1985 Ford Touch Up Paint (80 OEM Colors)

The 1985 Ford Vibe

Welcome to 1985, the year Ford decided that if a color was worth spraying, it was worth spraying in ten different shades. This was the era of the high-tech Thunderbird and the launch of the Aerostar, but the real work was being done by the Broncos and the F-Series trucks. With a massive database of 80 colors, Ford wasn't just painting vehicles; they were obsessed. You couldn't throw a rock in a dealership lot without hitting something in Regatta Blue or Canyon Red. Seriously, we've got everything from Pastel Regatta Blue to Midnight Canyon Red. It was a time when your truck could be "Bright Caramel Metallic" and still look like it could pull a house down.

Paint Health Check

Now, here's the cold, hard truth from the spray booth: 1985 was the dawn of the Peeling Era. This was when the industry was leaning hard into the basecoat-and-clearcoat system, and let's just say the chemistry wasn't quite ready for the afternoon sun in Arizona. If you're looking at an original-paint Ranger or Econoline today, you're likely seeing "delamination"-that's a fancy word for your clear coat flaking off like a bad sunburn. The metallic colors, especially the blues and silvers, were the worst offenders. The clear coat loses its grip on the basecoat, leaving you with those ugly, chalky patches we call "the mange." If your Thunderbird still has its shine, you're looking at a miracle or a garage queen.

Restoration Tip

If you've still got some clear coat left, guard it like it's gold. The moment you see a stone chip on the hood or roof of an '85 Ford, seal it immediately. On these mid-80s finishes, a single chip is an invitation for moisture and air to get under the clear layer. Once that bond breaks and the clear starts to lift at the edges, it's a runaway train-you can't just "wax it back" to health. Use a high-quality solvent-based touch-up to seal those edges before the delamination spreads across the whole panel. If the clear is already flaking, don't just spray over the top; you've got to feather those edges down to the stable basecoat first, or your new work will just peel off with the old stuff.