1971 Cadillac Touch Up Paint (22 OEM Colors)

The 1971 Cadillac Vibe

1971 was the year Cadillac decided that "too much" was just about right. This was the era of the 500-cubic-inch V8 and the massive, redesigned Eldorado and Fleetwood. We've got 22 colors in the database for this year, and let me tell you, they didn't do "subtle." You had the high-society classics like Cotillion White and Sable Black, but the real showstoppers were the "Firemist" options. If you were rolling in Chalice Gold Firemist Poly or Bavarian Blue Firemist, you weren't just driving a car; you were piloting a shimmering land yacht that could be seen from low earth orbit. It was the peak of the "Poly" (metallic) craze before the fuel crisis turned everything beige.

Paint Health Check

Here's the cold, hard truth: 1971 was the heart of the Single Stage Era. Back then, we didn't have a clear coat to hide behind. The color and the gloss were one and the same, usually shot in thick, thirsty coats of acrylic lacquer. The problem? Oxidation. If a '71 Caddy spends too much time baking in the sun without a garage, that deep Empire Maroon or Sylvan Green will start to "chalk." The paint basically dies on the surface, turning into a dull, powdery film. It doesn't peel like a modern car-it just slowly fades into a ghost of its former self. If it looks like a chalkboard, you're looking at decades of neglected UV damage.

Restoration Tip

Because this is single-stage paint, you can actually "bring it back from the dead" in a way you can't with modern stuff. If your Adriatic Turquoise looks hazy, don't panic. You need to carefully buff away that top layer of oxidized "dead" paint to reveal the fresh pigment underneath. But listen to me: it needs wax or it dies. Once you've polished that surface, it's wide open to the elements. You have to seal it with a high-quality carnauba or a polymer sealant immediately. Think of it like skin; you just gave it a chemical peel, now you better put on some sunscreen or you'll be right back where you started by next summer.