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I've recently bough a car in Michigan, a 1975 Corvette painted a beautiful but not very common burnt orange. I naturally want to check what the original color was.
There are no remains of an original paint to be seen and the side trim tag is missing.
Still waiting for replies (I got one already: "the vehicle is too old for any info to be found"), but I'd like to ask you guys for directions to go from here.
Your only option is to disassemble the car back to a point where it would have been for the repaint(s). Pull the sill plates and kick panels and push the carpet back. If the car was just masked off for repaint you can just remove a tail light lens or look under the hood edges or pull back some weather strip.
Your only option is to disassemble the car back to a point where it would have been for the repaint(s). Pull the sill plates and kick panels and push the carpet back. If the car was just masked off for repaint you can just remove a tail light lens or look under the hood edges or pull back some weather strip.
Thanks for the clues. I guess I will have to go that way.
Still it would be preferable to get some printed docs. It's hard to believe that GM doesn't keep track of built articles somewhere.
To keep old records of the millions of cars they've built would require an inordinate amount of space or, at the very least, a mountain of time for somebody to transfer to computer. GM simply has no use for that old info, so no reason to keep it.
As stated above, easiest place to check is to pull a rocker sill, push back the carpet and see what paint is on the floor. It's only four screws.
I was just going to say pull the door sills... Burnt Orange looks cool on a C3...
It looks cool indeed and the paint job has been done well and carefully. I'd still want to get a trim tag fabricated, for completeness and looks... and because here in Poland, where I want to register the car the DMV itself and even policemen sometimes don't like missing trim tags.
To keep old records of the millions of cars they've built would require an inordinate amount of space or, at the very least, a mountain of time for somebody to transfer to computer. GM simply has no use for that old info, so no reason to keep it.
As stated above, easiest place to check is to pull a rocker sill, push back the carpet and see what paint is on the floor. It's only four screws.
True. I worked in digitalizing real estate files and records of a very well-known European country, known for its obsession with order, plans and details It was basically about having all kinds of info previously found on (sometimes very old) paper files into a giant computer database with diverse software to query it from public offices. The project went eventually south and got shut down. The amount of work to accomplish something like that is much, much larger than one might think at first sight. Believe me.
For C3s (and other GM cars) from 1977 and up, the records do exist. Prior to that, you'll need to ask the PO, or use the evidence left on the car.
It is possible your tank sticker is still intact on top of the fuel tank. Check with a borescope, or by peeking around the fuel fill neck. If you see it, drop the tank to read it, don't try to pull it out.
Only certain color combinations were available from the factory. If you have an other than black interior that you know to be original, that limits what colors were "stock" with the car (though special orders could break those rules). The Vehicle Information Kit pdf at the link above has lots of this information, and is worth downloading.
OP: that orange is one of my very favorite all-time Corvette colors. I hope you can find what you're looking for. The door sill/pushing carpet back a bit usually works well. If you're not certain, you can also try removing a door panel and see what you find along the edges. Best, Paul
2025 C2 of the Year ('63 and '67) Finalist - Unmodified
C2 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
My '69 trim tag is missing too. It lived a hard and varied life before I brought it home. I stripped the car down for a repaint in 2003. Sanded through several coats of paint, gold, red, yellow. Underneath it all and under the door lock cylinders, was black paint, so I painted it black. Well, no way to know for sure with the history of this car and all the after market parts, it just doesn't matter.
OP: that orange is one of my very favorite all-time Corvette colors. I hope you can find what you're looking for. The door sill/pushing carpet back a bit usually works well. If you're not certain, you can also try removing a door panel and see what you find along the edges. Best, Paul
Tried yesterday with the carpet. I was hard to see anything conclusively because it was dark already but I had the impression I could spot some blackish areas. I will give it another try today.
Missing trim tag - playing PI now
Burnt Orange looks cool on this '75...
It was basically about having all kinds of info previously found on (sometimes very old) paper files into a giant computer database with diverse software to query it from public offices. The project went eventually south and got shut down. The amount of work to accomplish something like that is much, much larger than one might think at first sight. Believe me.
