# My new 66 GTO SPEC paint code



## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

I rescued this 66 GTO and have brought her home where she will be loved and cared for. I recently found on CL this beautiful car with no mention of her rare paint code except the last of a dozen or so pics of the cowl tag. She has been sitting for the last year under the PO's care without being touched. The owner before that supposedly restored her 18 years ago, but I doubt it. there seems to have been more judging by how old the interior now looks. She has an ok paint job that's got bumps and bruises. She has a really clean engine/compartment. Unfortunately someone thought air shocks would be a good idea (already ordered new springs and shocks). The engine sounds really healthy but has no power. The ground terminal on the batt is severly coroded and the positive isn't much better. In the next day or 2 I'll replace all fluids, belts, plugs, distributor and so on while verifying all my timing marks. Just thought I'd share some pics of the car I posted my question about the cowl tag.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

The paint could have been Fathom Turquoise, which was a special paint in 1966.


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## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

Its pinehurst green now. I'm going to order the phs and hope they can say which color it was.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

My Acme Paint Finishes list 2 special colors for 1966 that may apply- Pinehurst Green Metallic which has a paint code of "J". Fathom Turquoise Metallic is listed having no paint code. My paint book notes that these "Special Colors" are being used on the 1966 Grand Prix, and the colors are not in regular production. If it did not use a paint code to identify the color, the color was simply called/ordered by its name.

Seeing that you have no code, best guess would be Fathom Turquoise Metallic. Hopefully the PHS documents may confirm this.


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## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

I got the PHS on her and there is no way for even PHS to confirm the color. However, she is a 4 spd, tri power, rally gauge console car with reclining seats/headrests! She currently has a 3 spd, 4 bbl and idiot lights with standard buckets. I wasn't planning on putting anything into her for a while. I just wanted to have a nice daily driver that I wouldn't be too worried about parking somewhere.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Very cool. Looks like you really got a deal on your car. I would be pretty excited over that news. It would almost seem that someone robbed the car of its parts to be sold off or used on another project -which was done a lot because sometimes as the car got a bit "rough", or if the engine was blown, it was not worth fixing as there was no big value in them as there is today. You could make more money parting the car out at times -especially if you had multiple projects going on.

I guess you can choose whatever color you wanted if you so decided, but I would be looking for the original color somewhere on the car to confirm it, and paint it that color.

Enjoy the car as is, and gather your parts over time, if you choose to. At least you know it does have some great options and if you ever had to sell, this would appreciate the value even if you never did anymore than just drive it as is -money in the bank.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

From what I think I know, Code 1 paint is Standard GM paint that is not a Pontiac Color. Code 2 paint is Special Pontiac Color Paint.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Ponitac Jim is, once again, spot on. The fact that your car was born with tripower and all the goodies makes it worth much more than a garden variety GTO. Any money spent on this car will be money well spent. You have a winner on your hands.....congrats!


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## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

I confirmed with PHS the code 1 only means special paint. There's no way to tell which of the colors.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Are there any traces of the original color in the jams or under the door panels? Unless the car was given a frame off you would think there would be trace evidence of the original color somewhere where you could match it up. Neat car OP and a nice find.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Noticed the plate.....did you buy this car out of Madera, CA, last year? I missed the boat on one that looked just like it....(found the ad too late)....It was priced around 12k.


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## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

I bought it in The San Fernando valley, but the guy I bought it from had a 916 area code. I saw the same ad in Madera too. Its the same car. He said he paid 21.5k for it, but I doubt it since he sold it for a lot less than that. I couldn't remember what the price was on it then.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

That's the car, then. I knew I messed up when I saw the ad.....it was days after it was posted. I called the guy, and it was.....SOLD. Glad you got it though, and you're posting here. I need another GTO like a hole in the head....but a '66 GTO was my first car, and I have a soft spot for them. This one looked to be a solid buy, and now I can see that it was indeed!


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

topfuel67 said:


> I confirmed with PHS the code 1 only means special paint. There's no way to tell which of the colors.


I saw a PHS on a 1965 GTO a while back that still had the original paint on the car (Tiger Gold) and Jim from PHS hand wrote "This car came from the factory with special paint (code 2) color unkown."

The codes could have been different from 1966 and 1965 but I still think code 2 is special pontiac paint and code 1 is a special request to paint standard GM paint that is not a Pontiac color, which would still be special paint.

Do you have a number 2 in box 59 of your PHS?


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## topfuel67 (Dec 23, 2008)

Box 59 is blank. It just has a 1 under the "Color" box. I sent PHS an email asking them if 1 was a special code for pontiac or non pontiac and if 2 was for the opposite. They responded 1 is for special paint and 2 is for all other colors.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

I am more of a 65 guy than 66, so the reason I asked about the 592 code is that code means "Alert for special request". The 65 Tiger Gold car with code 2 paint has a 2 in the 59 box. It seems odd that you don't have that code as well since your car has special paint. Maybe the codes changed for the 66 year and I just don't know that year all that well.


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