"AT" paint code

[Kevinr]

Have a 66 hard top with paint code "AT". If body color is first (like all paint pages I have seen said it is) the that would be a black body with red top. Anyone ever seen a car painted like that? Car is currently all black with a vinyl roof. Any help appreciated.

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

Hi Kevin, I looked at a number of paint color codes and could not find "AT" listed as a 1966 color. I did find "TA" listed, which is a candy apple red body and a black top. You are correct that if "AT" is a correct color combination that it would have a black body and a red top. I don't know if "AT" might have been a special color combination and was left off the list or what. The fact that your Data Plate indicates it left the factory with an "AT" paint color seems to indicate that they were using that color combination back then. Unless.... Your data plate has been replaced by another one. Take a look at the rivets and see if they look like they are original ones or if they have been messed with. According to Automotive Mile Posts, which I use a lot, "AT" is not on their list of paint code combinations used in 1966. Here is the link to that.

http://automotivemileposts.com/paint1966tbird.html

Perhaps Alan Tast, or "Fuz" Johnson can comment on this. I bet they know.

[Jimz Bird]

It was pretty easy to get just about any color and interior combination back then.

Mine is ZE XG (Thunderbird Green/White Top and White/Brown interior)

The XG interior is not listed as a choice in the original Sales Brochure with the Green exterior but it was special ordered with that combination.

[Kevinr]

Makes sense. So my last question for this thread - anyone have a picture of a black-body 66 with a red top (or some close year model)? i like the idea of as-delivered color, but I gotta admit - that color combination isnt working in my imagination...I may have to see it. I'm not really planning a totally original car so I'm up for pictures of interesting color options. My wife wants something different to cruise down to the Texas coast in - gotta love a woman who gets more excited than you do about a project.

next on the list - gotta get all the electrical working like tail/turn lights, power windows, etc. Aside from a sticky choke, 390 starts right up and idles like a purring kitten. drove it 30 miles from the guy I traded for it with no problems after it had been parked 2 years. i'll search the forum for threads on these topics. if you have other locations for more info, let me know.

looking forward to getting "Ethel" running (wife named it).

[Alan H. Tast, AIA]

Hi Kevin, I looked at a number of paint color codes and could not find "AT" listed as a 1966 color. I did find "TA" listed, which is a candy apple red body and a black top. You are correct that if "AT" is a correct color combination that it would have a black body and a red top. I don't know if "AT" might have been a special color combination and was left off the list or what. The fact that your Data Plate indicates it left the factory with an "AT" paint color seems to indicate that they were using that color combination back then. Unless.... Your data plate has been replaced by another one. Take a look at the rivets and see if they look like they are original ones or if they have been messed with. According to Automotive Mile Posts, which I use a lot, "AT" is not on their list of paint code combinations used in 1966. Here is the link to that.

http://automotivemileposts.com/paint1966tbird.html

Perhaps Alan Tast, or "Fuz" Johnson can comment on this. I bet they know.

is this car a 63A 5-window hardtop vs. 63C (Town Hardtop)? ? I suspect that the 'A' you're seeing is actually part of the Body code - if it is a 5-window HT, it's possible the Body and Color codes weren't spaced out far enough when the data plate was stamped. '66 data plates had character spacing that were not consistent for some reason, as some times the axle and transmission codes would not line up with the text above.

Now if it's a Town Landau, you'd only have a single letter for the body color as vinyl roof did not get coded onthe data plate. If it's a convertible and has the code of 76A, you're definitely reading the code wrong, as convertibles did not receive a two-tone paint code and, like the Town Landau, only got one code character for the body color.

Please take another look at the data plate - if it has the 3-digit body code, a space and a two-digit color code, I'd love to see a picture of it as it would indicate an interesting oddity.

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

Kevin, if you can take a picture of your Data Plate, please email it to me and I can post it for you. I spent quite some time tonight looking for a Flairbird with a black body and a red top and I could not find it. But there is a 1960 Squarebird in Sweden with a black body and a red convertible top. You can find other pictures of it in Anything Goes, in the post that Jiri put up about the Tbirds he saw when he was in Sweden last week or so. Here is one pic of it.

[Kevinr]

data plate

ray - found your email (i think). You should have a couple of pics to look at.

alan - checked it again. bottom row seems to very clearly start:

63A then AT then 25

hardtop coupe, raven black under red, red crinkle vinyl - best I can decode it with the pages i've used

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

I did not receive that email. I sent you my email in a PM, but if you look at my signature element below this, you will see my email address. Take out the "at" and put in the @ sign. It is always there for ya'll to see.

[Kevinr]

Had your old gmail address

Pics resent. Had an old gmail address.

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

Hi Kevin, I did receive the pix, and as you said, that is an AT paint code on the Data Plate for sure. I also see that as Alan said, the spacing of the codes are off a bit when they were stamped in. It is certainly a 63A as shown on the plate, followed by that AT code. It looks to me like this is an original data plate and not a replacement plate. The brads that hold it on look original to me. So, it looks like to me this AT was a paint code that does not show up in the paint codes listings that I have seen for that year but was used. Here is the Automotive Mile Post web link for the 1966 Tbird.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird...lections.shtml

I just checked the Thunderbird Registry to see if a prior owner had registered it but it is not registered. You can register it if you like. John Rotella is trying to get every existing Thunderbird registered so we know what has happened to it.

http://www.tbirdregistry.com/

Here is the breakdown on the Data Code according to tbird.org data plate breakdown:

http://www.tbird.org/DataPlate/vdata.htm

63A-1966 2Dr Hardtop (Conventional Roof). AT-Listed separately as A-Black T-Candyapple Red, but this list does not list any 2 tone combinations at all. Trim Code 25-Red. Date Scheduled for production 14M - 14 December 1965. D.S.O. 55 - St. Louis, MO. Axle - 1 - 3.00. Tran Code appears to be a 4 but mostly covered up by the brad, 4 - 3 speed dual range automatic.

The VIN # tells us it left the factory as a '66 2Dr Hardtop with a 390ci engine, and was the 29,583rd car produced, fairly early in the production run.

I checked the Automotive Mile Post website listing for the 1966 Tbird two toned paint codes again and AT is NOT on that list, but TA is. CandyappleRed body, Black top, but not the reverse.

I don't know why I did not get any emails from you through my rayclark07@gmail.com email address. That is another one that I use and normally works. Here are the pix you sent.

[Kevinr]

registry submitted

submitted a registry record using the link Ray gave me.

i may have to reconsider and repaint the car as it left the factory - not sure about how it will look but i do love unusual stuff.

Kevin

[Kevinr]

message from John at Thunderbird Registry

Here is part of what John sent me from the Thunderbird Registry - thanks to John for all the additional info.

******************

Hi Kevin

Wow, what an interesting Thunderbird you have!

The color code AT was an "also available" combination, but only if the car was pre-ordered by a specific customer. So the dealer could not ask for such a car unless he already had it sold, and he had to submit the customer's name with the order. There were a few other such combinations, and some "also available" choices in regard to color/trim compatibility. So while not a true "special order" this car was ordered for a specific customer, it was sold when the order was placed. The other category was called "recommended", this is what we usually see of course. Dealers rarely if ever mentioned the "also available" combinations, it was kind of the customer's responsibility to even know about such things....so different from today.

A true special order car would be one that has a color, trim, or other component not normally available on Thunderbirds, such as a Lincoln color, or an upholstery type.

********************

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

Hi Kevin, take a look at the picture of the Squarebird I posted with the reddish convertible top. It will look like that, only the top will be Candy Apple Red! One thing for sure, it appears that the AT paint combination was used at the factory, according to your data plate, but left off the two tone paint lists. It will be interesting to see what Alan or "Fuz" Johnson have to say about this when they see your data plate. You might have a pretty rare paint color combination there.

BTW, if you own a '55-'66 Tbird and do not own a copy of the VTCI Official Factory Specifications (OFS), you should! They are now available for '55-'57, '58-'60, '61-'63, and '64-'66 Tbirds. I have used my Squarebirds CD copy so much. I use it constantly to help me answer questions you have about your Squarebirds. They will tell you exactly what your Tbird left the factory as, what is official parts, what is not, etc. There is a ton of information you need to know about the Babybirds, Squarebirds, Bulletbirds, and Flairbirds. Kudu's to Alan Tast, "Fuz" Johnson and many others who have spent years gathering official information and putting these together. Many of the questions you have are answered in those OFS copies. You must be a VTCI member to buy those OFS copies. Check out their Country Store website.

http://www.vintagethunderbirdclub.ne...tore_books.htm

[tbirdregistry]

Registry Number 39871

Kevin's most interesting Thunderbird is now Registry Number 39871. It was part of tomorrow's update, but with the interest here I decided to get it on-line right away.

Sometimes I think I must be the luckiest guy in the world to just open my mailbox and find these Thunderbirds! Once again, Ford has proven that Thunderbird is a personal car of distinction.

By the way, Kevin, with tomorrow's Registry update your car will be in the NEWS column on the home page, I want to make sure Thunderbird lovers everywhere know about this car.

John

[YellowRose]

"AT" paint code

Here is what John Rotella - tbirdregistry just shared with me in email!

"For that matter, it is my recollection and understanding that any 2-tone paint combination would be granted, as long as it was a pre-sold unit. Likewise, any interior was available with any exterior (single, two-tone, Landau top, or convertible) as long as it was a pre-sold unit. The key issue here which is often disregarded is that the buyer had to make the initiative, dealers would only use these "also available" points as a way to close the deal or if they were dealing with a customer known to them."

So based on that, you could, at least in 1966 if not before, order and pay for a Tbird with a UA two tone paint code, which is not on the regular list, but are two authorized paint codes for that year. U - 1070 Medium Turquoise Metallic - Tahoe Turquoise (Also a Lincoln color) and A - 1724 Black - Raven Black, for example. or a 1A, also not on the regular list, but are two authorized paint codes for that year. 1 - 1920 Rose Metallic - Silver Rose (Listed in Shop Manual) and A - 1724 Black - Raven Black. Just a couple of examples of what you could order. You could also order that car, pre-paid, with a different interior than what normally came with it. IF you knew you could do so.. Interesting!