VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION VCCA Judging Questions Judging and "original color" question

I often hear people at shows say "that's not an original color" when looking at an original restoration vehicle. It baffles me how someone can make that statement with any conviction.

In trucks, the factory offered up to a dozen or so standard "no-cost" color choices. Typically these were pretty common basic colors. Then, for a fee, you could have any Dulux color for which you had a DUCO number applied. This is an original first paint at the factory on the assembly line color, but not a "no cost standard color".

To my point, fleet truck operators frequently had a standard fleet color and pattern. Mayflower moving vans are a good example of this with their green and yellow combination.

If I parked a fully restored 1951 Chevy Mayflower moving van a VCCA judged show with yellow and green paint, would that be viewed as original paint or would there be a point deduction for it?

If I parked a Mary K pink 1951 Chevy truck at a show how would that be treated for paint color judging? What if I had an original DUCO paint chart showing that color was available in '51?

Thorny question that often is the source of pain for someone who poured their heart and soul into an original restoration only to be put down for perceived non-compliant color, when in my experience, the rainbow was the limit of factory colors at the time.

You should round up period correct advertising or brochures showing the truck in the company colors. Display them for judges to see. I would think that should validate the color choice. My opinion only. Hopefully someone will give you a proper "procedure" for this.

Your wildly speculative and pseudo-intellectual post includes some very far fetched scenarios Kook.








Pink & rainbow colors are NOT acceptable as original for Chevrolet trucks but.....
We will make a special point to reserve & "accept" the pink & rainbow colors for the GMC trucks ONLY for judging purposes.






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Custom paint colors as well as many other custom options were available for truck customers. I think it would be necessary for judging to supply some type of documentation to support the authenticity of the "custom accessory" installation be it paint or other special equipment. Many of the extras were sent out to body companies and fabricators for installation so often the final manufacturer was not even GMC. I just looked at some paint color custom options chips and there are probably close to 200 "custom" colors to choose from. That being said if the sales order was large enough the customer could probably specify his choice of paint color as long as he provided the paint code.

While VCCA judging doesn't require the paint number to match the actual color Chevrolet almost always had a paint option whereas the car could be painted any Dupont color. I believe, if I remember correctly, the body tag would have 'SPECIAL" for the paint number.
The dealership I worked for ordered the last Caprice convertibles is various non listed colors. The flexible plastic fillers around the ends of the bumpers came trough in silver and then we painted them to match.
Other exception what if you restored a car as a fire chief car (red)a taxi (yellow) or a police car (black and white).

Steve D. and Gene have put it best. Documentation will solve the question.

In the case of pink & rainbow colored GMC trucks.....The body tag will be marked "FABULOUS" for paint number

fabulous!

^THIS^ just made my day. Hats off to you, sir.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

However, this quickly got off-track, and personal. As a result they are in violation of our Board Policy .

So, I'm LOCKING THIS THREAD. If you start a new one, focus on a constructive topic. I won't tolerate nasty, baiting or misleading comments from members or Non-members. We've been there before.