2009 Cadillac Touch Up Paint (50 OEM Colors)

The 2009 Cadillac Vibe

Welcome to 2009, the height of Cadillac's "Art & Science" era. This was the year the CTS was making German engineers lose sleep, and the Escalade was the unofficial uniform of every zip code with a private gate. With 50 colors in our vault from this year alone, it's clear Cadillac wasn't shy about variety. It was the era of "Greyscale Luxury"-if it wasn't a shimmering pearl like White Diamond or a deep Carbon Flash Metallic, it was likely one of the dozen shades of silver designed to look like a precision-cut scalpel. These cars were built to look expensive, sharp, and unapologetically American.

Paint Health Check

We've officially entered The Thin Paint Era. By 2009, the robots on the assembly line had become master accountants. They were programmed for "Robot Efficiency," meaning they sprayed just enough base and clear to look deep on the showroom floor, but not a micron more. The result? A finish that's beautiful but brittle. If you're looking at your DTS or STS and seeing more "pockmarks" than a teenager's forehead, it's because the factory coats were applied thin. On the Escalade and SRX, you'll often see the clear coat start to get "thirsty" and delaminate on the plastic bumper covers or the top of the rear spoiler where the sun beats down hardest.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up these 2009 finishes-especially the high-end White Diamond Pearl Tricoat or Crystal Claret-you have to respect the layers. Because the factory paint is so thin, you can't just "blob" a repair and expect it to vanish. Build your layers slowly. If you're working on a chip, dab a tiny amount of color, let it shrink and dry, and repeat until it's level. For the Tricoats, remember: the base provides the coverage, but the mid-coat provides the magic. Don't rush the clear coat, either; a few thin passes will always look better and last longer than one heavy, sagging drip. Treat it like the luxury finish it is, not a fence post.