1980 Honda Touch Up Paint (11 OEM Colors)

The 1980 Honda Vibe

It's 1980, and Honda is busy taking over the world one fuel-sipper at a time. Whether you were rocking the legendary Civic CVCC, the original Accord, or the surprisingly sleek first-gen Prelude, you were driving a car that felt light, agile, and sensible. The color palette reflected that "sophisticated earth" trend of the new decade. We've tracked down 11 distinct shades for this year, and they are a time capsule of class-think heavy-hitters like Sydney Brown Metallic, the stately Richmond Green Metallic, and the quintessential St. Moritz Silver Metallic.

Paint Health Check

If you're still driving a 1980 Honda, you're either a wizard or you live in a desert. This was the heart of the Single Stage Era. Back then, Honda wasn't using a separate clear coat to protect the pigment; the color was the protection. The bad news? This stuff loves to turn into a "chalky ghost." If your Rhodes Red Metallic looks more like a dusty pink chalkboard or your Windemere Blue has gone dull and white, you're looking at severe oxidation. Without a clear coat shield, the sun literally bakes the life out of the paint, leaving the thin Japanese sheet metal underneath vulnerable to the "disappearing Honda" rust that claimed most of its brothers.

Restoration Tip

The golden rule for 1980 enamel: It needs wax or it dies. Before you touch up any chips or scratches, you have to "exfoliate" the car. Use a light polishing compound to buff away that dead, chalky oxidation until the true Catherine Brown or Shetland White reveals itself again. If you apply touch-up paint directly onto oxidation, it'll peel off faster than a cheap sticker. Once you've repaired the spot, keep a thick coat of high-quality wax on it at all times. In this era, wax isn't just for shine-it's the only thing keeping your car from returning to the earth.