Tuxedo Black, which debuted in 2008 to much ballyhooed fanfare, is the go-to black paint for many Ford models, including the F-150. Part of what makes the paint so special, and so difficult to produce, is the fact that it has flakes derived from glass.

Since the earthquake and tsunami struck northern Japan, Ford had been unable to produce the paint, along with three shades of red, “royal red,” “red candy,” and “red fire.” The problem was they were missing a key ingredient called Xirallic, a pigment made from aluminum oxide which enhances the glitter effect.

It’d be easy enough to report about the state of Ford paint, but it’s much more fun to follow this Ford Truck Enthusiasts’ forum thread to find about how Ford is solving, “The Case of the Missing Pigment!”