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1968 Eldorado on CL - 00 Paint Code

Started by BJM, November 25, 2017, 09:44:13 PM

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BJM

I have been trying to purchase a 68 or 69 Eldorado for a few years. I get close to buying drivers, maybe some projects, then drop out.  This one popped up on my craigs list here in Des Moines for close to crusher price. 

This is not a "buy the best car you can" request.  Can someone with more knowledge and resources tell me about the attached VIN plate? 

The story on the color was that it was repainted. The seller believes the original paint is dark blue.  We looked everywhere for a sign of dark blue and could not. 

It appears to be a mauve or metallic light purple with white top.  The interior is houndstooth. Door panels,dash, etc are in nice condition. 

Does SMS sell a correct or near correct Houndstooth clothe to reupholster? 

Thanks for your help.  Hope the photos show the V.I.N. plate OK. 

BJM

Let me know if I need to resize smaller.

02C

68-69347     FWD12770    PAINT 00-61

TR     410-     

D.Smith

#2
Quote from: BJM on November 25, 2017, 09:48:19 PM
Let me know if I need to resize smaller.

02C

68-69347     FWD12770    PAINT 00-61

TR     410-     

02C  means it was made the third week of the second month.

68-69347 is the Eldorado number.

FWD12770 is the body number.  So it was the 12,770 Eldorado made to date.

PAINT 00 means it was painted a non-standard color!   Thus it was a special order.   61 is the white vinyl top color.

TR 410 is the interior which is black/grey Dominion cloth.

The staples on the metal tag are for the instructions for the special order.  That paper would have had the special color listed on it that the car was to be painted.    The current exterior color could very well be the special order color.

BJM

#3
I did a google search and found I believe a website associated with CLC and created by Ralph Messina. I think I recognize that name from forum posts. 

He did seem to indicate 00 meant a special order paint.   That actually complicates things a bit, because it must have a code or color name.  I would call it Lavender.  The tag or paper that was attached is obviously long gone and there does not seem to be much paperwork on the car/in the car.   

It can't be a one-off.  The reason I felt it was the original color is due to the level of paint coverage. It's everywhere - perfectly painted door jambs and in the trunk. 

The car has a dealer tag on the trunk that indicates it was sold in Marshalltown Iowa when new.

D.Smith

Quote from: BJM on November 25, 2017, 10:41:05 PM

It can't be a one-off. 


Actually it is.    The number 00 means it wasn't a current color offered.  You won't find a record of the color it was painted unfortunately.   

So unless it was a multi car fleet order in some special color, it will indeed be a one-off car. 

Congrats!   That is a great find!   

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Dave's correct. That color could be a previous year offering or the color of his wife's drapes. Maybe someone on the board will recognize it.   Maybe 1960 heather??
Try to save it if possible.
Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

BJM

Refresh me on what would happen at a judged CLC event?   This car would need repainted, and matching that would best be derived from the inner trunk lid. 

J. Skelly

Bryan,

It's a long shot, but maybe the dealer is still in business AND still has the sales information.  It looks like the 1969 color, Wisteria, but obviously isn't since the car is a year older.  Hopefully you can buy it and get it restored.
Jim Skelly, CLC #15958
1968 Eldorado
1977 Eldorado Biarritz
1971 Eldorado (RIP)

David King (kz78hy)

Buy the build sheet for the car and most likely the paint info will be there.  Cool color on the car.
David King
CLC 22014  (life)
1958 Eldorado Brougham 615
1959 Eldorado Brougham 56- sold
1960 Eldorado Brougham 83- sold
1998 Deville d'Elegance
1955 Eldorado #277
1964 Studebaker Commander
2012 Volt
CLCMRC benefactor 197

Director and Founder, Eldorado Brougham Chapter
Past President, Motor City Region

Rare Parts brand suspension parts Retailer via Keep'em Running Automotive

D.Smith

Quote from: BJM on November 26, 2017, 09:21:13 AM
Refresh me on what would happen at a judged CLC event?   This car would need repainted, and matching that would best be derived from the inner trunk lid.

Don't worry about judging.  That is a moot point at best.   With the "00" paint code it could be any color other than a newer one.     

But Special Order cars are, well, special.   So it would be best to repaint it in as close to the original as possible.   And you are right, under the trunk lid is a good place to look.   You can also peel back the trunk lid weather stripping too and see if it is the same color as the inside of the trunk lid.    If that all looks factory then you can bring the car (or just the trunk lid) to a paint supplier and they can scan the inside of the lids surface for the color mix codes.      The scanners are portable and they'll take it out to the car and make the scan.     Once they load the info in their computer, the computer looks for a code mix match with other known older colors in the database.    Then they can offer to mix you paint of that mix.   

68 Eldorados are very desired cars today by collectors.  More so than 67s even as many collectors like their refinements of them over the earlier and later years.       Yes that one is rough in some areas, but being a Special ordered color car it will be even more unique to collectors.   To just give it a repaint in a standard color would be an injustice.    Or worse, to see it scrapped.

D.Smith

Quote from: David King  (kz78hy) on November 26, 2017, 11:20:36 AM
Buy the build sheet for the car and most likely the paint info will be there.  Cool color on the car.

Pretty sure 68 is the one year they don't offer it due to a fire that destroyed the 68 records.

And from the micro film copies of older build sheets they just have columns with code numbers.
It would probably just have the "00" listed.

Maybe someone else can verify this.

BJM

Thank you for all the information.  I mentioned, I have been looking specifically for a 68 Eldorado for years. I almost settled on a 69 last year and that would have been fine.  I was not interested in the 1970's because of the 500 cid engine.  472 is more than enough.

I have owned 2 67 Eldorados.  I restored a 66 Toronado and owned and drove another 67 Toronado. For me, it's a wash between the two as far as my interest but the Eldorados have a much more refined style and presence.

BUT, because they were hard to find in driver condition, I purchased 3 Buick Reattas in the past 4 months.  One is a nice driver, a 1990 Driftwood (Gold) convertible, the earliest known Reatta left (#105) and a special edition 1988 Select Sixty. 

I am a bit out of room and 2 of the Reattas are being restored (they run & drive) 

As usual, cars of interest come along at the wrong time.   I will try to buy it (68 Eldorado) and would love to buy the build sheet.  Too bad the records are missing but maybe a build sheet under the rear cushions?? 

BJM

I don't know about the color yet but I have followed Cadillac for a few years. I have owned 2 1941's including a 60S, a 1964 Coupe deVille and so on, so in research I do recall a "Heather" color in the 60's.  Maybe from the convertible Eldorado years?  I'll do some research - but it makes sense that a potential buyer sees a color on an OLDER Cadillac that they "must" have on a new model they like.  They then agree to pay extra to have this car painted in that color. 

Cadillac has the paint code information, and it passes muster by harmonizing with the standard black interior, so sure, why not?

jagbuxx #12944

Another possibility could have been the Iris Mist color of ‘65 Pontiacs? Other GM divisions offered this color under different names in 1965.
The most recent Cadillac color prior to 1968 could have been 1963 Briar Rose or 1962 Laurel or Heather FireMist.
I know that in 1975, the General Manager where I worked ordered his Eldorado demo in 1969 Chevy Hugger Orange.
Definitely an interesting car that should be saved.
Frank Burns #12944
76 Coupe d'Elegance EFI Galloway Green Firemist
70 deVille Convert San Mateo Red
61 Coupe Deville Bristol Blue
41 Series 61 Deluxe Coupe 6127D Black
08 STS 3.6 1SC  Thunder Gray
16 GTI Gray
03 T-Bird Black
16 Grand Cherokee Summit, Granite
19 Tiffin Phaeton 40AH
07 Corvette Blue
20 MB S450 White

"Whatever the occasion, there
is no better way to arrive than in a Cadillac.

Barry M Wheeler #2189

In reading the threads, I think you are being a little too cautious. Remember, this IS the Standard of the World. $$$ still talked and often enough, we find cars that do not fit the ordinary mold. If you have the means and space (Your desire comes through quite nicely) I would buy that car and stash it away till you get out of your Reatta binge. (I drove a '67 Toro fifty miles round trip a day for several years and found the only snow it would not go through was a three foot deep drift I got into when the road took a sudden dip. Great car!)

I too remember that shade and thought it was lovely. If SMS does not have that cloth, simply do the whole thing in leather. Getting a car you can (possibly) come out ahead on and like it as well, spells a big plus to me. Buy that sucker!
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

2manycars

#15
I'll go along with the others here, on this Eldorado being a special order COPO type car. Def worth saving.

A friend of mine once owned a very nice 1968 Chevelle SS396 that was uniquely equipped. This was in the early 70s. I had not seen it since the mid 70s. That is, until I attended Lead East (a huge 50s show in northern NJ) in 2015 (as I usually did every year). I spotted that car from several rows away, mainly due to the color, and made a bee line for it. I had never seen another Chevelle that color. My friend had not owned it for a long time, but that just HAD to be it.

I got in touch with him that weekend. Yes, it was the actual car. He also told me that the reason I had never seen another one that color was because it was the only one ever built. It carries no paint code. (could it have been coded 00? he did not say). The original owner saw that color and wanted it, and he knew who to ask to get it. The original owner owns it once again, and he was the one who had it at the show. (I did not see him). The car is fully restored now. Some of the interior remains original. Here it is...

Oh, yeah. That is a Cadillac specific color, BTW. Not offered on any Chevrolet.
1964 Coupe de Ville
My Current Projects:
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS Convertible
My Special One:
2001 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (bought it new)

BJM

One of my forum friends on the AACA Forum has a beautiful Wisteria 1969 Eldorado that looks just like this one - only shiny and beautiful. 

What if Cadillac painted this one Wisteria in March 1968 to test the paint for the 1969 run?  That would require a 00- paint code yet be otherwise a 'stock' car allocated to the dealer in Marshalltown Iowa. 


Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

#17
No way!!! You're reading way too much into this situation.
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

D.Smith

Quote from: BJM on November 26, 2017, 07:29:19 PM
One of my forum friends on the AACA Forum has a beautiful Wisteria 1969 Eldorado that looks just like this one - only shiny and beautiful. 

What if Cadillac painted this one Wisteria in March 1968 to test the paint for the 1969 run?  That would require a 00- paint code yet be otherwise a 'stock' car allocated to the dealer in Marshalltown Iowa.

Unlikely.     They couldn't keep up with sold orders on the 68 Eldorados.   There was no need to introduce a new color then.    They were selling like hotcakes.  Dealers had back orders.    Nope, this is a special ordered sold car.   Someone must have wanted it the same color as their older model.  Or as someone else pointed out,  Pontiac had a similar Iris color offered in 65.     Someone could have seen an Iris 65 Bonneville somewhere and decided they just had to have it on their new 1968 Eldorado.    So for a few extra dollars and an even longer waiting period they got just what they wanted.   

Bobby B

Bryan,
You're losing your mind over spending $500.00 for a one-off Eldorado? If you keep rethinking this, you're going to talk yourself right out of it. I can't even buy a set of ashtrays for my car for that price!
                                                      Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH