1980 Ford Touch Up Paint (53 OEM Colors)

The 1980 Ford Vibe

1980 was a massive transition year for the Blue Oval. The rounded curves of the '70s were being swapped for the "folded paper" look, and whether you were piloting a Bronco, an Econoline, or the newly downsized Thunderbird, Ford was obsessed with variety. With a staggering 53 colors in the database, it's clear they were throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. You could go full "earth-tone" with Aztec Bronze Metallic and Chamois Metallic, or lean into the emerging neon decade with Bright Bittersweet and Signal Yellow. It was a time when your truck could be "Light Medium Pine" and your weekend cruiser could be "Candyapple Red," and nobody questioned it.

Paint Health Check

If your 1980 Ford is still wearing its original coat, you are officially in the Single Stage Era. We didn't have the luxury (or the headache) of a separate clear coat back then; the color and the protection were sprayed as one thick, honest layer of enamel. The "But" here is Oxidation. This paint doesn't peel off in sheets like the junk from the '90s-it turns into a chalky, dull mess. If you rub your hand across a Dark Cordovan Metallic hood and your palm comes away burgundy, that's the paint literally "chalking" away under the sun. Once it loses its oils and dries out, it becomes porous, holds onto moisture, and invites the rust monster to dinner.

Restoration Tip

The beauty of 1980 single-stage paint is that it's remarkably thick and forgiving. You can often buff away years of "chalk" to find a showroom shine hiding underneath. However, my salty advice is simple: It needs wax or it dies. Because there is no clear coat to act as a shield, your wax or sealant is the top coat. If you polish that Arctic Blue Metallic to a mirror finish but forget to seal it, the sun will eat that fresh surface in six months. Feed the paint regularly, keep it sealed, and it'll outlast the engine.