Author Topic: 1969 Grabber Colors?  (Read 9985 times)

Bob Gaines

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2018, 10:18:55 PM »
Grabber Purple WT 9083 is one of the more obscure 69/70 Shelby Grabber colors . ;D

Was there a Purple for the '69-'70 Shelbys I've never heard about? I thought there were only 4 "Grabber" colors. I also heard that Ford never called them Grabber and that they never had a paint code.
Reread reply # 10 .   "It has been christened Grabber Purple with tongue firmly placed in cheek."  From Wikipedia, the phrase tongue-in-cheek is a figure of speech that describes a statement or other expression that the speaker or author does not mean literally, but intends as humor or otherwise not seriously.
Bob Gaines,Shelby Enthusiast, Shelby Collector , Shelby Concours judge SAAC,MCA,Mid America Shelby

Bob Gaines

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2018, 11:08:34 PM »
http://www.thecoralsnake.com/1969paint
Here is another to add to the " few strangely colored cars came through breaking all the rules." It started out as a 1969 Shelby and evolved to be a 1970 Shelby. I attached a copy of the Shelby memo which indicates what color it was suppose to be and the color it was ultimately painted. Lavender is what it was referred to in the memo ,WT9083 does not have assigned name however it is in the purple category of shades in the Ford color chip books and it is referred to as Purple by the insurance company that ordered Cougars painted WT9083 from Ford. I believe those 69 Cougars that went down the same line are the same as the "part of a D.A.P. special order" referred to in the Shelby document. Apparently in Canada the cars of the Rocky Mountain Life insurance agents were of a purple motif much like the Mary K pink painted cars.  I also provided a link to one of a number of web sites devoted to the Rocky Mountain Life Purple Cougars  http://www3.telus.net/nowland/site/rml/rml-main/rmlmainpage.htm   . It is interesting to note in the Shelby document that Ford sent A.O. Smith 5 Gallons of WT9083 to paint (since they would have no such color) the Shelby fiberglass instead of maybe a gallon which would be more then enough normally. Sorry Vinman I never got around to sending this to you. I must have been preoccupied with teasing Ed about not having the only purple Shelby. ;D   That is bound to get him wound up .Ok I'm braced . ;)   My main motivation for buying the car back when was because I saw him shaking his head in disbelief after seeing this paperwork at the Fontana . The teasing factor out weighed the price I paid  ;) .  He teases me I tease him it is all in fun. It was restored in Grabber blue because the restorer (Micky G.) didn't believe the color he was finding and the paperwork had not come to light and what with the 70 door stickers leaving the color code blank for grabber and special order colors  he painted it  Grabber Blue. It won a gold in DIVII back at SAAC 27 and has been driven sparingly since. It doesn't matter because it needs to be completely taken apart and every nut and bolt addressed to change the color back to the original purple it was born with and upgrade everything else to current standards. My goal is to have it done by its 50th B day.   
Bob Gaines,Shelby Enthusiast, Shelby Collector , Shelby Concours judge SAAC,MCA,Mid America Shelby

Bill

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #17 on: September 27, 2018, 06:41:34 AM »
Bob,

   Very cool, I love seeing factory documentation  8)
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HOW TO IDENTIFY A FORUM TROLL
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tesgt350

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #18 on: September 27, 2018, 07:00:53 AM »
http://www.thecoralsnake.com/1969paint
Here is another to add to the " few strangely colored cars came through breaking all the rules." It started out as a 1969 Shelby and evolved to be a 1970 Shelby. I attached a copy of the Shelby memo which indicates what color it was suppose to be and the color it was ultimately painted. Lavender is what it was referred to in the memo ,WT9083 does not have assigned name however it is in the purple category of shades in the Ford color chip books and it is referred to as Purple by the insurance company that ordered Cougars painted WT9083 from Ford. I believe those 69 Cougars that went down the same line are the same as the "part of a D.A.P. special order" referred to in the Shelby document. Apparently in Canada the cars of the Rocky Mountain Life insurance agents were of a purple motif much like the Mary K pink painted cars.  I also provided a link to one of a number of web sites devoted to the Rocky Mountain Life Purple Cougars  http://www3.telus.net/nowland/site/rml/rml-main/rmlmainpage.htm   . It is interesting to note in the Shelby document that Ford sent A.O. Smith 5 Gallons of WT9083 to paint (since they would have no such color) the Shelby fiberglass instead of maybe a gallon which would be more then enough normally. Sorry Vinman I never got around to sending this to you. I must have been preoccupied with teasing Ed about not having the only purple Shelby. ;D   That is bound to get him wound up .Ok I'm braced . ;)   My main motivation for buying the car back when was because I saw him shaking his head in disbelief after seeing this paperwork at the Fontana . The teasing factor out weighed the price I paid  ;) .  He teases me I tease him it is all in fun. It was restored in Grabber blue because the restorer (Micky G.) didn't believe the color he was finding and the paperwork had not come to light and what with the 70 door stickers leaving the color code blank for grabber and special order colors  he painted it  Grabber Blue. It won a gold in DIVII back at SAAC 27 and has been driven sparingly since. It doesn't matter because it needs to be completely taken apart and every nut and bolt addressed to change the color back to the original purple it was born with and upgrade everything else to current standards. My goal is to have it done by its 50th B day.   

Was the Lavender the same as what was used on the Thunderbird's & Lincoln's?

Coralsnake

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2018, 07:02:50 AM »
I guess that makes him Mr Gaines, mountain man.  8)


http://www3.telus.net/nowland/site/rml/things-purple/13.jpg


A great website if you havent seen it


http://www3.telus.net/nowland/site/rml/rml-main/rmlmainpage.htm
« Last Edit: September 27, 2018, 07:08:43 AM by Coralsnake »

mgreene

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2018, 08:50:26 AM »
Pete, FYI, on this page:

http://www.thecoralsnake.com/1969paint

The link in the green "INDEX" button at the bottom is bad - the extension "HTML" is capitalized, but shouldn't be.
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Stillakid54

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #21 on: September 27, 2018, 09:01:04 AM »
Is it known what dealer ordered the RMC coloured car?
I grew up in Calgary and the purple cougars were a common site. A small number of other Ford and Mercury vehicles were ordered for I presume senior management.
The shade is very different than Ed's convertible.
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propayne

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #22 on: September 27, 2018, 09:05:05 AM »
Like Pete and his Coralsnake site, Robert Nowland has done an outstanding job researching and sharing his findings with everyone through his website.

Takes a lot of time and dedication and personal expense and a huge boon to the hobby.

As I've said, these cars (Shelbys, Mustangs, Cougars) were designed, engineered, built, marketed and raced by mostly the same group of people. You can learn a lot by looking at the "big" picture.

- Phillip
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Coralsnake

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #23 on: September 27, 2018, 09:40:11 AM »
I think it says Universal Ford

SNAKEBIT

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #24 on: September 27, 2018, 08:08:08 PM »
Very neat and interesting information! I'd love to see a Shelby in this color. So, Bob, you have one of the few lavender/purple Shelbys out there? Nice. I'd love to see your car when it is finished being painted. What color is your interior. Is it a convertible?
Waitin' for the day I get my first '70 Shelby convertible!

Bob Gaines

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #25 on: September 27, 2018, 08:39:19 PM »
Very neat and interesting information! I'd love to see a Shelby in this color. So, Bob, you have one of the few lavender/purple Shelbys out there? Nice. I'd love to see your car when it is finished being painted. What color is your interior. Is it a convertible?
It is not one of the few but the only Shelby painted this color from the factory. Ed's car is a different shade of purple and has metallic and it is the only Shelby painted that color (Midnight Orchid) . His is titled a 69 and mine went too Kar Kraft and was updated to a 70.  My car is a black interior white top convertible, auto ,air GT500. Although it was mislabeled lavender on the memo and order sheet . The official Ford designation for WT9093 is in the purple category as the factory color chips indicate. The first that I have seen of a name for the color according to the Purple Cougar website linked previously indicates Marti's report on the Cougars painted this color indicating that the WT9083 Ford code was referred to as Purple dawn and cross's with PPG number 50785 - PPG color library . It is basically silly semantics as far as the name goes however it is important in regards to my ongoing back and forth with my friend Ed Meyer. I was first vindicated when he wore a tie that he proudly said was purple but then admitted it was the color of my car or close to it  (he was getting ready for the wedding and it was too late to find another  ;) )  in the purple motif of his wedding some years ago. ;D
« Last Edit: September 27, 2018, 08:50:57 PM by Bob Gaines »
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Special Ed

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #26 on: September 27, 2018, 10:07:16 PM »
I never seen  (nor picked out) the ties before my wedding donna did & each guy in the wedding wore a color tie to match the shelby or boss color of the car they drove in the wedding party from donnas home town church to my hometown reception party & any bar stops in between. My little brother gave me a bottle of some energy drink (the one in my hand) and said drink this u are going to need it since i had no sleep the nite before my wedding since people came into town from all over usa till late that nite since we had a welcome party at my building with all the cars & my signs etc. Well whatever was in that bottle worked because i was still up at 4 oclock sunday morning in the local bar full of friends family & car guys & that was 8 years ago & i cant do that today too old now. ha ha

Bob Gaines

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #27 on: September 27, 2018, 11:46:13 PM »
I never seen  (nor picked out) the ties before my wedding donna did & each guy in the wedding wore a color tie to match the shelby or boss color of the car they drove in the wedding party from donnas home town church to my hometown reception party & any bar stops in between. My little brother gave me a bottle of some energy drink (the one in my hand) and said drink this u are going to need it since i had no sleep the nite before my wedding since people came into town from all over usa till late that nite since we had a welcome party at my building with all the cars & my signs etc. Well whatever was in that bottle worked because i was still up at 4 oclock sunday morning in the local bar full of friends family & car guys & that was 8 years ago & i cant do that today too old now. ha ha
Yah right blame it on Donna :D or Saint Donna as she is now known as after marrying you. ;D ;D   
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propayne

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #28 on: September 29, 2018, 07:26:29 AM »
For those interested, here is a thread on the restoration of an '69, R code Rocky Mountain Purple Cougar convertible with lots of pics.

https://classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=9069

- Phillip
President, Delmarva Cougar Club - Brand Manager, Cougar Club of America

Coralsnake

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Re: 1969 Grabber Colors?
« Reply #29 on: September 29, 2018, 08:13:36 AM »
Coralsnake say very nice