I've seen references to this Buick term plenty of times, and I usually infer it to mean some type of special order. I have a list of production figures by color in the book compiled my Mike T., and it has colors listed that weren't RPO for the GS (although, presumably, available on other Buicks like the Riv and full-size cars). There also is a listing of total SCO cars built. Is there a difference between the two? Or maybe the SCO number given is a combination of those in the Buick/GM palette and those outside the RPO colors? Some clarification would be stellar! :TU:
As far as I can tell, it stands for Special Color Order. Back in the day, you could order any GM color on any GM car for an extra fee. You could also order any color that wasnt on the GM palette as well. A good friend of mine has a 68 GS 400 that was factory painted in British Racing Green. The trim tag has two dashes. Then there's also the plum crazy Stage 1 that one of the members had for sale a few years ago I think the SCO term was used for special options as well other than special colors, such as buckets in a 71-72 convertible, etc.
SCO= Special Car Order. Was used, in Buick's case, for any type of special order options, especially for GSX's in 1971 and 1972. Could also be used for non-recommended color combinations (red car with green interior), non stock colors (Ryder truck yellow), combination of parts that were not normally available (6 cylinder with 4 speed floor shift), etc.
The reason for the initial post was due to a discussion on the Plum Crazy GS in another site. However, are you sure the "C" in SCO stands for "color?" Indeed, you mention the buckets in the '71-72 car that also were SCO cars, but that was an equipment issue and not a color one - maybe it's something like "Special Car Order?" Interestingly enough, the 4 optional colors for the F85/Cutlass/442 (the most familiar ones are Rallye Red and Sebring Yellow, with a gold and Agean Aqua being the other two) gave you two dashes in the data plate, even though they were RPO colors. I don't know why it was that way but seems to be contrary to what the rest of GM did.
OK, Brad, didn't see your post before I posted mine. Was the cost for a SCO color in the GM palette different than what was outside the palette like this Plum Crazy car? The latter seems to be much less common and, perhaps, outside the usual channels that GM had in place? Thanks for your responses!
I really don't know if the cost was different between and GM color and an outside color. The plum crazy car was done, if I am not mistaken, by Buick for Buick, somewhat like my GSX. It was owned by Buick and moved around to various dealers, I believe, on the west coast as a draw for the showroom. At the end of its use by Buick, it was sold to a dealer and ultimately to a customer as a, at least, demo car.
So technically you could have SCO ordered a Skylark with a 455 stage1 drivetrain....not that it was ever done?
Jason- there is an SCO 69 GS 400 4 speed (built in the Wilmington plant) here in RI with a '0-0' or 'O-O' on the cowl tag.. Believe it was painted Rivi- only Deep Grey Mist with pearl white interior. Alan has the grille 'ears' with the factory paint still on them.. PS Alan- I NEED those!
At some point GM offered any of the GM paint as a $100 option, and wasn't considered an SCO(special car order) unless it was a non-GM paint. Can anyone verify this?
My tag states SCO-549 on the trim tag. I can not find out why or anything on the internet. Please help me!!!
Interesting - That would be where the interior code would normally be. If merely a non-recommended color combo it would simply have a "Z" designation next to a std. trim code. There's also no top color designation. Have you gotten a Wayne Roberts report on the car? That might give some clue. What's are the details on the car?
Thanks for answering I am confused and not getting help from who I purchased the car from. I bought the car this month at Shelton Classics in Charlotte NC. The previous owner will not call back as they sold it on consignment for someone . I have not run the report you suggested but I will. I spoke to the salesman at Shelton and he said they did not research the car other than the fact that they were aware of it being a very high optioned Skylark custom with a period correct 455 stage 1 motor. I am convinced that they do not know what they had. I am determined to dig deeper. The car is red with black stripes, 455 motor and has all options at the time. It even has a speed limiter alarm on the speedometer. Black converse top. All back to stock with no aftermarket conversions under the hood. I will send the vin# later when I get out to the car.
I have seen similar stampings online and some people suggest that the number is a running total of SCOs built but I’m not sure that explains it. It is interesting that you don’t have a top color code; maybe it was ordered with either a non-standard color (red maybe?) or without a factory installed top so the dealer could install the special color? (Just throwing out ideas). Post a lot of pictures when you can, maybe someone can spot something that isn’t normal. Patrick
Gotta be something unusual about it. PO might not be any help either. Post some pics h definitely get a hold of the report.
View attachment 527400 My car has a SCO tag for SCO paint. Code O for other. Code O was Non GM paint. 1 of 4 Stage1's in 1973 had this code paint. No color is given only code O on the Sloan documents and a SCO and a blank - - - on the VIN tag. Either as Brad said it is Special Car Order or Special Corporate Order. My Stage1 Sun Coupe was Columbus Ohio Zone office ordered and delivered to Len Immke Buick. It has virtually every option except for cruise control. The paint is original. I have not seen another Yellow car with this shade of Yellow and have looked everywhere to find a match on another car foreign or domestic. View attachment 527400
Someone on teh interwebz said that they thought it was "Single Car Order" ...would make sense as any of the other acronyms.
Yenko Cars, etc. were SCO cars. IMHO that would rule out SCO meaning Single Car Order. I have never heard that meaning used before
No attachment. Was it a Buick color? There didn't exactly seem to be a standard for these things when it came to the data plates but @Tom Hoenig 's certainly is an odd one. We've seen tags w/an R & a std. Buick code for Riviera only colors, "Z" for no apparent reason (my '70 350 4-sp), SCO for the paint code, unknown paint codes, & I've seen a '72 GS that had had an SCO (Buick but non-Skylark) color and it was stamped onto the plate like any Skylark color would've been - Only reason I looked farther was I could still see the original "SCO" chalk make on the firewall. @Smartin - What shows on the Teal Mist car's plate?
