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1957 Paint code 4BX145 - what does it mean?


mah0401a

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4 should refer to convertible top color which is a dark blue, B should denote Castle Grey paint, either all over or just on top depending on the meaning of the following X.  The X is either for Sylvan Grey bottom, or is part of the weird combination of remaining characters which is not typical but which I've seen similarly before but cannot decipher with certainty.  It had some special meaning I'm sure, but nothing to do with standard paint combinations.

 

If the car was an early build, that probably rules out X meaning Sylvan Grey since that was a spring color that appeared around March of 1957.

 

I can't recall what the S after trim code means at this time.

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18 hours ago, mah0401a said:

.....I have read the trim books, even went to the Buick Gallery for research. Can anybody tell me what this paint code means?.....

Questions:

1.  Can you determine what the original paint color(s) is, was, or were?

2.  If so, is/was the paint color above and below the sweep spear the same or different?

3.  What do the colors look like to you? I'm not asking you to be specific, just a generic blue, green, red, or a different hue for an answer.

 

I'll give you my opinion after knowing what your answers are. Thanks.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

 

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Frame off restored car so way to tell what the color originally was, that's why I am trying to decode this. Currently the car is a metallic blue-gray gray something like Castle Grey.

Every book I find says the first digit is the top followed by a 2 digit paint code, sounds simple.

So 4 is a blue convertible top, B is castle Grey, X is Sylvan Grey (what's 145 refer to??) with a an Ivory and Black interior.  That doesn't seem like a very plausible combination.

Mike

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Thanks for your reply that I was hoping would confirm, but doesn’t, bits of my understanding of what a BX code followed by a weird number denotes on a Body by Fisher Number Plate. This topic has been hashed over a few times before, more often brought up by 1957 Buick owners. I was trying to eliminate the contention that BX ### was a two-tone paint job from my understanding.

  

Here is (again) what I believe a BX ### code means:

  B = Buick

  X = something special, a non-standard item not offered during that year’s production run. Call it what you want: special order, shop order, dealer order, non-advertised option, or whatever.

  #, ##, or ### = a numbering system to document why a BX code was stamped on the Number Plate.

  a BX ### code on the Number Plate is not specific to any year, model, TRIM, PAINT, or ACC item. I have numerous pictures to backup this statement.

  BX followed by ###  doesn’t necessarily stand for a two-tone paint job.

  BX followed by ### doesn’t necessarily stand for Castle Grey over Sylvan Grey paint.

 

IMHO, we’re missing the Buick and Fisher Body code books that have the answers. I haven’t seen one surface yet; they might have been destroyed. I will send a PM to Sean Smith (sean1997) and Larry Gustin (co-author of THE BUICK: A COMPLETE HISTORY) to see if they would be willing to come onboard to tell me if I’m right or wrong. Maybe it’s time to start a separate thread on this topic for future reference. Stay tuned.

  

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

“500 Miles West of Flint”

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I agree with Al.  This is exactly how it worked later when Buick switched to the SCO-### notation.  SCO indicated it was a special order and ### indicates the order number.  If a car was SCO for paint, the actual paint color was usually listed on the build sheet.  I've even seen one build sheet with a note that said to include an extra quart of paint in the trunk for touch-ups.  I've also seen one car that was SCO in the trim code for bucket seats in a convertible that had SCO-### printed on the window sticker and the same SCO-### stamped on the cowl tag in place of the trim code.  So BX-### and SCO-### only indicate that it was a special order and the order number, you would need some other paperwork to figure out exactly what the original paint color was for any car with special order paint.

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I did receive an e-mail reply back from Larry Gustin advising me of several possible sources to check for further information on the BX ### code topic. Thanks to him and Sean for their replies. My research goes on and I will post any new information I find out here.

 

I mentioned in my Post #6 above that I have pictures of Body by Fisher Number Plates showing BX ### codes for different years and models. For those interested, they include:

  1950 Buick Roadmaster Convertible (PAINT BX332)

  1953 Buick Skylark (TRIM BX76). The OE trim was NOT Black leather that was a standard Code #76 for non-1953 Buick Skylarks. OE trim exists to confirm that.

  1953 Buick Skylark (TRIM and PAINT are blank. BX357 is noted near ACC.)

  1954 Buick Landau (TRIM and PAINT are blank. BX5 is noted below the ACC line.) The Landau was a one-off custom conversion from a four-door sedan. 

  1957 Buick Super two-door Hardtop (PAINT BX427)

  1957 Buick Roadmaster Convertible, see Post #1 above. (PAINT BX145)

 

Additional comments from all others along with pictures of Number Plates are invited. Thanks.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

“500 Miles West of Flint”

Edited by 1953mack (see edit history)
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