1961 Ford Touch Up Paint (20 OEM Colors)

The 1961 Ford Vibe

Welcome to 1961, the year Ford decided that "too many options" wasn't a thing. Whether you were piloting a "Bullet Bird" Thunderbird or the neighbor-friendly Falcon, you had a staggering 20 colors to choose from. This was the peak of the Diamond Lustre Enamel era, where Ford's marketing department boldly claimed these cars "never need waxing." We're looking at sophisticated "Poly" (metallic) tones like Algiers Bronze Poly and Heritage Burgundy Poly, alongside the unapologetic flash of Palm Springs Rose. It was a time of optimism, sleek lines, and paint that was as thick as a diner milkshake.

Paint Health Check

Here's the salty truth: Ford lied about the wax. Because your '61 is from the Single Stage Era, there is no clear coat protecting that pigment. That Raven Black or Starlight Blue isn't "peeling"-it's oxidizing. It's dying a slow, chalky death where the surface pigment turns into a fine powder that you can rub off with your finger. If your Garden Turquoise Poly looks like a dusty chalkboard, that's the sun literally sucking the life out of the enamel. This paint is bulletproof in terms of thickness, but it's high-maintenance; it needs wax like a fish needs water, or it just stops shining.

Restoration Tip

If you're touching up a chip or trying to bring back the gloss, remember you're working with "live" pigment. Before you apply any new paint, you've got to "exfoliate" that dead, chalky oxidation layer with a mild polishing compound. If you're working on one of the metallic "Poly" colors, don't freak out when your buffing pad turns black-that's just the aluminum flakes in the single-stage paint finally seeing the light of day. Once you've found the true color hiding underneath, seal your repair with a heavy coat of high-quality wax. In 1961, wax wasn't an "option"-it was the only thing keeping your Ford from looking like a sun-bleached relic.