Mercury Grand Marquis Paint Info
The Color Breakdown
The Mercury Grand Marquis is the velvet-riding king of the highway, and with 65 recorded colors, Mercury certainly gave us plenty of options to keep it looking regal. They really went for it with a spectrum that ranges from the sunset-hued Harvest Gold Metallic and Toreador Red Pearl to the earthier Spruce Green Metallic and Arizona Beige. Whether you're driving a "classic silver" or one of the many "50 shades of grey" like Silver Birch or Tungsten Gray, your Grand Marquis has a specific personality that deserves a fresh coat.
What to Watch For
Before you start, you'll need to find your paint code. Open the driver's side door and look at the VIN sticker on the jamb; you're looking for a two-character code next to the letters "EXT PNT." Now, for the reality check: these cars love a good sunbath, but their paint doesn't always agree. If you have a white model (like Performance White or Oxford White), you might notice the paint likes to flake off in chips rather than just fading. You'll also want to keep an eye on the top of the trunk and the hood, as the clear coat there tends to get a bit tired after a decade or two of service.
Driveway Repair Tip
Since so many of these Mercury colors are "Pearl" or "Metallic" effects, they have tiny sparkles suspended in the paint that like to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Before you touch the car, shake your touch-up bottle for a full two minutes-long after you think you're done-to wake up those sparkles. When applying, don't try to fill a deep chip in one go. Drip a tiny amount of paint into the center of the chip and let it spread out naturally. If it needs more, wait fifteen minutes and add a second thin layer. Patience is your best friend here; thin layers will always look better than a thick blob!