1981 BMW Touch Up Paint (16 OEM Colors)

The 1981 BMW Vibe

Welcome to 1981, the year the E21 3 Series was handing the torch to the E30, and the 5, 6, and 7 Series were the unofficial uniforms of the rising executive class. It was a weird, transitional time for style-half the world was still obsessed with "earthy" tones like Sepia Brown and Safari Beige, while the other half was waking up to the sharp, clinical cool of Graphite Metallic and Alpine White. We've got 16 colors in our vault for this year, and let me tell you, whether you're spraying a Henna Red shark-nose or trying to save the Arctic Blue on a 528i, you're working with the last of the "real" paint.

Paint Health Check

Since we're firmly in the Single Stage Era, your biggest enemy isn't peeling-it's the slow, chalky death of oxidation. Back in '81, those solid colors (looking at you, Henna Red and Alpine White) didn't have a clear coat to hide behind. The pigment is right there on the surface, taking the punch from the sun every single day. If your Bimmer looks like it's been dusted with powdered sugar, that's the paint literally sacrificing itself. The metallics from this year, like New Polaris or Sapphire Blue, used early clear coat technology that tends to "check" or crack like an old oil painting rather than flaking off in sheets. It's thick, it's stubborn, and it's thirsty.

Restoration Tip

Here's the deal: this paint needs wax or it dies. If you're touching up a solid color, you've got to buff the surrounding area first to get past that dead, oxidized layer, or your new paint will never "bite." Also, 1981 was the era of the "plastic-chrome" transition. If your trim looks like a weathered gray ghost, don't just ignore it. We keep the Original Bumper Cover (Made by SEM) in our database for a reason-it's the only way to get those impact strips and surrounds back to that factory-correct, satin-black finish that makes the Cypress Green or Ascot Gray actually pop. Seal it, wax it, and keep it out of the desert sun.