Decoding information for '62 Loadside trim and paint codes
Unlike Corvair cars, the forward control vehicles do not have a true "body tag" that includes a body number, build date, etc. FCs do have a data plate though that includes two types of codes:
- Trim code: Indicates whether the vehicle was equipped with RPO 431 (Custom Equipment, a.k.a. "Deluxe" option)
- Paint code: Specifies the exterior paint scheme
The plates for '62 FCs built in Flint, MI and St. Louis, MO usually contain the same information and have the same format. The trim codes and paint codes have an Exception Control Letter (ECL) as suffixes. The meaning of specific ECLs for trim and paint codes was largely unknown until Steve Spilatro undertook to understand them in 2015. See his monumental two-part article here and here. The information is also available, in slightly different form, on the Corvanatics web site:
Thanks to Steve for permission to excerpt some of his research on this page.
Trim code information
The trim code format for '62 FCs is very straightforward:
- "STD" indicates a vehicle with standard trim
- "431x" indicates a vehicle with RPO 431 (Custom Equipment, a.k.a. "Deluxe" option)
For vehicles equipped with RPO 431, the code has two parts:
- A three-digit RPO code ("431")
- A single-character ECL suffix
Concerning ECL suffixes, there were only two possibilities for '62 Loadside "deluxe" (RPO 431) trim codes:
|
|
Trim code suffix |
|
Fawn interior |
A |
|
Red interior |
N |
These codes are shared with '62 Rampsides. Interestingly, none of the '62 Loadsides currently listed in the registry have the trim code indicating RPO 431--they are all equipped with standard trim.
Paint code information
Like the trim code format, the paint code format for '62 FCs is very straightforward:
- A three-digit paint code (from the paint color chart)
- A single-character ECL suffix
Concerning ECL suffixes, there were only two possibilities for '62 Loadside paint codes:
|
|
ECL suffix |
|
Solid color |
A |
|
Two-tone |
G |
These codes are shared with '62 Rampsides. Some Flint-built '62 Loadsides do not have the paint code ECL suffix. It is not known why at this time. Also, a number of these trucks have "SPEC" for the paint code. "SPEC" typically reflects a fleet order with a color specific to the customer.