1973 International Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 1973 International Vibe

1973 was a year of steel and earth tones. While the rest of the world was busy arguing over the oil crisis, the International Truck was out there moving the country. It was the era of the "Earth Tones" palette-if it wasn't olive drab or burnt orange, it was likely that iconic, utilitarian Beige. We've focused our database on the true survivors of this year, capturing that exact, no-nonsense Beige that defines the 1973 workhorse. It's a color that looks just as good covered in farm dust as it does under the garage lights.

Paint Health Check

Your '73 International comes from the Single Stage Era. Back then, we didn't hide the pigment under a fancy plastic clear coat; the color and the protection were one and the same. But here's the rub: without a clear shield, this paint is a sitting duck for oxidation. If your truck hasn't been garaged since Nixon was in office, that Beige probably looks more like a chalky ghost of its former self. When you rub your hand across the hood and it comes away looking like you just held a piece of sidewalk chalk, you're looking at a paint job that's literally starving for oils.

Restoration Tip

The beauty of 1973 single-stage enamel is that it's thick and honest. Unlike modern "thin-coat" factory jobs, you can often buff some life back into these old girls because the pigment goes all the way to the metal. However, my salty advice is simple: It needs wax or it dies. Once you've laid down your fresh repair or polished the original panels, you have to seal it. Without a heavy coat of high-quality wax to block the UV rays, that single-stage finish will start "chalking" again before the next harvest. Treat it like the vintage iron it is-keep it fed, keep it sealed, and keep it Beige.