The last line on this 1978 Chevrolet K20’s photographed Service Parts Identification label is the one that invites the most questions: 001, SPECIAL PAINT. It is a useful clue, but the label does not name the exterior color beside it.
The same label directly identifies VIN CKL248Z169213 and model CK20903. Its other entries provide a fuller picture of the documented specification: LS9 identifies a 350-cubic-inch, four-barrel V8; MX1 carries automatic-transmission wording; YE9 reads Silverado equipment. A sliding rear window, air conditioning, cruise-control wording and Comfortilt steering are also listed. These are readings from this particular document, rather than a list of equipment proved to remain on the truck today.
The working side of the specification is there too. The label lists an auxiliary fuel tank, dual exhaust, heavy-duty power-brake wording and a transmission-oil entry. Some descriptions stop at the edge of the printed column, so the transcription keeps that truncation rather than silently finishing every phrase.
The paint question stays separate. SPECIAL PAINT alone does not supply a color formula, explain why it was ordered, establish a special-edition package or tell us how many similar trucks were built. Nor should another color-related entry be promoted into an exterior-paint answer without the appropriate year-specific evidence.
That makes this label a good example of how a promising clue can remain useful without becoming a conclusion. We can preserve the special-paint entry and the surrounding equipment pattern now, while leaving the actual exterior color and its ordering history open for stronger documentation.
Source notes
Motorsport Auction Group article 22014, “1978 Chevrolet Silverado K20 4×4 pickup”; retained SPID photograph. Selected readings checked against the preserved image on October 25, 2026.
Evidence limits
The label is photographed under clear covering against dark backing. Original attachment, physical authenticity and uninterrupted truck association are not established. No separate mounted VIN plate was recovered in this source group. No source photograph is reproduced.