Author Topic: 75 TRANS AM SILVER PAINT TOO SHINY (Read 5904 times)

78w72 · « **on:** January 23, 2007, 12:39:39 AM »

A friend has a '75 Trans Am that the seller (not the original owner) claimed was "all original". It has 42,000 miles, is Sterling Silver with blue graphics, and oxblood vinyl interior. The paint and interior colors are verified by the cowl tag, but I have several questions:
1. Was base/clearcoat paint available in 1975? The paint looks almost "too good" to be original (to me, it looks like base/clear), and I read somewhere that the silver color paint "was notorious for quickly fading".
2. Were blue graphics available if the interior was red?
3. If/when he finds it, does the build sheet identify what color graphics were put on? I've seen a photo of a 1978 build sheet that has a "DECALS" box with some letters in it, but I can't figure out what they are supposed to mean.

Jonnyscotti · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2007, 02:03:58 PM »

There is an easy way to tell if it's base clear or lacquer, oh, and I don't think base clear was offered in 1975. Put a little lacquer thinner on a rag and rub it onto an inconspicuous area. If you see color on the rag it is lacquer paint. Or get some sand paper and again choose an inconspicuous area, if there is white dust then it is base clear. I can't help you with the rest of your question.

78w72 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2007, 08:03:20 PM »

thanks for the info. if base/clear wasnt offered in 1975, were the factory lacquer paints super shiny, almost wet looking? what about 1978, was base/clear offered then? i remember hearing & seeing t/a's with a peeling clear coat on the hood or roofs of the car.

Gold78Spc · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2007, 05:30:28 AM »

I think base/clear was available in 78. Of the 2 gold special editions I have had the paint under the interior trimming is a dull gold.

milly · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2007, 02:47:03 PM »

The build sheet will say which color graphics and hoodbird were on the car originally, at least my build sheet does anyway.

eroc022 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2007, 05:44:40 PM »

could be urethane paint, although it wasnt offered its a high gloss paint

78w72 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2007, 10:00:55 PM »

That's the reason for my question -- it's a beautiful paint job, but it just looks too good to be original. And the blue graphics/hood bird don't seem right with the silver paint and red interior. The PHS info package on my '78 T/A indicate that the factory only offered the charcoal/red decals with the silver (platinum) body color, so I thought that might have been the case also for the '75's. I figured the build sheet would clear this up, but it hasn't been found yet.
:idea: If some of you here have the PHS package for 1975 Firebirds, maybe someone could look in the interior-exterior color availability section to see what hood bird color(s) could be had with the Sterling Silver (code 13) body paint?
Thanks

rkellerjr · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2007, 11:14:41 PM »

According to my PHS documentation for my '75...

Exterior TA's:
C-Cameo White
E-Stellar Blue
R-Buccaneer Red
V-Sterling Silver(My Car)

The Silver came with the following interior colors...
Black
White
Burgundy (My car)
Blue

I do not see any documentation on bird colors for the hood.

78w72 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2007, 11:32:29 AM »

rkellerjr:
Where I found the hood bird colors in the PHS package for my '78 was in the "Dealer Order Form" section, on the page that showed the sample paint color chips for the various Pontiac models, with the recommended interior colors. There was a small section in the bottom right-hand corner of the page with "Firebird Trans Am Exterior Paint Selection" colors and codes, and the "Firebird hood emblem" color that you could get with which exterior paint colors. Is that where you looked on your '75 package, and didn't see it (wasn't there)? I was hoping the info in the packages was pretty similar from '75 to '78.

Rick · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2007, 12:30:07 PM »

Quote from: "78w72"

rkellerjr:
Where I found the hood bird colors in the PHS package for my '78 was in the "Dealer Order Form" section, on the page that showed the sample paint color chips for the various Pontiac models, with the recommended interior colors. There was a small section in the bottom right-hand corner of the page with "Firebird Trans Am Exterior Paint Selection" colors and codes, and the "Firebird hood emblem" color that you could get with which exterior paint colors. Is that where you looked on your '75 package, and didn't see it (wasn't there)? I was hoping the info in the packages was pretty similar from '75 to '78.

I looked in what I got from PHS for my 75 TA and didn't find any indication of the bird color choices. The recommendations for exterior colors and interior colors were there, but I didn't find anything on the decal selections. :?

rkellerjr · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2007, 12:34:00 PM »

Quote from: "78w72"

rkellerjr:
Where I found the hood bird colors in the PHS package for my '78 was in the "Dealer Order Form" section, on the page that showed the sample paint color chips for the various Pontiac models, with the recommended interior colors. There was a small section in the bottom right-hand corner of the page with "Firebird Trans Am Exterior Paint Selection" colors and codes, and the "Firebird hood emblem" color that you could get with which exterior paint colors. Is that where you looked on your '75 package, and didn't see it (wasn't there)? I was hoping the info in the packages was pretty similar from '75 to '78.

I looked at every page that I received from PHS and the only thing I found was on my invoice sheet a WW8 for the color of bird that was put on my car from the factory. However, no other documentation tells me what WW8 is. :cry:

I looked with a fine tooth comb and a magnifying glass to make sure it wasn't in the fine print. :wink:

78w72 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2007, 09:08:34 PM »

OK, thanks again for checking (and rechecking). Unless someone else here has knowledge that blue graphics/hood bird could be had with the Sterling Silver exterior paint in 1975, we'll just have to wait until the build sheet is found.

Rick · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2007, 09:29:25 PM »

FWIW, a buddy of mine had a 75 that was a mirror image of mine (except he had a radio and the hood bird where I had neither) and he did NOT have the blue bird -- his interior was black.

John Witzke · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2007, 08:02:03 PM »

PHS Invoice will only list the options. The color of the decals can be found in box number 95 on the factory build sheet. I have a copy of s build sheet for a 1975 455 Trans Am, Sterling Silver. Box 95 had the words DECAL COAL. Decals are are the color charcoal.

Also, the paint used during the 1975 model year was lacquer

Hope this helps.

78w72 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2007, 11:42:43 AM »

Thanks John -- yes, every bit of info helps. It looks like the "evidence" points to charcoal/red decals being the only available color combo with the silver paint. I found a few pictures of silver '75 T/A's on the internet, and they all had charcoal/red decals. If only this friend would start looking for his build sheet, so he could see what box 95 says and clear up this mystery!