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Text by John Mata Jr.
Photos Courtesy of Squarebody Syndicate
OG C10 Color Codes Available from BASF
WITH ’73-’87 GM trucks sprouting up with a vengeance, the demand for restoration pieces and parts for them has also spiked. As always, the aftermarket industry comes to the rescue when it comes to resto and straight up custom projects. When it comes to paint, however, those wanting to stick with a stock color (or as close to one as possible) have usually put their trust in their painter to recreate the original factory hues as best as they can. Some mixes and tints do come close, while others come in a shade or two o . That’s usually good enough for some but not for all— especially for the demanding purists in the crowd.
There are always whispers about still being able to get the EXACT same paint for old GM trucks—you’ve probably heard them. But the vital detail that gets left out 99 percent of the time is where to find this elusive paint. Well, the fact of the matter is that these original colors are readily available through BASF. Ochre, Burnt Orange, Yellow Gold, Light Saddle— these are just a few factory hues that can be ordered for your current or upcoming truck project.
Through BASF direct distributors, C10 builders can access all original General Motors pickup paint codes for square body trucks.
The R-M (RinshedMason) brand of paint products has been a supplier to the automotive industry for 100 years now and continues to deliver high quality, original paint through BASF’S network of distributors.
So, for those looking to lock down real deal original paint for ’73-’87 GM truck builds, look no further. Don’t waste time and money in an attempt to recreate these colors and get the o cial stu that was sprayed back when your truck rolled o the assembly line. Contact a local BASF distributor, and tap into the deep well of paint to serve as the perfect finishing detail for your project.
Joe Yezzi of Squarebody Syndicate was kind enough to share this original R-M paint color sheet that shows a small selection of original codes and swatches of paint used for ’73-’87 GM pickups. These exact colors are still available from R-M through BASF.
In this illustration, you can see all the different paint scheme options that were available to these square body trucks. Which one is your favorite?
In 1973, GMC trucks were used as support trucks alongside the 1973 Cadillac Eldorado pace car. These trucks just followed the standard protocol set in the past and were nothing particularly special. Things changed in 1974. The Hurst/olds Cutlass was selected for the 1974 Indy 500 pace car, and this meant that GMC trucks were used in the field and this time GMC decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Other GM divisions had the ability to have one of their cars selected as a pace car, which of course was a great marketing opportunity. GMC, being a truck only manufacturer, would not have this opportunity so they decided to release a special package for the Indy 500 official truck.
In the advanced 1970s, GMC wanted to give heavy- duty pickup fans a practice truck of their own, so the
Sarge was opened in 1977. The Sarge was one of GM’S distinctive importance automobiles and could be requested only on 2500-series 3/4-ton trucks with either breed or four-wheel drive. This was the ’70s, so each of these silver machines had a cloying red, orange and maroon adornment collection along with a Sarge trademark on the side.
GMC Sierra Classic: The designation “K15” was a model number for a truck manufactured by GMC. The “K” signifies that the truck is four-wheel drive (a “C” indicated two-wheel drive). In 1986, GMC also offered the Jimmy, which used the design and components of the K15, but it was an SUV. The GMC C/K truck line has been in production since the 1960s, however, GMC phased out the “C/K” nomenclature around 2000. Today, the truck is known as the Sierra.
Three trim levels were available the Sierra, the Sierra Grande and the Sierra Classic. The Sierra Grande featured chrome details, while the Sierra Classic had power windows and power locks.