My account of discovering that my 1965 Chevelle had been repainted over the original color, and how I dealt with it.

The original color was Cypress Green — a dark, moody green that was relatively uncommon in 1965. The car had been repainted in Fathom Green in the early 1980s, which is similar enough that a casual inspection wouldn't reveal it. The tell was a look behind the door hinge plate, where the original paint is almost always protected from repaints.

The decision: return the car to the original Cypress Green or leave it in the later color? Cypress Green is correct. It's also less attractive in my opinion. I returned it to Cypress Green because correctness matters more than preference. The car knows what color it should be.