1958 Chrysler Touch Up Paint (21 OEM Colors)

The 1958 Chrysler Vibe

Welcome to 1958, the peak of Virgil Exner's "Forward Look." This was the year Chrysler decided that if a car didn't look like it was breaking the sound barrier while sitting at a stoplight, it wasn't worth building. Whether you were piloting a 300D, a New Yorker, or a Windsor, you were essentially driving a chrome-plated rocket ship with fins that could catch a crosswind and send you to the next county. With 21 colors in our database, the palette was as optimistic as the Space Race. We're talking about everything from the candy-shop sweetness of Shell Pink and Tahitian Coral to the high-society depth of Mandarin Jade Poly and Midnight Blue Poly. It was a time when your car's color didn't just suggest a personality; it shouted it from the driveway.

Paint Health Check

Now, let's talk shop. This is the Single Stage Era, and back in '58, Chrysler was spraying what they called "Lustre-Bond" alkyd enamels. There's no clear coat here to hide behind. That deep shine you see in the old brochures? That's the pigment itself doing all the heavy lifting. The problem is, these finishes are "open" to the elements. If your Garnet Maroon Poly or Cypress Green Poly looks like a dusty chalkboard, you're looking at heavy oxidation. These 1958 models were also notorious for rushed production; they were famous for rusting on the showroom floor if someone sneezed too close to them. If the paint is original, it's likely "chalking"-where the binder has failed and the pigment is literally rubbing off on your sleeve.

Restoration Tip

When you're dealing with these old-school single-stage "Poly" (metallic) colors, you have to be a surgeon, not a butcher. Those tiny aluminum flakes are suspended throughout the entire paint layer, not buried under a protective plastic shield. If you get too aggressive with a heavy compound, you'll "mottle" the metallic pattern and leave the finish looking blotchy. The golden rule for 1958 iron: It needs wax or it dies. Use a non-abrasive polish to lift the oxidation and bring back the color, then seal it immediately with a high-quality carnauba or sealant. You're not just making it pretty; you're quite literally feeding the paint to keep it from turning into dust.