How To Identify Your Imperial's Original Paint Scheme

 


Imperial Home Page -> Repair ->Body -> Paint -> Original


Question from Jack (1974):

Someday, when I can afford it, I'm going to repaint my car, and I was wondering, is there somewhere on the car that tells you what color it is? Or do I just have to know? It's a dark green, and I do have a bottle of paint that was for it that my grandfather bought before I got the car, but I just want to double check it's the right color.

Reply from Chris

Under the hood, on either the left front fender or on the radiator cross-member, you'll find a small metal plate about 2x3 inches with a lot of numbers stamped in it. The plate is read left-to-right, but bottom-to-top (that is, read your way UP the plate). On the beginning of the 2nd line (from the bottom), you should see a three-character code like "KG8." This is the paint code. If you tell us what this code says, I can let you know what color your car was born in. Tell us the 4-digit code to the right of that and I can decode your interior. And tell us the 3-digit code above the paint (it should begin with V--) and we can decode the vinyl top.

KG8, by the way, is Deep Sherwood Metallic, which I believe is the dark green of 1974.


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