whats the difference and what looks better

 

They're the same color and formula by different names. First offered as Nugget in 1969 as a Toronado-only special color.

By 1971 Olds called it Saturn Gold, Chevrolet Placer Gold, Pontiac Quezal Gold, Buick Cortez Gold.

 

If money was no object to me, I would love to have my gold '68 W-34, repainted in Nugget/Saturn Gold!

 

Just wanted to make a small correction to the info offered by Rocketraider. Nugget Gold was offerd by Olds as a Toronado color in 1969 and it was also available on the Cutlass/442 models as a special order only. The paint code on the cowl tag for the Cutlass/442 was 03.

 

My sigpic is Nugget gold. As you can see, under different light, it shows lighter or darker.

 

Documentation? It was offered very late in the 1969 model year as a special order for the F-body car, but nothing I have indicates it was ever available for the A car in 1969.

Not challenging you, just wondering if there's something out there that needs to be in the files.

 

Here's a photo of the cowl tag from the 69 442 I am restoring. When I saw the 03 paint code, I thought it was odd as the lowest numbers I have seen was 10. I looked the 03 up in a paint code book and found this was the Toro color. Also is a photo of the windshield post after the original molding/weatherstrip was removed and some other paint was washed off, which exposed this color. I also found the color in a few other places on the car specifically in the rear body area on top of the inner wheelhouses (car is a convertible) and around the area where the rain gutter is installed. The paint I found was factory paint since the factory primer was under it. I have seen 1 other Cutlass in this color.
Brian

 

Cool and excellent. So by the tag it was available as early as February.

Usually stuff like this shows up in tech bulletins or dealer information letters, but I had not seen anything on that.

Kurt, are you following this thread?

 

I was not able to find a build sheet for the car but what I did find with the paint on various places on the car and the cowl tag told me that was a legitimate Nugget Gold car. I can't imagine there were many that received this color since it was available only as a special order. Put this color on a 69 442 with factory AC and I would think it's a very rare combination. Might be interesting to start a thread to see if there are any other 69 A body owners with Nugget Gold and an 03 paint code on the cowl tag.

 

Since my car is saturn gold and I'll be looking for a paint job in the future,I have found this thread interesting.
I did not know nugget and saturn were the same formula.

Was it common for GM to change a color name after it was into production?

Wonder why they decided to change it? maybe trying to keep up with a trendy name to keep buyers interested in the color? with the space race going on and all.

 

Lord yes. As you see, the different Divisions used different names for the same color for marketing purposes.

Not at all unusual to see a color called one thing this year and something totally different the next either, or even to see it surface again years later under a different name. They did that with 74 Grenadier Red which started as an E-body exclusive color in 1970, then became full-line Cranberry in the early 70s, then disappeared til the mid 80s when it became Autumn Maple Metallic.

They'd also change a color formula and keep the same name. Covert Beige was notorious for that. I think there are at least four different formulations for it depending on the year.

Here's the 1970 Olds paint chart showing Nugget as code 53. Some years it was X.

http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...obile-pg01.jpg

Then by 72 it was Saturn: http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...obile-pg01.jpg

1970 Buick: http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...buick-pg01.jpg Note 74 was called Titian Red, again as E-body only, and they did not use 53.

and Cadillac, who called 74 San Mateo red: http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...illac-pg01.jpg


Note that in 70 Chevy called 53 Camaro Gold. http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...rolet-pg01.jpg

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to educate me

 

Nugget Gold '70 W31.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fevHS0ZTH0

 

^^ very nice ^^

love that w-31!