Finding your Pontiac Paint Code

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Finding your Pontiac Paint Code

Pontiac did not make it easy to find the color code. Through the years, they have tried so many different locations, it often makes it impossible to ever find it. Plus, their paint code format is confusing. GM (parent company of Pontiac) make so many makes and models, you would think they would have standardized the location of the color plate. No such luck.

Usually when someone has trouble finding a Pontiac paint code, I have them look in the glove box or the spare tire well. If this doesn't work, then you start looking everywhere for it.

The typical color code format is:

51/WA316N

and this is usually preceded by BC/CC. So the above color would be BC/CC 51 or BC/CC 316N. You will notice our listings all have a WA in them because this is how they are listed in our color information. Also, there are really two codes in each color code to make it even more confusing. There can be eighteen different code 51's so then you have to use the 316N to identify the color. Also, these codes can be preceded by a U or L which correspond to Upper and Lower color. See below under two tone for more information.

Again, I ask...who was in charge of this??

which corresponds to Slate Gray Metallic Clearcoat.

Two Tone Combination
Pontiac has many two tone combinations for some cars. Two tones are two different colors on your car. If your car has two colors, you will see the two tone color code. Using the above example, the code could be listed as:

BC/CC U316N or BC/CC L316N The U stands for Upper Color and the L stands for the Lower Color. Again, just a confusing way to present color information.

Same Color Code, Different Name
Pontiac, like all manufacturers, uses the exact same color across many models and then will have a different color name for each model. It's the same paint! This is why the color code is so important to order the correct paint.

For example, 316N above we call Gold Mist Metallic Clearcoat. It could also be called Gold Clearcoat, Inca Metallic Clearcoat, etc. depending on what the marketing department decided to call it.