2012 Buick Touch Up Paint (42 OEM Colors)

The 2012 Buick Vibe

2012 was the year Buick decided it was tired of being the official car of the early-bird special. They rolled out the Regal and the Verano to convince the younger crowd that "QuietTuning" was actually sexy. To sell the dream, they hit us with a massive palette of 42 colors. We aren't just talking about basic greys; we're talking about "I've got a corner office" shades like Mocha Bronze Metallic and the high-maintenance beauty of White Diamond Tricoat. It was an era of sophisticated neutrals-plenty of Ashen Grey and Carbon Flash-all designed to look like a million bucks in the showroom.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2012, the factory robots had become surgically precise, which is a polite way of saying they got real stingy with the clear coat. They applied just enough to look deep and glossy for the first five years, but it's brittle. If you're driving an Enclave or a LaCrosse, you've probably noticed that a single pebble on the interstate can leave a crater the size of a dime. We've also seen the clear coat on the "upward-facing surfaces"-that's fancy talk for the roof and hood-start to get a little cloudy or even flake off if it's spent too much time in the sun. The robots were efficient, sure, but they didn't leave much "meat" on the bone for a detailer to work with.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2012 finish, your mantra is: Build, don't blob. Because the factory paint is so thin, if you just slap a big drop of Crystal Claret into a rock chip, it's going to stand out like a sore thumb. Use a fine-tipped applicator and apply the paint in thin, whisper-delicate layers. Let it dry, then add another. You want to match the depth of the surrounding clear coat, not create a mountain of paint. And if you're working with those heavy metallics like Mocha Steel, keep the car out of the direct sun while you work; otherwise, the metallic flakes won't lay flat, and your repair will look like a different color entirely.