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Trying to decipher a green wax riddle regarding the pint codes .. Background: 1961 that I've owned since 1982. Back in the Reagan days I bought a fuelie vette as a 3rd owner, not that it mattered back then but it was a stock car, and in preparation for a body on rebuild and paint, I thought it a brilliant idea to spray the entire interior for sound deadening. It worked well; fast forward 42 years, I'm well into a body off frame, nut and bolt restoration. Car was definitely a shade close to Honduras Maroon when I bought it in 1982, but it was a respray and I repainted it Porsche Guards red. I never separated the body from the frame until last year. The car has never been wrecked, the frame is excellent with no issues with the VIN, or any past repairs; however, it had Jewel Blue overspray at various areas along the outer perimeter rails, etc. Upon seeing the jewel blue overspray I discovered I should be able to validate the original color on a '61with the green wax marks located behind the passenger seat.
Which leads me to the green wax marks. They really are there, right behind the passenger seat, and I've been carefully removing the half inch thick, probably criminally illegal (at least here in Cali) undercoating. The Paint codes for '61 were:
Fawn Beige 501
Jewel Blue 502
Tuxedo Black 503
Roman Red 506
Sateen Silver 509
Ermine White 510
Honduras Maroon 523
I was fully expecting to find the three (3) digit 5xx color codes and, based on the riddle of the original color prior to my Guard red respray; it was kind of a brick red (Honduras Maroon) and the jewel blue overspray on the frame I was anticipating either a 502 or a 523 color code. I've just finished the tar removal in the entire area and I'm coming up with only two (2) numerals: a 2 and 0. There's definitely no more green wax either to the left of the "2" or to the right of the "0".
Any insights are welcome.
!984 SF to Boulder Jewel Blue on frame
"2", "0"
Last edited by matchco; Mar 30, 2024 at 07:18 PM.
Reason: adding onn additional pic
The blue overspray on the frame is not an indication of the original color because the body was painted before it was mated to the frame. There would be no overspray on the frame when the car left St Louis. That blue is from paint work done sometime later in it's life.
As for the "2" and "0", I don't have an answer for you, but then I can't really make out a "2" or "0" in the photos. I can't say I've ever seen a car with the paint code written in the trunk (58-60) or behind the seat (61-62), but instead I've seen the color spelled out. I've seen original white cars with "ivory" written behind the seat, "silver" in a friend's Sateen Silver 62 and a Charcoal 58 with "char" in the trunk. It's been 43 years since I had my 62 a part, or even had the seats out, but I seem to remember it said "red" on the bulkhead.
Matchc,
My 61 s/n 102790 was repainted twice??? Last year I removed the trunk divider board and took a quarter and scratched the bulkhead behind the passenger seat. Attached photo shows thw result. No doubt in my mind now of the original color,I always believed it was Honduras maroon. You may try that approach, I found matching jobnumbers on the drivers door and speedometer nacelle , but nothing that looked close to a paint code. I have owned the car since 1976. Never wrecked.
Good Luck
GBvette62: Thank you for the reply; definitely trying to avoid going down a rabbit hole on the color and appreciate the insight on the body painted before assembly to the frame. That pretty much locks it in to repaint it one of the reds. Much appreciated.
OC-1, this is really helpful, I guess this thread confirms the green wax A) does exist and B) its not always in the same place. My markings are in the same location as you've depicted; now I just have to decipher the "2", "0" marking. That's all that is behind the passenger seat; perhaps it extends across the back seat panel. It looks like this easter is going to be spent hunting out more markings behind the tar. Thanks again all for the replies.
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Color code / Green Wax marks
