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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 6,332
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COPO fleet colors?
When I was growing up in Saskatchewan, almost all of our cars were "poverty" cars without air, power windows, or most interesting options. The trucks you saw generally had at best a 307 or 350.
There were a few 396 trucks running around, but they were all purple. Legend held that there was a fleet order that got abandoned and they had been built that way as a batch. Was there a factory purple? I guess that's my first question. Never seen it on a color card. My more interesting question is if people know of other large fleet COPO orders that we see kicking around today with custom colors. Up in Sask there were a lot of orange trucks for "Sask Power", the local utility. When they were used up they'd shoot them white, sell them off, and they'd peel 40% within a couple of years!
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1970 GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper - Built, not Bought 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Coupe 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Convertible |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Motor City
Posts: 9,194
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
We built some for the RCMP that were purple and red.
Fleet orders could be built in any color the customer was willing to pay for. That was the whole idea. K
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ |
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#3 |
SWB 4x4 Collector
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Location: Osage City, KS
Posts: 5,152
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Dave, there are plenty rare copo colors seen on our trucks, and yes there was a purple. I believe its in the rare paint schemes thread. Trevor
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TREVOR ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=624819 ![]() ![]() :2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (daily driver) WTB: 1968-70 Cruise Control Lever |
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#4 |
SWB 4x4 Collector
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Location: Osage City, KS
Posts: 5,152
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
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TREVOR ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=624819 ![]() ![]() :2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (daily driver) WTB: 1968-70 Cruise Control Lever |
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#5 |
Special Order
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Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,859
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
That purple was a Canadian thing. There were other colors seen only on Canadian trucks
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#6 | |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Motor City
Posts: 9,194
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Quote:
Orange - Grand Trunk Rail Road Light blue/white - Consumers Energy Bright yellow - County road commision Dark Blue - Michigan State Police Each agency had their own specification of what the paint color was to be, and sometimes provided the necessary quantity of paint. Paint was added to a separate "paint pot" in the paint shop, which was a special set up of lines and guns for low volume production, or loaded into the "repair line" system. This helps mimimize the waste from purging between color changes, as opposed to filling the whole paint system. Trucks were usually "batch built", meaning small blocks of several in a row, until the whole order was completed. The deviation from production could be not just color but also a deviation in paint breaks and two tone patterns as well. K
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ Last edited by Keith Seymore; 06-04-2015 at 10:30 AM. |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Motor City
Posts: 9,194
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
These bad boys were not COPOs (they were processed through the regular production order system) but were definitely special paint jobs.
In spite of the way it looks the camoflauge pattern was not random, but specified by the US Govt and described by truck engineering. A sample panel was hung in the paint booth with the templated paint pattern displayed, and the painter was to emulate the pattern freehand on the vehicle before him. K
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Carnation, Wa
Posts: 142
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
![]() I ordered some flat spray paint online and noticed that they had templates for different vehicle camo- Thought it was weird that there was a "rule" for a seemingly random pattern for camo but sure enough, the military has a specific way to camouflage anything in the fleet. |
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#9 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Saskatoon,SK,Canada
Posts: 2,476
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
There was a guy up the street from me when I was growing up that had a 396 purple truck. I knew of a few other purple ones at the time.
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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 2,188
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
To add on to the camouflage pattern, it was very specific as tested by the government to best conceal the vehicle/personnel. It's actually a large operation to test, retest, and alter the patterns.
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#11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: daytonabeach
Posts: 22,956
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
There were tons and tons of coca cola red trucks around as service vehicles in almost every state that i know of
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#12 |
Special Order
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Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,859
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
There was also that lime green, like fire equipment, another green that was kind of trick looking like a candy apple green. There was also pink, such as the one member Already Gone had. They weren't COPO, they were in the line-up, or a factory special addition and only in Canada.
I've had a couple "special paint" trucks, mostly gov't/municipal. One even had the wheels painted a special red. It was a '69 C/20 Stepside 6cyl/Powerglide with AM radio and gauge options. It was a light grey with red wheels. It never had lettering and I bought it from the original owner. But, we have Southern States, which is a farmer cooperative type supply business that always ran those colors. There were markings on the wheels when the original tires were removed.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#13 |
70+ ( Old Skool Club )
![]() Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ,Canada
Posts: 9,119
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
I know of a factory Purple and White 72 C10 BB that is parked in a back yard 5 minutes form my home. I stopped and talked with the owner one day and its been in his family since new. Its a little rough and the BB is gone and he claims he is going to restore it one day. I asked and he doesn't want to sell. I should go back and se if I can get him too let me take a pic of the spid if its still there. Now I have an original factory Purple with white roof 70 CST Longhorn that shows special paint on the spid. Sorry for the bad pics but I haven't taken any good ones of it yet. For some reason I can only up load 2 pics ,I'll try to and more i the box below.
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1972 C10 Custom/Deluxe 613 Highlander 406/700R4 1999 White Tahoe LS 4x2 with Z56 Police Package 1992 K1500 GMC Suburban Members I have personally met: MusicMan70 - HeavyD - ChewyChevy67 - StingRay -71SWB4x4 - 67 Burb - DeadheadNM - too much stuff - bc65 - das601 " Circumsatances Do Not Change Responsibility " " The Sky is not the Limit, Your Mind is." Marilyn Monroe .. RIP Charlie Watts 1941 - 2021 |
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#14 |
70+ ( Old Skool Club )
![]() Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ,Canada
Posts: 9,119
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
More Pics,
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1972 C10 Custom/Deluxe 613 Highlander 406/700R4 1999 White Tahoe LS 4x2 with Z56 Police Package 1992 K1500 GMC Suburban Members I have personally met: MusicMan70 - HeavyD - ChewyChevy67 - StingRay -71SWB4x4 - 67 Burb - DeadheadNM - too much stuff - bc65 - das601 " Circumsatances Do Not Change Responsibility " " The Sky is not the Limit, Your Mind is." Marilyn Monroe .. RIP Charlie Watts 1941 - 2021 |
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#15 |
70+ ( Old Skool Club )
![]() Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ,Canada
Posts: 9,119
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Spid. seeing its a Canadian built truck I guess I could write to GM and get the Heritage Info on it but don'y want to pay the 50/75.00 for it.
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1972 C10 Custom/Deluxe 613 Highlander 406/700R4 1999 White Tahoe LS 4x2 with Z56 Police Package 1992 K1500 GMC Suburban Members I have personally met: MusicMan70 - HeavyD - ChewyChevy67 - StingRay -71SWB4x4 - 67 Burb - DeadheadNM - too much stuff - bc65 - das601 " Circumsatances Do Not Change Responsibility " " The Sky is not the Limit, Your Mind is." Marilyn Monroe .. RIP Charlie Watts 1941 - 2021 |
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 6,332
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
I bought a Pontiac 2+2 from a guy in Regina with a purple 396 truck that he ultimately killed someone with in a drunk driving accident. Neil D.
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1970 GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper - Built, not Bought 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Coupe 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Convertible |
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#17 |
70+ ( Old Skool Club )
![]() Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ,Canada
Posts: 9,119
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Talked with my boss this morning a retired member who worked form 1970 until 2000 but in Western Canada. Theses vehicles could have gone anywhere in Canada when built. Keith do you remember what year and if it was trucks or cars that were the purple and red. Were they purple exterior with red trim or ?
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1972 C10 Custom/Deluxe 613 Highlander 406/700R4 1999 White Tahoe LS 4x2 with Z56 Police Package 1992 K1500 GMC Suburban Members I have personally met: MusicMan70 - HeavyD - ChewyChevy67 - StingRay -71SWB4x4 - 67 Burb - DeadheadNM - too much stuff - bc65 - das601 " Circumsatances Do Not Change Responsibility " " The Sky is not the Limit, Your Mind is." Marilyn Monroe .. RIP Charlie Watts 1941 - 2021 |
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#18 | |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Motor City
Posts: 9,194
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Quote:
The trucks were red and purple on the exterior (I don't remember the interior color), with the paint break occuring at the belt line (lower edge of the side window). My recollection is that they were Suburbans. K
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Posts: 11
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
Following
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#20 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,859
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
National Truck Rental had trucks built in a green like Sunbelt Rentals uses today....like the green 7-up used.
The yellow on hiway dept. trucks and orange also used on Asplundt, Allied Van Lines, etc were not COPO orders. Those are fleet colors from factory that don't change year by year...been around forever. The dealers have those colors (and a few others) in their selections but they are only available for fleet accounts. I recall red (like fire trucks) and Woodland Green are a couple others. In '92 I ordered a GMC. I had my dealer talk to GMC to see f they'd make an exception and do a truck in Woodland Green for an individual. They said they wood as long as I was willing to wait for at least 5 other trucks were ordered in that color. No problem, I waited. I ordered in January and the truck came in June.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: formerly NY currentlyNC
Posts: 390
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Re: COPO fleet colors?
mine was a new york town of hempstead dept of sanitation truck...it was school bus yellow
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1970 short step c10 leaf spring 454 |
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