1962 Chrysler Touch Up Paint (19 OEM Colors)

The 1962 Chrysler Vibe

Welcome to 1962, the year Chrysler decided that fins were out and "clean" was in-though if you're looking at an Imperial or the 300H, "clean" still meant enough sheet metal to bridge a small river. This was the era of the "Lustre-Bond" finish, a high-bake synthetic enamel that came in a whopping 19 different flavors. We aren't just talking about black and white; we're talking about jewel-toned "Poly" metallics like Sapphire Blue Poly, Rosewood Poly, and the legendary Bermuda Turquoise. These cars were meant to shimmer under the neon lights of a drive-in, and when that enamel was fresh, it was deeper than a Detroit pothole.

Paint Health Check

Here is the reality: you are working with Single Stage technology. Back then, they didn't believe in clear coats; they just sprayed the color on thick and baked it until it was hard as a coffin nail. The good news? This paint has "meat" on its bones. The bad news? It's prone to the "Chalky Death"-otherwise known as heavy oxidation. If your Sage Green Poly looks more like a dusty chalkboard than a metallic masterpiece, the binder in the paint has died from UV exposure. Furthermore, 1962 was the height of Chrysler's unibody transition, meaning while the paint on top was tough, the "dip" process wasn't perfect. If you see bubbles in the Coral Gray near the rockers, the rust is likely coming from the inside out.

Restoration Tip

If you're lucky enough to have original 1962 paint, remember the Salty Painter's creed: "It needs wax or it dies." Because this is single-stage enamel, it's porous. If you let it go dry, moisture and oxygen will turn that Embassy Red into a dull pink mess. When repairing chips with our solvent-based matches, don't just dab it and leave it. Level the touch-up, let it cure, and then seal the entire panel with a high-quality carnauba wax or a non-silicone sealant. You aren't just making it shiny; you're literally "feeding" the paint and sealing the pores to prevent that chalky fade from returning. Skip the wax, and you might as well be painting with watercolor.