Paint code location on light blue 81
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Paint code location on light blue 81
Where is the paint code on an 81?
I have an 81 that I've been working on for a while. The car needed painting so I stripped the body. My son-in-law then sanded down the body and filled in the flaws. The door jams are still a light blue though.
Doing a little research, I noticed that there was only 1 81 painted light blue.
Now i seriously doubt that this is it, but I should check the paint code. I found a table online at corvettepaintcodes.com that lists all the paint codes for all years. Not sure where to look on the car for the paint code.
Dave
I have an 81 that I've been working on for a while. The car needed painting so I stripped the body. My son-in-law then sanded down the body and filled in the flaws. The door jams are still a light blue though.
Doing a little research, I noticed that there was only 1 81 painted light blue.
Now i seriously doubt that this is it, but I should check the paint code. I found a table online at corvettepaintcodes.com that lists all the paint codes for all years. Not sure where to look on the car for the paint code.
Dave
#3
look for the trim tag on the A pillar of the drivers side door
#4
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks guys, looks like dark blue, built in Bowling Green?
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Not very light blue after all
#6
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Code 38 is dark blue metallic used at Bowling Green. The E denotes acrylic enamel.
#7
Race Director
That's a Bowling Green trim tag, and the Bright Blue 81 was built at St Louis.
People have been looking for that lone blue 81 for years. Through my involvement in the NCRS, I have been contacted a number of times about it.
To start with, it was not "light blue", the color of the 81 was "Bright Blue Metallic", and it was more of a medium blue. The paint code for the 81 Bright Blue Metallic was 24.
The Bright Blue 81 was a pre-production, pilot line car, and the color was cancelled long before 81 production began in August 1980. For production, Bright Blue was replaced with Mahogany Metallic.
The lone Bright Blue 81 was shown on the cover of the December/January 1981 issue of Corvette News. Inside the magazine, the following description is given about the cover: "Dave McLellan, Gregg Zuccker, Bill Scott and Jerry Palmer show off the '81 prototype. (This color is not available on production models.)
Pilot line cars were usually kept by GM for use in the press pool, or used by engineering for additional testing etc. Depending on what the car was used for, and what condition it was in, eventually they were either sold to a GM employee, sold to a local dealer, or destroyed. It's generally believed that the Bright Blue 81 was kept by GM engineering, and likely destroyed?
If the Bright Blue 81 ever turns up, it should be easy to identify, since the VIN would have to be one of the first 5 or so 81 VIN's issued.
Here is the cover of the Corvette News issue, with the Bright Blue 81 on it.
People have been looking for that lone blue 81 for years. Through my involvement in the NCRS, I have been contacted a number of times about it.
To start with, it was not "light blue", the color of the 81 was "Bright Blue Metallic", and it was more of a medium blue. The paint code for the 81 Bright Blue Metallic was 24.
The Bright Blue 81 was a pre-production, pilot line car, and the color was cancelled long before 81 production began in August 1980. For production, Bright Blue was replaced with Mahogany Metallic.
The lone Bright Blue 81 was shown on the cover of the December/January 1981 issue of Corvette News. Inside the magazine, the following description is given about the cover: "Dave McLellan, Gregg Zuccker, Bill Scott and Jerry Palmer show off the '81 prototype. (This color is not available on production models.)
Pilot line cars were usually kept by GM for use in the press pool, or used by engineering for additional testing etc. Depending on what the car was used for, and what condition it was in, eventually they were either sold to a GM employee, sold to a local dealer, or destroyed. It's generally believed that the Bright Blue 81 was kept by GM engineering, and likely destroyed?
If the Bright Blue 81 ever turns up, it should be easy to identify, since the VIN would have to be one of the first 5 or so 81 VIN's issued.
Here is the cover of the Corvette News issue, with the Bright Blue 81 on it.
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fatsport (06-12-2018)
#8
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Great history lesson, thanks!
I knew a little about it, and was pretty sure it was a very early VIN number.
Here's pic I had on my phone - someone speculating they found it? - must have looked into this same time in the past.
I knew a little about it, and was pretty sure it was a very early VIN number.
Here's pic I had on my phone - someone speculating they found it? - must have looked into this same time in the past.
Last edited by fatsport; 06-12-2018 at 05:39 PM.
#9
Just another Corvette guy
#10
Race Director
If I get chance, I'll look for that Vette Vues issue tomorrow.
#11
Just another Corvette guy
gb, that would be very interesting to know. Thanks for the heads up.
Greg
Greg