2023 Peterbilt 579 — Paint Color Codes & Touch-Up Guide

Quick reference

Color Name	Paint Code	Type
Peterbilt White	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid
Black / Legendary Black	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid
Legendary Red	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid
Fire Red	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid
Silver Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Sterling Gray Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Dark Gray Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Medium Blue Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Deep Blue	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid or Metallic (varies)
Emerald Green Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Maroon/Burgundy Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Champagne/Light Gold Metallic	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Metallic
Construction Orange	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid
Safety/School Bus Yellow	Confirm via VIN/build plate	Solid

Notes:

• Peterbilt offers extensive factory and fleet palettes, and many 579s are special-ordered in custom or two-tone schemes. Never rely on color name alone—verify your exact code by VIN or the cab plate for an exact match. If your truck uses a two-tone or stripe, you may have separate Primary and Secondary paint codes.

Where to find your paint code

On Peterbilt models (including the 2023 579), paint information is typically carried in multiple places. Look for:

• Driver-side door jamb/B-pillar FMVSS certification label: A white label listing GVWR and tire data; it often includes entries such as Primary Paint and Secondary Paint with alphanumeric paint codes.
• Vehicle Identification/Data plate in the cab: An aluminum/silver tag on the driver-side door hinge pillar, kick panel, or back wall of the cab/sleeper area listing model, chassis, and paint information.
• Build sheet from your Peterbilt dealer: The dealer can pull the original build record by VIN, which will list the exact paint formula(s).
• Service history or body shop invoices: If the truck has been repainted, a prior repair invoice may note the refinish code set used (PPG/Axalta/BASF, etc.).

Peterbilt paint codes are alphanumeric and may show Primary and Secondary entries. If your sticker is missing or unreadable, provide your VIN to a Peterbilt dealer or a professional paint supplier so they can retrieve the correct formula.

Best touch-up paint sources

• Peterbilt dealer parts counter: Can often supply factory-formula touch-up bottles, aerosols, or give you the exact formula in your preferred brand system (PPG, Axalta, BASF, Sherwin-Williams). Best choice when you have verified codes.
• AutomotiveTouchup (online): Mixes to OEM heavy-truck codes and can provide pens, bottles, aerosols, and sprayable quarts. Good when you know your paint code or can provide the VIN/build info.
• Dupli-Color: Convenient for universal blacks, whites, and common silvers, but heavy-truck-specific codes may not always be in stock. Use if you’ve confirmed the color visually and accept a near-match for small chips.
• Local paint jobber/body shop supplier: Can custom-match from your fuel door, fairing, or a removable painted part using a spectrophotometer and mix it in aerosol or touch-up sizes.
• Tcoat/custom-mix services: Many independent mixers can produce exact-match aerosols or bottles from your code or a physical sample.

Tip: Always confirm your exact Peterbilt paint code by VIN or plate before ordering. For two-tones, order both the Primary and Secondary colors, plus clearcoat.

How to use touch-up paint

1. Clean and prep

• Wash with soap, then wipe with isopropyl alcohol or wax/grease remover.
• Remove rust with a fiberglass pen or 600–800 grit paper; feather any lifted edges.
• Mask adjacent panels if spraying.

2. Prime bare metal

• Apply a thin etch or epoxy primer to exposed steel/aluminum and let it cure per label.

3. Apply base color

• Shake well. For pens/bottles, wick off excess and dab in light coats; for aerosols, spray 6–8 inches away with overlapping passes. Let each coat flash.
• Build until the chip is nearly level and fully opaque.

4. Clearcoat

• After base has flashed, apply 1–2 light coats of clear. This restores gloss and UV protection.

5. Level and polish (optional)

• After full cure, nib with 2000–3000 grit and polish to blend.

Color matching tips for pearls and tri-coats

• Confirm the finish type: Many Peterbilt grays, silvers, and blues are metallic; a few specialty colors are pearls or tri-coats (base + mid-coat pearl + clear). Your label or supplier can tell you if your code is a tri-coat.
• Spray-out cards: Before touching the truck, test your mixed paint on a card to verify flop (how the metallic looks at angles) and darkness.
• Control film build: Too many coats darken metallics; too few make them too light. Keep passes even and maintain gun/aerosol distance for consistent flake orientation.
• Blend, don’t butt-match: For panels, fade the color into adjacent areas and clear a wider zone. Hard edges show even tiny hue shifts.
• Mind aging and exposure: Reds and bright colors can fade. If your sample doesn’t match, ask the mixer to shade to the truck’s current appearance.
• Two-tone and stripe repairs: Verify both codes and the stripe color. Reproduce stripe width and masking lines exactly for an OEM look.

If you’re unsure of your exact 2023 Peterbilt 579 color, the safest route is to have a dealer or professional paint supplier confirm your code by VIN and mix to that formula.

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