paint code 557

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

I have read a lot of your on paint code 557 but am still unclear on a couple issues with my truck. Hope someone can help?
I have a 1971 Cheyenne code 557
Truck is currently white on top and stripe around the middle with rest in dark olive 506. The white in the middle is clearly painted over dark olive 506 and the white on top also appears to be painted over dark olive 506. The interior (dash steering column rear sheet metal) is all medium olive 504 ( it all has the appearance of being original color) with the exception to the inside of the doors that are dark olive 506 (these are clearly repainted).
I see that my roof should be medium olive 504 but need help on the middle part...
1. My truck has both moldings so should my middle part (between the moldings) be dark or medium olive? I have seen both and even some with both moldings and still dark olive in the middle (but have only seen that combo on a 72 not a 71).
2. Does it make since that my interior is medium olive, with dark olive doors, and a dark green bench seat and head liner? Do I need to repaint the interior of the doors to medium olive 504?
3. My urgent issue is I am repainting the engine side of the firewall in the next day or two and do not know which olive to use. The engine side of firewall and engine side of the passengers finder are black (repainted over an unknown color). the engine side the drivers fender is medium olive??? Maybe that fender has been replaced with a used fender??? What color do I paint the firewall (looking to be original)?

thanks for any assistance you can provide...

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

I went out this morning and examined the firewall more closely and can see where under the black is medium olive - I am now totally confused. How would a 71 Cheyenne 557 originally have a medium olive engine bay?

[RedRoad]

Are you sure that spid is even for your truck? Looks like the VIN and WB info is scratched off, only time Ive seen that is on a cab swap or cut down frame.

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

I doubt a cab swap as the VIN info appears to never have been on the SPID, see close up attached. Looks like something in the glove box scratched it?? But who knows??
I did inspect the bed and can see where it is yellow under the dark olive so clearly that is a replacement bed.
I did further inspect the fenders, hood, piece behind the hood with wipers in it, and can see where all were originally medium olive (unable to tell on portion between the chrome moldings).
That seems to make since with the medium olive interior.
Does it make since that a code 557 on a 71 would be medium olive?

[SS Tim]

Guessing this is what you rang me about... :-)

If you have been reading, then this should be fairly clear in concept. It just doesn't match what you are seeing.

A 70-72 truck, paint coded 557, a Special Two-Tone selection will always be painted GM code 506 Dark Olive Poly (Ditzer 2207) as the primary color inside, out and under.

The roof and upper cab are painted GM code 504 Medium Olive Poly (Ditler 2097) in the conventional two-tone pattern. In no event will the secondary color be found on the interior (it stops at the weatherstrip) nor below the cab divider trim (D99) below the rear window.

The white paint between the upper and lower bodyside moldings plus roof, seen on a great many trucks (very often added), is called Deluxe Two-Tone and is always a 4XX paint code from the factory. It is not correct in any way with a 557 code. Nor would any contrasting color between the moldings unless added by the dealer and documented.

However the SPID (or cab) is likely not the original for your truck if the cab is, as you observe, 504 Medium Olive from the factory. The VIN number itself appears to have been intentionally obliterated since it probably didn't match the VIN tag on the driver's door pillar (attached with rosette head rivets).

Even more curious is the fact the SPID is for a Cheyenne Super which is not too common for 71 since it was a very late introduction.

IMHO someone added the SPID (lwb, 1/2 ton fleeside) from a 71 to your truck or replaced the cab (changing the VIN) at some point. The SPID side of the glovebox door appears to be the original 506 Dark Olive Poly. Is the face still the same color or was it repainted Medium Olive? To me it sounds more like a cab swap than the classic "upgrade" of a lower trim truck using a Super SPID and possibly its trim.

Without more pictures its very hard to tell what you have much less what migh be original to your truck. At this point I would be looking very hard at the VIN plate, rivetts, frame VIN (partial). Then with this information see if any of the SPID VIN is there and matches on a digit by digit bases.

To answer your original question the firewall should be GM 506 Dark Olive Poly on a 557 coded truck.

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

SS Tim
As usual your insite is amazing and appreciated.
I think we both posted around the same time and even though you are under me in the thread it appears you didn't see the VIN image. Since my rivots are aluminum looking does that mean the cab swap?
Where do I find the VIN on the frame?
The inside and outside of the glove box door are both medium olive and appear to be original.

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by 71 Chevy Cheyenne

I doubt a cab swap as the VIN info appears to never have been on the SPID, see close up attached. Looks like something in the glove box scratched it?? But who knows??
I did inspect the bed and can see where it is yellow under the dark olive so clearly that is a replacement bed.
I did further inspect the fenders, hood, piece behind the hood with wipers in it, and can see where all were originally medium olive (unable to tell on portion between the chrome moldings).
That seems to make since with the medium olive interior.
Does it make since that a code 557 on a 71 would be medium olive?

It "appears" in your original SPID picture and more so in the two close ups the clear overlay was cut along the description line and removed.

Like I said in my last post the only place you will find 504 Medium Olive Poly is the roof of a 557 coded truck as this SPID is.

[tommys72]

I would definitely say cab swap with those rivets....they arent original

[SS Tim]

This getting worse by the second...

Not only are the VIN plate rivets incorrect its a 72 VIN!

C Chevrolet
C Conventional Cab 4x2
1 1/2 ton
4 pickup
2 1972
F Flint
336568

The frame VIN shoud be stamped in two places, the easiest isdirectly above the sterring box stamped into the upper frame rail flange (top flat). It is formatted as a partial like this example 1F123456.

1 year, 71 in this example
F plant, Flint assembly
123456, serial number

[tommys72]

Stop investigating Tim and it wont get any worse...only kidding.

In the pic of the cab and front end, is the rear view mirror on the windshield or roof mount? I cant tell

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

OK - so I have a cab swap.
Help me with the SPID
The clear overlay is still over the entire SPID however their appears to have been an attempt to remove it. Their is a slice in it as SS Tim identifed and it has some additional scratching in the overlay on the top portion.
The glove box door may not be the correct/original door to the cab. See picture of the screws holding on the door. It clearly has two wrong screws in it.
How can the glove box door be medium olive on the in and outside but yet have the 557 code. Is there a year were that ever existed on any suburban/GMC/chevy ???

Rearview is roof mounted

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

missed pics

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by 71 Chevy Cheyenne

OK - so I have a cab swap.
Help me with the SPID
The clear overlay is still over the entire SPID however their appears to have been an attempt to remove it. Their is a slice in it as SS Tim identifed and it has some additional scratching in the overlay on the top portion.
The glove box door may not be the correct/original door to the cab. See picture of the screws holding on the door. It clearly has two wrong screws in it.
How can the glove box door be medium olive on the in and outside but yet have the 557 code. Is there a year were that ever existed on any suburban/GMC/chevy ???

Do you have a picture of the face side of the glovebox door?
Replacement screws are common.

In the SPID pictures provided it appears (to me) to be 506 Dark Olive Poly. The Dark Olive Poly clearly has a gold metallic sheen to it.

The single exterior picture shown may very well not be a match to the original 506 Dark Olive Poly.
As I said earlier the SPID codes from a 1/2 ton pickup and details support it being from a 71 Cheyenne Super.

[SS Tim]

Known 506 glovebox detail shot.

If the interior metal and base primary color is actually 506 Dark Olive Poly you might just have a VIN swap. Still not good but better than a frankentruck.

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

WOW you 506 dark looks nothing like my (what I thought was) 506 dark.
pics to come

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

more

[SS Tim]

Here is the closest SPID (124 units) I have to the number on your VIN. Interesting in that it is a Dark Olive Poly Cheyenne Super!

[SS Tim]

While this '71 557 is actually a Custom Deluxe/10 from Janesville, overall it is very close to the Cheyenne Super/10 as described by your SPID down to the door edge guards, white walls and wheel covers.

In fact the fender emblems, missing cargo lamp, woodgrained lower moldings and exterior mirrors are about the only exterior visual differences in this picture.

[57taskforce]

That definitely looks like a dark olive interior to me. Welcome to the 557 club (although mine has been repainted dark olive only, I'm working on returning it to factory as well)

[SS Tim]

Here is a nicely optioned 71 Cheyenne/10 in 557 posted over on my solid paint thread.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...9&postcount=85

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

Can anyone tell if these are the correct exhaust manifolds for my 71 Chevy 350?
Thanks

[old Chevy guy]

Looks like the right application as far as being ram head and angling back for 2 wheel drive but the passengers side looks like it was for some kind of emissions setup based on the screwed in plugs. I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable will know for sure what that's about. No reason it wont work I don't think.

[Bigdav160]

Air Injection Reaction pipe fittings. I'm not sure if small block trucks got those even in California. Higher HP Corvettes did.

I don't remember the drivers side having the boss in the front either. That was on earlier cars.

I think I have a set of truck manifolds in the shop, I'll go look. I'd google the part numbers and see what you get.

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

good idea on the Googleing
I was able to find that the 3905364 that is on the right manifold is correct - it is for a 69-72 350 truck

[71 Chevy Cheyenne]

bad news on the LH - 3855163 is for a 65-68 283, 307 or 327
So that horn sticking out the front is wrong -> or I can at least say the manifold is wrong