1981 Jeep Touch Up Paint (15 OEM Colors)

The 1981 Jeep Vibe

Welcome to 1981-the year the CJ-8 Scrambler hit the scene and the CJ-7 was still the undisputed king of the trail. Under the watch of AMC, Jeep wasn't just building utility vehicles; they were leaning into a color palette that was half "disco-leftover" and half "desert-explorer." We've tracked down 15 survivor colors from this era, and let me tell you, it's a brown-lover's paradise. If you weren't rocking Chestnut Brown Metallic or Autumn Gold, you were probably making a statement in Omaha Orange or Oriental Red. It was a time of rugged simplicity, where the paint was meant to handle the mud first and the car show second.

Paint Health Check

If you're looking at original 1981 paint, you're looking at the Single Stage Era. Back then, we didn't have a clear coat "safety net" to protect the pigment. It was just one thick, honest layer of acrylic enamel. The bad news? This stuff is a magnet for oxidation. If your Jeep has been sitting in the sun, that deep Sherwood Green Metallic has likely turned into a cloudy, chalky mess. When you see that "chalky" residue on your hand after touching the fender, that's not dirt-that's your paint literally dying of thirst. Without a clear top layer, the UV rays eat the pigment for breakfast, turning Vintage Red Metallic into a sad, dusty pink.

Restoration Tip

Listen close: Single stage paint is a living thing-it needs wax or it dies. If your 1981 finish looks like a chalkboard, you need to carefully polish away the "dead" oxidized layer to reveal the fresh pigment underneath. But don't just stop there. Because there's no factory clear coat to shield it, you are the only line of defense. Once you've brought back the shine on that Montana Blue or Steel Gray, you must seal it immediately with a high-quality wax or sealant. If you leave it "naked" after polishing, the oxidation will move back in faster than a rust spot on a floor pan. Keep it fed, keep it sealed, and it'll outlast the modern thin stuff any day of the week.