the last character.
Competition Yellow is pretty rare.
Old 11-03-2008, 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by xlr8nflorida
Competition Yellow is pretty rare.
Yes it is. 3120 total Corvette's or .87% of total C4 production.

Told ya I'm a stat nerd!
Old 11-03-2008, 07:23 PM
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Old87owner
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Originally Posted by Andrew

--SNIP--

Here are all of the colors that had less than 1000 Corvette's produced (using exact RPO color description):

Dark Orange (Pilot) - 5

--SNIP--
What does the term pilot mean? I have never seen that term before. I am just curious.

Thank-you for your time.

Harry in Bremerton
Old 11-03-2008, 07:31 PM
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Zix
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Originally Posted by Old87owner
What does the term pilot mean? I have never seen that term before. I am just curious.

Thank-you for your time.

Harry in Bremerton
Probably a pre-production color that never made it out into full production
Old 11-03-2008, 07:38 PM
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braktrcr
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paint code 90U gray mettallic for 89 discontinued early in the production run only 53 gray mettalic 89 convetrs
Old 11-03-2008, 11:36 PM
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Z51JEFF
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Originally Posted by c4cruiser
There are a number of colors that were never ordered in large quantities and I don't think they are necessairly "rare", just not popular.

Copper Metallic in '94 was an example of a "rare" color with only 166 cars in that color. But GM had lots of problems with the paint so it was dropped as a color choice. Its a striking color when you see a Copper Metallic C4, but with tthe paint problems, it never had a chance to become popular.

In '89 there was an Artic Pearl with only 27 cars painted that color. In '87 there was a Dark Orange with only 87 cars in that color; the following year, it was a "pilot color" and only 5 cars got that color.
Years ago I saw a Pearl While car and in the late 80s I saw a Tangerine Orange metallic coupe and a few days later I saw a convertible in the same color.The odd thing about the orange cars,I saw them both in the small city I live in and in the same parking lot,2 days apart.There is a G.M. office complex in the next city so I dont know if that had anything to do with it but the orage cars were parked in front of a Kmart,go figure.I saw the Pearl White car on Interstate 5 on my way to Fresno.

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Old 11-04-2008, 12:07 AM
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RandyJ75
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Check out Charcoal Metallic, 848 cars in '90, a three year ('89 to '91) total of about 2000.
Old 11-04-2008, 09:45 AM
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xlr8nflorida
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Originally Posted by Andrew
Yes it is. 3120 total Corvette's or .87% of total C4 production.

Told ya I'm a stat nerd!
189 Competition Yellow ZR-1's in Total from 1990-1995.
Old 11-05-2008, 09:10 AM
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copperc41
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You dont see many copper ones running around


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