Dodge Pearl White (VW3) Touch Up Paint

The Look

This color captures the transition of the early eighties, moving away from the heavy browns of the seventies into a cleaner aesthetic. While you will find it on the Dodge Pickup and various vans of the era, it looks most at home on the Rampage. This is not a cold, blueish white like a modern appliance. Instead, it has a warm depth that feels substantial on heavy steel. Since your vehicle has been on the road for decades, the original finish has likely developed a unique character from sun exposure, so a fresh application looks best when you focus on blending the edges.

Technical Details

The name can be a bit of a trick. In the early eighties, a color labeled as a Pearl often acted more like a rich solid than a modern multi-stage flake. This is a benefit for your repair because it makes the process much less complicated than a modern tri-coat. However, solid whites are honest. They show every speck of dust and every bit of poor surface preparation. If you do not clean the repair area until it is spotless, the new paint will highlight the grime rather than hide it.

Best Practices

You can usually find your paint info on a metal tag under the hood near the radiator or on the driver's side door frame. Before you spray or dab Dodge Pearl White (check for code VW3), you need to shake it for 60 seconds to ensure the pigments are distributed well. Do not start on the car. Test the color on the included card first and hold it against the body in the shade to confirm the match against the aged paint. When you begin, keep the container moving to prevent the paint from pooling or running. Give the area plenty of drying time between light coats rather than trying to hide the damage with one heavy layer.