2011 Buick Touch Up Paint (44 OEM Colors)

### The 2011 Buick Vibe

By 2011, Buick was in the middle of a mid-life crisis, desperately trying to prove it wasn't just for the early-bird-special crowd. They dropped the "Grandpa" tag and gave us the sleek LaCrosse, the sporty Regal, and the Enclave-the official chariot of the suburban carpool. To sell the "new" Buick, they went heavy on the palette. We're talking 44 different shades in our database for this year alone. They were obsessed with depth, pushing complex finishes like White Diamond Tricoat, Carbon Flash Metallic, and Crystal Claret. It was a sophisticated look, but as any old-school taper will tell you, the more "jewelry" you put in the paint, the more sensitive it gets to the real world.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2011, the robots in the factory had become way too efficient for our own good. They perfected the art of "just enough" coverage, leaving these Buicks with clear coats that are thinner than a diner's coffee. Because the factory was chasing "Robot Efficiency," you're likely seeing the classic symptoms: the hood and roof of that Lucerne are probably starting to look a bit cloudy, and rock chips on the front of an Enclave don't just dent the paint-they take the whole sandwich of layers right down to the metal. If your Mocha Steel Metallic is looking a little dull, it's not just dirty; the clear coat is likely gasping for air.

Restoration Tip

When you're fixing a chip on a 2011, you have to respect the "thinness" of the original build. **Build your layers slowly; don't blob it.** If you try to fill a deep chip in one heavy pass, it'll look like a mountain on a pancake. Because these finishes-especially the tri-coats like White Metallic Tricoat-rely on light passing through multiple thin layers to get that "glow," you're better off applying two or three whisper-thin coats of color rather than one thick drop. Give it time to flash off between layers, and you'll actually match the depth of the surrounding factory finish instead of just covering the hole.