Decoding information for '62 FC trim and paint codes

The information below is for '64 FCs and has not yet been revised for '62 FCs. Use at your own risk!

Unlike Corvair cars, the forward control vehicles do not have a true "body tag" that includes a body number, build date, etc. FCs do have a data plate though that includes two types of codes:

1. Trim code: Indicates whether the vehicle was equipped with RPO Z60 (Custom Equipment, a.k.a. "Deluxe" option)
2. Paint code: Specifies the exterior paint scheme

The plates for '64 FCs built in Flint, MI and St. Louis, MO contain the same basic information. The St. Louis plates contain some extra prefix digits and "exception codes" which have yet to be fully decoded (see below).

Trim code information

Flint, MI vehicles

Only a few Flint-built '64 Rampsides are listed in the registry and the trim codes from their plates are very straightforward:

St. Louis, MO vehicles

Vehicles built in St. Louis show a bit more variation due to the inclusion of prefix digits and "exception codes" on the units equipped with RPO Z60:

For vehicles equipped with RPO Z60, the code has three parts:

See Prefix digits and exception codes below for details.

Paint code information

Flint, MI vehicles

As noted above, only a few Flint-built '64 Rampsides are listed in the registry. The paint codes from their plates are three digits and correspond directly to the paint color numbers found in the dealer ordering information.

St. Louis, MO vehicles

Vehicles built in St. Louis show a bit more variation due to the inclusion of prefix digits and "exception codes". Each paint code has three parts:

See the next section below for details.

Prefix digits and exception codes

The information below comes from the 1964 Chevrolet Truck Prices book. My copy is dated 8/19/63.

Prefix digits

In the price book, every option and paint code is listed with either a "4" prefixed (for all non-Corvair FC options and colors) or a "5" prefixed (for all Corvair FC options and colors). So for example, air brake equipment is 4-J71 while level floor equipment is 5-E82.

The prefix digits clearly show that Corvair FCs were segregated from the other trucks. Dave Newell commented that each prefix digit

"indicates that the records for that option are kept in the Corvair 95 book, to keep that production record separate from other vehicle lines with the same option. For example, M35 was Powerglide on every Chevy vehicle. For Corvair FCs it was the #5 book."

The reason Flint-built vehicles do not have prefx digits is not known at this time.

Exception codes

In the price book, every option and color combination (except those for solid color schemes) is followed by a two-letter combination. Dave Newell thinks these letters are an "exception code". The meaning of each exception code is unknown at this time. If you have any information about the meaning of exception codes, please contact me!

Also, while the exception codes explain why St. Louis vehicles have a trailing two-letter combination in their trim and paint codes, they do not explain why Flint vehicles do not.

Trim code exceptions

The price book lists several exception codes for RPO Z60, separated into three groups:

Interestingly, there are several examples from the '64 Rampside registry which feature codes outside this range (GA, GB, & MB). The price guide does not list an exception code, for any Corvair FC option, beginning with a letter higher than "F".

(I also have data on a few Corvans and Greenbriers. One Greenbrier has KB at the end of its trim code, which is outside the published range.)

Paint code exceptions

The price book does not list any exception codes for solid color schemes (colors 500-529). It does list codes for two-tone schemes, separated into three groups:

Colors 530-544

Color 545

Colors 546-559

(To translate color numbers to names, check the Color and Trim Combinations table.)

Do data from the '64 Rampside registry agree with the price guide?

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Last updated: March 20, 2006.