1973 GMC Touch Up Paint (24 OEM Colors)

The 1973 GMC Vibe

Welcome to the birth of the "Square Body." In 1973, GMC decided that if a truck was going to work for a living, it might as well look like a harvest festival. We're talking about the year the Sierra and Jimmy started wearing heavy-duty earth tones like Ochre, Burnt Orange Irid., and Medium Olive Irid. With 25 colors in our database for this year alone, GMC clearly wasn't shy about variety. Whether your rig was a base-model farm hand in Desert Sand or a top-trim cruiser in Hawaiian Blue, these trucks had enough metal on them to sink a barge and enough pigment to be seen from low earth orbit.

Paint Health Check

You're living in the Single Stage Era, my friend. Back in '73, the factory hit these trucks with a thick layer of acrylic enamel. There's no clear coat here to peel off like a bad sunburn; instead, these trucks suffer from the "Chalky Death." If your Crimson Red hood looks more like a dusty pink chalkboard, that's oxidation. The sun has literally cooked the oils out of the top layer of paint. It's a double-edged sword: the paint is tough as a boiled owl, BUT it's porous. Once that surface starts to "chalk," it holds moisture against the metal, and on a Square Body GMC, that's an open invitation for the cab corners and rockers to start dissolving.

Restoration Tip

The golden rule for 1973 enamel: It needs wax or it dies. If you're touching up chips in that Medium Gold Irid., you can't just dab it on over the oxidation and hope for the best. You've got to "find the shine" first. Grab a high-quality rubbing compound and buff a small area until the chalk is gone and the true color returns. Only then should you apply your touch-up paint. Remember, you're dealing with a solvent-based finish that likes to be sealed. Once your repair is dry, keep a thick coat of carnauba wax on it. It's the only thing standing between your GMC and a future spent as a "patina" project in a field.