Paint mystery

[68X426]

This is my first post and I hope that I am in the right place. I think this question would also apply to Chargers and all Mopar B bodies.

What color would the inside of the trunk have been painted in a 68 Road Runner built at the St. Louis factory ?? Specifically, most of this trunk's insides are now a 41 year old fading away black color, but portions (metal under the sill and all the rear seat supports) are a now fading away Corpoate Blue. It is all original.

The portions that are blue do not match the car's exterior (which is not blue). The exterior color is original and matches the fender tag. I am the new owner, have had the fender tag de-coded, and it is all original.

So, were trunks all painted uniformally with blue? Were some done that way and some done to match the exterior color? Should the trunk interior have matched the exterior? When would an exception have occured?

The mystery is compounded with the 999 paint code on the tag and a Y9 (special delivery) code on the tag. I will be contacting Galen G. to help on many other items on the Runner and to further document its uniqueness. For now the question is about how those trunk insides were painted.

Thank you in advance and yes I will be posting pictures and the story.

[maxwellwedge]

The entire car was painted all at once - all with the same guns (one man per side) all with the same color. What is on your tag?

If the owner painted the inside of the trunk in the first year or so it would now look old and original.


y9 = Special Order.

999 Paint code  is either "Special Order" or "Richard Petty Blue".

[hemi-hampton]

999 could actually be any color. Any Broadcast sheet or Window Sticker? Trunk Color should match exterior. LEON.

[maxwellwedge]

The entire car was painted all at once - all with the same guns (one man per side) all with the same color. What is on your tag?

If the owner painted the inside of the trunk in the first year or so it would now look old and original.


y9 = Special Order.

999 Paint code  is either "Special Order" or "Richard Petty Blue".

Yup - What I said - Special or Petty

[68X426]

Thank you Maxwell and Leon for the feedback.

We have the fender tag, but the sheet and sticker are long gone. It is a Y9 and 999. The color is Hemi Orange (aka TorRed in 68, 69 Plymouths); it is not Omaha, Vitamin C, or Burnt. It was built 3-15-68 in St. Louis.

I'm now the third owner, #2 is trying to locate #1 for me. #2 says it has always been Hemi Orange, #1 ordered it that way. #2 had the paint restored in 2005 and only the trunk was not re-done, it remains original according to the shop. The trunk lid and hinges were refreshed, but the rest was left untouched.

In the hidden away corners throughout there is only faded Hemi Orange to be found, except for the two areas in the trunk interior. By faded I mean it is dull and could be described as either "dusty" "dirty" or "flat".

It was never important to #2 or #1 to document the tag or the paint, but I certainly wish to reconstruct the color history and how the factory produced it (it's a 999 and there were not many in 68). But it is now decades later and we lack documents about how it all developed. And I have read that Chrysler changed all its record keeping in 69 and the 68 data is pretty much lacking.

The blue that is found is Corporate Blue, not Petty Blue. Of course it is 41 years later and the blue is faded. It only appears in two locations, the underside of the trunk rear (sill area) and the rear seat supports. Everything else in the trunk is a faded black (except for the previously mentioned interior lid and hinges). Everywhere else on the vehicle the color is Hemi Orange, every little spot.

Does anyone know of a written source about the factory methods, special orders, and how colors were developed? Is there a guru of paints and history out there somewhere? I have read all I can find from dozens of sources on-line but can't pin down what the trunk may have looked like. 

Of course any more input or ideas the forum members have would be appreciated.
 
Thanks again.

[bordin34]

It could be possible that the factory messed up and started painting it the wrong color maybe?

[hemi-hampton]

As far as I know Hemi Orange color did not exist in 1968. That's why they were not able to paint those 50 Bengal Chargers in 1968 for the Tom Kneer Cincinatti Dealership Hemi Orange  or any Orange. Dodge said they did not offer a Orange in 68. SO, They sprayed them what they called special fleet order color of the same orange used on the Michigan Department of Transportation Vehicles. Not sure but these 68 Bengals might of been 999 also? If so I'd guess you got the same color they did. I'd also guess/speculate possible your car was originally blue & then switched to Orange on Assembly line but just speculation. LEON.

[maxwellwedge]

Look under the package tray, carpet and behind the door panels and see what color you see there. You could even order a (gasp) GM color on a 999. I agree with Leon - Hemi Orange was a late 69 Model year color.

[mauve66]

i agree, under the carpet is the best bet unless someone did a rotissoree on it already, the black in the trunk sounds like someone just wanted to rattle can it so it wouldn't stand out against the rest of the car and as far as the tag goes, someone could of had one made to match what THEY wanted the cars color to be