Chrysler Nightwatch Blue (SC9 (1982)) Touch Up Paint

The Look

Nightwatch Blue is a product of the early eighties, an era when Chrysler was trying to reclaim its luxury identity with the LeBaron and the New Yorker. Since your car has spent over forty years facing the elements, this deep, midnight shade has likely transitioned from a crisp factory finish to a more muted, weathered character. It is a formal color that gives those sharp, boxy lines of the 1982 lineup a sense of weight and authority. Because it is such a dark hue, it shows every speck of dust and light scratch, making it a demanding but rewarding color to maintain.

Technical Details

This is a metallic finish, which means it contains tiny flakes designed to catch the light and add depth. Metallics are notoriously finicky for touch-ups because the way those flakes lay down dictates the final look. If you apply the paint too heavily in one spot, the metal particles will bunch up and create a dark, muddy patch that won't match the rest of the panel. You want to aim for thin, even layers to ensure the metallic effect remains consistent across the repair. Before you spray or dab Chrysler Nightwatch Blue (check for code SC9 (1982)), you need to shake the container for at least sixty seconds to properly suspend those heavy metallic particles.

Best Practices

You will usually find your paint code stamped on a metal plate located under the hood, often on the driver's side inner fender or the radiator support. To get the best results in your garage, always test the color on the included card to verify the shade matches your aged paint. Whether you are using a pen or a nozzle, keep the container moving to prevent the paint from pooling and ruining the metallic distribution. If you find the color looks a bit too dark after the first pass, let the drying time pass completely before deciding if you need a second layer. Patience is the only way to make a forty-year-old metallic finish look right again.