1965 Cadillac Touch Up Paint (21 OEM Colors)

The 1965 Cadillac Vibe

In 1965, if you weren't driving a Cadillac, you were basically just a spectator. This was the year the De Ville and Fleetwood redefined "The Standard of the World," stretching out with those iconic vertical headlamps and a silhouette long enough to have its own zip code. We've got 21 of these legendary shades in our database, and back then, Cadillac wasn't shy about the "wow" factor. Whether you were sporting the velvety radiance of Peacock Firemist on a Fleetwood Eldorado or the deep, boardroom authority of Sable Black on a Sixty Special, your car was a rolling statement of success. From the shimmering Alpine Turquoise Poly to the aggressive Matador Red Poly, these colors were applied as "Magic Mirror" acrylic lacquer-a finish meant to look three inches deep.

Paint Health Check

But here's the cold, hard truth from the spray booth: your 1965 beauty is a veteran of the Single Stage Era. That gorgeous lacquer is thick and soulful, but it's temperamental as a Vegas headliner. Because there is no modern clear coat to hide behind, the pigment is constantly exposed to the elements. If your Caddy has been out in the sun, you're likely staring at "Oxidation"-that chalky, white haze that makes a vibrant Inverness Green Poly look like a dusty chalkboard. Worse yet, old lacquer is prone to "Checking," those tiny hairline cracks that spiderweb across the hood as the paint loses its oils and shrinks over the decades.

Restoration Tip

If your finish looks more like a chalkboard than a mirror, don't reach for the sander just yet-it usually just needs a heavy dose of "Painter's CPR." Since this is single-stage paint, that oxidation is just a layer of dead pigment sitting on top of the good stuff. You can often buff it back to a showroom glow, but remember the Salty Painter's Rule: It needs wax or it dies. Once you've polished away the chalk to reveal the Sandalwood or Sierra Gold underneath, you must seal it immediately. Use a high-quality paste wax to nourish the lacquer and lock out the oxygen. If you skip the wax, the sun will start eating that fresh surface before the weekend is over. Treat it like a fine leather shoe-keep it clean, keep it fed, and it'll keep turning heads.