2006 Lincoln Touch Up Paint (25 OEM Colors)

The 2006 Lincoln Vibe

In 2006, Lincoln was caught between the "Old Guard" and the "New Wave." You had the Town Car-the literal sofa of the American highway-shining alongside the Navigator and the then-brand-new Zephyr, which was trying to convince us that luxury could be nimble. With 25 colors in the mix, Lincoln was basically the Baskin-Robbins of beige. We're talking a high-society spectrum of Pueblo Gold Metallic, Cashmere Tricoat, and Charcoal Beige. It was a time when looking "expensive" meant having a car that matched the clubhouse at the local golf course. If you were feeling edgy, you went with Tungsten Gray or Dark Cherry, but mostly, it was an era of sophisticated, deep pearls that looked like a million bucks under dealership halogens.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2006, the robots in the factory had become a little too good at their jobs. They were programmed for "efficiency," which is just a corporate way of saying they used as little paint as possible to cover the metal. Because of this factory stinginess, these Lincolns are notorious for clear coat "delamination"-that's when the top layer starts flaking off like a bad sunburn, especially on the hood and roof. If you've got a Navigator or an LS that's spent its life in the sun, you're likely seeing those chalky white patches where the clear has simply given up the ghost. Combine that thin skin with the road salt of the north, and those Town Car quarter panels start bubbling before you can even finish your morning coffee.

Restoration Tip

Since you're dealing with the "Robot Efficiency" era, the key to a good repair is patience. The factory coats were thin, so you can't just slap a heavy glob of Silver Birch or Ceramic White Pearl on a chip and expect it to look right. Build your layers slowly. If you're working with those tricky Tricoats like Cashmere, you need to apply multiple paper-thin coats rather than one thick one. If you "blob" it, the metallic flakes will sink to the bottom, and your touch-up will look like a dark mole on a fair face. Apply a thin layer, let it flash off, and repeat until you've built the depth. Then, and only then, hit it with the clear. Treat it like a fine lacquer even though it isn't-your Lincoln's thin factory skin will thank you.