Original car paint doesn�t match trim tag?

[Chris L.]

[Chris H.]

[Mark F.]

...The colors in question are 978 International Blue now on car and trim tag, but the originally painted color seems to be 976 LeMans blue. Thanks, Chris

Chris,

Do you see the LeMans blue on both sides; and front and back of the car ?
or is it just located in a relatively small area (IOW, only one side; or only the front or back) ?

The reason I ask is having spent many hours in assembly plant paint booths, I can tell you mistakes do happen.

For cars coming down the line where a color switch is necessary, numerous steps are involved for each painter positioned in the booth:

1. detach the paint gun hose from the color you just finished painting and hang that hose back on the rack on the side wall of the booth. FYI each color available plus the thinner had a dedicated hose down to the paint & oil house (or however the paint storage worked at St. Louis);
2. attach the gun to the paint thinner hose;
3. squirt enough thinner down toward the grate flooring to clean out the gun
4. detach the thinner hose and hang that hose back on the rack
5. attach the next car's color hose to the paint gun and start painting at your position in the booth (1st painter right side; 2nd right side; etc., etc.)

At step 5, maybe Joe Bagadoughnuts grabs the wrong shade of blue; he starts painting and then realizes he's got the wrong blue...
repeat steps 1 to 5 above to get back to the right color...

The image below from the late '60s shows how many hoses each painter might be dealing with...

If you're seeing the LeMans blue overspray at all 4 corners; firewall; jambs; under the carpeting etc. then the above scenario does not apply...
Plus, it's almost impossible that all 8 (or however many there were) painters in the booth would make the same mistake on the same car !

I'll be interested in what you find out

Paint Booth hoses late '60s.jpg

[Edward C.]

[Chris L.]

[Mark E.]

[Jack M.]

TYPO?
I've seen many various Trim Tag typos for C2's... paint, ECL, missing dates, overstamps, etc.

[Terry M.]

Instead of employees painting the car the wrong color, could this be a simple Trim Tag TYPO?
I've seen many various Trim Tag typos for C2's... paint, ECL, missing dates, overstamps, etc.

I think Jack M is on the more likely scenario.
676 = LeMans Blue
678 = International Blue

[Mark F.]

[Jack M.]

[Leif A.]

Mark- What I'm suggesting, possibly happened as follows:
1) The car was painted the proper 1968 LeMans Blue in St Louis.
2) When the trim tag was imprinted/affixed, there was a paint code typo.
3) The restoration painter used the International Blue, via the typo in the trim tag.

Just one of many possibilities... some photos might help (or not).

Jack,
This sounds like the most plausible answer.

[Jack M.]

[Mark F.]

Mark- What I'm suggesting, possibly happened as follows:
1) The car was painted the proper 1968 LeMans Blue in St Louis.
2) When the trim tag was imprinted/affixed, there was a paint code typo.
3) The restoration painter used the International Blue, via the typo in the trim tag.

Just one of many possibilities... some photos might help (or not).

Hey Jack,

Now I get it !

Is your middle name Colombo ?

So, chris should see LeMans over spray everywhere it wasn't covered up by the restorer paint job...not just one painter's position as I had speculated may have been a possibility...

[Jack M.]

Now I get it !

Sorry I wasn't clear to begin with.

[Chris L.]