BigDarknFast

I am curious about the code/identity of the color on my IROC-Z. Here's what I know:

1. From all the pix I've seen on the web, Chevy had a pretty dark metallic red (really more of a burgundy) on the 85-87 IROC's, and called it "Dark Red Metallic" (although the 1985 sales brochure actually called it Maroon). According to my Camaro White Book (Mike Antonick), the 1985 paint code was 78, 1986/7 code was 74.

2. From 88-90, they had a much lighter shade of metallic red, with the same name. The 1988 brochure has a foldout showing the car in my color, still called Dark Red Metallic (DRM), and strangely still with the same code of 74 but now clearly a lighter shade than the 1987 code 74. The code remained 74 in 1989, then became 75 in 1990, although all the pix I've seen of 88-90 DRM IROCs are the same lighter shade. What gives?

3. To top it off, I got the window sticker for my car from its first and only previous owner. It says the car is RED! That's all. I would have thought only a Bright Red (code 81) would have said that on the window. There are no paint codes on the sticker, IIRC. But in my console, the paint code says 9540! Here's my RPO label:

http://www.mwshowgo.com/Red90iroc/images/P12010117.jpg

The label says it is code 9540, and the ONLY color code I can discern from 9540 is the '40' part... 40 being the code for WHITE What does that mean, my car is white?!?!

I looked all over the car, inside the hatch lid, behind trim and weatherstrip, etc... the car has never been painted. It's all original, down to several old scratches, dings, and even a couple places where the owner waxed/polished nearly all the way thru the paint.

I hope to get this car repainted someday, and want it back to the factory original 1990 DRM - whatever that is. Does anyone know the correct way to specify this?

Thanks in advance

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NBM 99Formula, DF Lid, K&N, SLP WS6 Takeoff Muffler | DFGreen 98 GTP, Insulated SLP K&N, !U!Res, transcooler
| Dark Red Metallic 1990 IROC-Z Camaro, stock

[This message has been edited by BigDarknFast (edited July 02, 2002).]

ebmiller88

I don't have any close up shots of mine handy, but mine is an'88 Iroc, dark red metallic, and it's paint code is 74U.

See it here:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/taramille...tos.yahoo.com/

mjcent922

Well if your going to paint te whole car i would'nt worry about it.Itwill all match that way.

BigDarknFast

Thanks ebmiller! I saw your pix, that is the same shade as mine. I'd be interested to know, if you have time to look, what the bottom row of codes say on the sticker inside your console... these are the paint codes... mine says L9540 and U9540. Does yours have the same digits?

BTW good luck with your suspension mods

BigDarknFast

Well I found my answer, at www.iroczone.com . Turns out my correct code is WA-9540. I have learned a few things about paint codes... often they are expressed as a two digit code, but just as often as a WA-xxxx code where the paint is specified with the four digits. iroczone.com has a great set of reference pages showing all the official IROC-Z paint codes over the years. Here's the evolution of metallic read thru the years (in case anyone cares):

year --- paint/WA code --- official color name

1985 --- 78/8524 --- Maroon
1986 --- 74/8748 --- Flame Red
1987 --- same as 1986
1988 --- same as 1986 (however the 88 brochure calls it "Dark Red Met.")
1989 --- 74/9535 --- Flame Red
1990 --- 75/9540 --- Brilliant Red

There's a ton of good info on the spec sheets over at that site:

http://www.iroczone.com/specs/camaro/camaro90.html