Gold Air Cleaner Lid - 1968

[Bentley]

Does anyone know the gold color spec for the 1968 DVC air cleaner lid, or know which brand of paint to use? Also, if you have any reference photos, I would really appreciate seeing them. Thanks.

[DeVille68]

Hi Wes,

I believe my air cleaner is correct for 68 (the rest of the colors are wrong - this is pre engine rebuild). See photo attached. However I cannot tell you the color code or what color to use.

The authenticity manual says:

The 1968 air cleaner is painted gloss black except for the lid, which is gold. This
air cleaner has a "Cadillac Blue" metal tube coming from the left hand valve
cover. This air cleaner has an emblem on the air intake = 472 = (in
script).
The air cleaner lid on the 1968 had a vacuum outlet at the right rear for the
optional rear air shock compressor when so equipped.

Best regards,
Nicolas

[Bentley]

Hi Nicolas,

Thanks! This is is a big help. I think I will buy the decal for the horn part of the air cleaner and find a gold paint to match that.

[chrisntam]

This is what I'd do, but I don't worry about authenticity.

[Bentley]

Thanks, Chris. I hope you get your AC fixed.

[DeVille68]

Hi Wes

I think Rubber the Right way has the correct looking decal. PART #: DA0051
Maybe also on ebay. There is also a kit with all the repro decals.

Best regards,
Nicolas

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

Hi Wes,

I believe my air cleaner is correct for 68 (the rest of the colors are wrong - this is pre engine rebuild). See photo attached. However I cannot tell you the color code or what color to use.

Nicolas, the gold color on your air cleaner is correct.  I note that you have the "later-type" decal on the snorkel of the air cleaner.  Earlier 1968's  a gold and black foil-like label that wrapped completely around the snorkel.

Charles Fares

[DeVille68]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for pointing this out, because I am not totally sure that my decal is correct. According to the Authenticity Manual quoted above, my decal is correct. However, the manual is not complete because it does not mention later years (69, 70) and also does not mention the Eldorado.

All the pictures in my factory literature either show no decal or the decal that wraps around on an engine that they label as Eldorado. See the two pictures attached. Those are from the data book of 68 and 69. I have not found any pictures of 70 or 71, and it seems that the snorkel has a flap on it that does not allow to stick the big decal on it. The October issue of the Serviceman shows a engine and frame (no Eldorado) with the wrap around decal. See picture attached.


All the 70, 71 cars on Hemmings have no decal at all.
All the current cars listed on Hemming (68 and 69) have my decal on it, regardless if Eldorado or DeVille.

CaddyDaddy lists my decal as Cadillac Decal: https://www.caddydaddy.com/shop-parts/decals-tags-instructions/decals/category/engine-compartment/air-cleaner/1968-1969-1970-1971-1972-cadillac-air-cleaner-decal-on-snorkel-reproduction.html

CaddyDaddy lists the decal that wraps around as Eldorado Decal: https://www.caddydaddy.com/shop-parts/decals-tags-instructions/decals/category/engine-compartment/air-cleaner/1968-1969-cadillac-eldorado-only-472-air-cleaner-decal-reproduction.html

However, opgi lists it the opposite around: https://www.opgi.com/eldorado/CE05116/

I have not found any part numbers for the air cleaner decals in the Master Parts Catalog.

There was a very nice restored 68 Eldorado at the GN in Louisville - it had the flat long decal on it. Picture attached.

Could it be an early vs. later design change during 68 in the decal?  (from wrap around to flat)
My car is a later car.

Gruess
Nicolas

[Bentley]

I saw this car in Hemmings. The car, which is owned by a fellow CLC member, is an 8,000 mile original. Here is a photo of the engine. You can see it has the non-wraparound decal.

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

The earliest 1968 cars, whether they were Eldorados or not, had the decal that wrapped around the snorkel.  My '68 Coupe deVille, which was given to me by my grandmother who was the original owner, was an early car, with build code 9C (third week of September, 1967) and VIN J8118297, indicating that it was the 18,297th 1968 Cadillac built. Unfortunately, I no longer own my lovely Silverpine Green Coupe deVille.  Somewhere among my stash of spare parts, I have at least one early air cleaner with the "rap-around" decal.

1970 and 1971 air cleaners were different and had no decals on the snorkel.  The presence of the Thermac on the snorkel more or less eliminates that possibility.

Charles Fares

[DeVille68]

Hi Charles,

ok, interesting. My Car has the build date 07B, which is first week of January-December. (correct?)
The build number is: 16879

So it could be possible that there was a midyear change from the wrap around to the flat decal. On all the cars or all except Eldorado?


The parts stores list the flat decal also for the years 70, 71, 72. But I think, as Charles said, that the Thermac would prevent a decal to be put on the snorkel. I also have not found any factory fotos showing a decal.

Best regards,
Nicolas

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

Hi Charles,

ok, interesting. My Car has the build date 07B, which is first week of January-December. (correct?)
The build number is: 16879

So it could be possible that there was a midyear change from the wrap around to the flat decal. On all the cars or all except Eldorado?


The parts stores list the flat decal also for the years 70, 71, 72. But I think, as Charles said, that the Thermac would prevent a decal to be put on the snorkel. I also have not found any factory fotos showing a decal.

Best regards,
Nicolas

Nicolas,
With build date code 7B, your car was built during the second week of July, 1968.  This is borne out by your body sequence number being 16879, out of 18,025 convertibles built for the 1968 model year.  Yours is a very late car.

I have not read anything (other than latter-day parts suppliers' lists as quoted above) to indicate that Cadillac made any distinction between the Eldorado air cleaners and those used for the rest of the Cadillac line. 

It is strictly a matter of there being a running change that was made line-wide, fairly early in the model year.

-Charles Fares

[6262]

Body #17061, also build in 07B,

has the same decal.

[Highwayman68]

So back to the original question this thread is based on and not answered or discussed yet, does anyone know the spec or what products are available to provide the proper factory color of gold for the cover?

[TJ Hopland]

Is it maybe the same as the gold that Olds was using on their engines at the time?

[DeVille68]

Hi Charles,

Ok, thanks for the correction of the date.
The data book of 69 also shows the same wrap around decal as 68. Maybe they just didn't update the foto.

Hi Mr. Burkert
Thanks for posting and confirming.

Best regards,
Nicolas

[6262]

Hi Mr. Burkert
Thanks for posting and confirming.
Best regards,
Nicolas

It is funny that our cars were made in the same week, isn't it? Yours stood better the test of time although it is probably a Monday car 

[DeVille68]

Hi Mr. Burkert,

yes! But both are still here today!

Back to the gold paint: Would it help if I would hold a RAL color chart against my gold paint?
However, I do not know how much the color has changed because of age...

Best regards,
Nicolas

[chrisbutnut]

Bumping this thread, as I am also searching for the correct gold paint spec for the air cleaner cover. 

[Highwayman68]

Hi had a spare cover from a parts car that was in decent enough shape that the color was still strong and not altered by the engine compartment conditions. I took that to an automotive paint supplier shop, they used their computer scanner to identify the color then made up a small batch for me. I had a friend spray it on another cover I had and it was perfect. I might be able to send you a small sample that a company near you can use to match against.