Dodge Garnet Poly (552 (1956)) Touch Up Paint

The Look

This color is the mid-fifties era defined in a single bottle. It is a deep, moody red that gave the big-finned Dodges of the day a sense of weight and class that the brighter pastels couldn't match. If you are touching up a 1956 Coronet or Royal, you are working with a classic Polychromatic finish that looks different depending on the angle of the sun. Because your car has likely seen decades of light and weather, the original paint on the panels has probably shifted in tone compared to the fresh pigment you are about to apply.

Technical Details

This is a metallic finish, which means it contains tiny flakes designed to reflect light. These flakes are what give the paint its depth, but they can be temperamental. If the flakes clump together or settle unevenly, you will see dark spots or streaks in the finish. This mottling happens when the paint is applied too heavily in one spot or if the container isn't mixed well. You want those metallic particles to lay flat and spread out so the light hits them evenly across the repair.

Best Practices

You can usually find your data plate on the driver side door pillar or under the hood on the radiator support. Before you spray or dab Dodge Garnet Poly (check for code 552 (1956)), you need to shake it for 60 seconds. This is a heavy-pigment color, and those metallic flakes need to be fully integrated into the mix. Test the color on the included card to see how the flakes settle and how the shade matches your existing paint. When you move to the car in your garage or the shade, keep the container moving to prevent the paint from pooling. Give the paint plenty of drying time between thin layers to build up the color without making a mess. Use a consistent spray distance or steady strokes with your brush to keep the flow even.