1973 Buick Touch Up Paint (34 OEM Colors)

The 1973 Buick Vibe

1973 was the year of the giant chrome bumper and even bigger personality. Buick was hitting its stride with a massive 34-color palette, offering everything from the kitchen-appliance chic of Harvest Gold Poly to the high-impact punch of Apollo Orange. Whether you're restoring a "Deuce and a Quarter" Electra 225 or a nimble little Buick Opel GT, you're dealing with the peak of the earth-tone era. Back then, they didn't just paint a car; they dipped it in a vibe that felt like a shag-carpeted lounge on wheels.

Paint Health Check

We are firmly in the Single Stage Era. This isn't the thin, plastic-wrapped finish of a modern commuter; this is thick, pigment-rich acrylic lacquer. The catch? It's a "living" finish that's hungry for oxygen. If your Jade Green Poly or Midnight Blue looks more like a dusty chalkboard than a showroom mirror, you've got a classic case of Oxidation. Those "Poly" and "Iridescent" finishes used real aluminum flakes that can actually oxidize inside the paint. If the car has been sitting, the sun has likely cooked the binders right out of the surface, leaving a chalky residue that'll rub off on your sleeve just by looking at it.

Restoration Tip

The rule for 1973 is simple: It needs wax or it dies. Because there is no factory clear coat to hide behind, your pigment is your only line of defense. Before you attempt to touch up a chip, you've got to "buff back to the living." Use a light compound to strip away that white, chalky oxidation until the true, deep pigment shines through. Once you've applied your fresh match and let it cure, seal the entire panel with a heavy-duty wax. That wax is the only thing standing between your Buick and the slow march toward turning back into dust. Treat it like skin-keep it clean, keep it sealed, and it'll keep turning heads.