1959 Ford Touch Up Paint (13 OEM Colors)

The 1959 Ford Vibe

Welcome to 1959, the year Ford decided that if a car didn't have at least three feet of overhang and enough chrome to be seen from orbit, it wasn't worth building. Whether you're rocking a Galaxie Sunliner or a Fairlane 500, this was the peak of the "more is more" era. Our database shows Ford went all-out with 14 distinct flavors that year. You had the high-society solids like Colonial White and Raven Black, the poolside pastels like Indian Turquoise and Geranium, and those fancy "Polychromatic" metallics like Tahitian Bronze Poly and Gunsmoke Gray Poly. It was a time when your car's paint job was expected to match your patio furniture, and Ford delivered the whole showroom in living color.

Paint Health Check

We are firmly in the Single Stage Era, kid. Ford called this "Diamond Lustre" enamel, and while it was a breakthrough in '59, it's got one major enemy: the sun. Since there's no clear coat to hide behind, the pigment is out there taking the punches. If your Inca Gold or Surf Blue Poly looks like a dry chalkboard today, that's "Oxidation." The binder in the paint is literally cooking off, leaving a layer of dead, chalky dust on the surface. The metallics (those "Poly" colors) are even touchier; once they go dull, they lose that 1950s spark faster than a cheap transistor radio. If you don't keep a barrier between this paint and the atmosphere, it doesn't just fade-it dies.

Restoration Tip

If you're touching up an original 1959 finish, remember: you can't paint over chalk. You've got to "level" the surface first. Use a fine polishing compound to rub away the oxidized top layer until you see the true color of the Sherwood Green Poly or Torch Red underneath. Once you've applied your touch-up, you have to be religious about protection. In this era, it needs wax or it dies. A high-quality carnauba or a modern sealant is the only thing keeping that single-stage enamel from turning back into a pumpkin. Treat it like a living thing-keep it fed with wax, and keep it out of the midday sun.