Chevrolet Corvair Touch Up Paint (53 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

The Chevrolet Corvair was a car that dared to be different, and its color palette followed suit. With a massive catalog of 53 recorded colors, Chevrolet really went for it. You'll find everything from the sophisticated Tuxedo Black and Ermine White to the vibrant Ember Red and the sunny Butternut Yellow. A huge chunk of these colors are "Polys"-which is just vintage-speak for metallic. Colors like Sierra Fawn Poly and Nantucket Blue Poly gave these cars a shimmering, futuristic look that matched their air-cooled, rear-engine personality.

What to Watch For

Since the Corvair keeps its engine in the back, you'll have to head to the "wrong" end of the car to find your paint code. Look for the Fisher Body Tag riveted to the perimeter frame rail inside the engine compartment. Because these cars used older paint formulas, they often suffer from "lacquer checking"-those tiny spiderweb cracks that look like a map of a city you don't want to visit. You'll also notice the paint tends to get chalky or fade on the flat surfaces of the front trunk and rear engine deck. Keep an eye on the vents above the motor; the heat and vibration there can cause chips to pop off, exposing the metal to the elements.

Driveway Repair Tip

If you're working with one of those "Poly" colors, your biggest challenge isn't the color-it's the sparkle. Those tiny metallic flakes love to settle at the bottom of the bottle like sand at the beach. Give your touch-up bottle a vigorous shake for a full two minutes (play a song on the radio to keep time) to make sure those flakes are swimming evenly. When applying, avoid the "one big blob" method. Use the tip of your brush to dab tiny dots of paint into the center of a chip and let it flow outward. These older colors require patience; let the first layer dry completely before deciding if you need a second. It's better to have a slightly shallow repair than a mountain of paint sitting on your fender.