Dodge Bahama Yellow (DT6397 (1974)) Touch Up Paint

The Look

This is the color of a truck that spent its best years getting the job done. While modern yellows tend to lean toward neon or pastel, this shade is a deep, saturated relic from a decade that embraced earth tones. Since your truck has been on the road since 1974, the original finish has likely developed a character all its own through decades of sun and work. It was a one-year standout for the Dodge truck lineup, offering a bold alternative to the standard reds and browns of the era. It carries a heavy dose of nostalgia that looks exactly right on a D-Series or a vintage Power Wagon.

Technical Details

This is a solid finish, which is actually great news for your project. You do not have to worry about metallic flakes settling at the wrong angle or creating dark stripes in the finish. However, yellow pigments are notoriously transparent. This means the color has low hiding power, and it will take more layers than a dark blue or black to achieve a deep, uniform look. If you are covering a dark scratch or a grey primer patch, you will notice the undercoat trying to peek through. Be patient with your coverage and expect to apply a few extra thin layers to get the saturation perfect.

Best Practices

On a vintage Dodge truck, you can find your paint code on the metal plate attached to the driver's side door jamb or tucked under the hood on the radiator support. On some 1974 pickups, the factory also hid the code on the floor pan behind the passenger seat. Before you spray or dab Dodge Bahama Yellow (check for code DT6397 (1974)), you need to shake it for 60 seconds. Heavy yellow pigments like to settle at the bottom, and if they aren't fully mixed, the color will look thin and weak. Test the color on the included card first to see how it matches the current state of your paint. Keep the container moving as you work to prevent the paint from pooling, and give it plenty of drying time between each thin layer.