1998 American-Coach Touch Up Paint (8 OEM Colors)

The 1998 American-Coach Vibe

Welcome to 1998-the year the American Eagle and American Dream were the undisputed kings of the interstate. Back then, if you weren't rolling in a forty-foot diesel pusher finished in Parchment Gold or Cashmere Beige, were you even really vacationing? We've got 8 distinct shades in our vault for this year, and let me tell you, the palette was a high-end buffet of "Classy Neutral." From the deep, moody Obsidian Black Metallic to the mossy Med. Fern, these rigs were designed to look like a million bucks parked outside a country club, even if you were just at a roadside Cracker Barrel.

Paint Health Check

We are deep in The Peeling Era. The late '90s gave us high-solids solvent clears that looked like glass on the showroom floor, but they had a nasty habit of "delaminating" once they'd spent a few summers baking in the Florida sun. If you look at the roof radius or the front end caps of an original '98 Coach today, you're likely seeing the "Clear Coat Sunburn"-that white, flaky skin where the UV has finally won the war. You might also notice "checking," those tiny, hairline cracks that look like a spiderweb under the Smoke Metallic or Grey Bronze Metallic. That's the fiberglass gassing out, and if you don't seal it, it's an open invitation for moisture to get under the layers and lift the whole sheet.

Restoration Tip

The golden rule for 1998 solvent finishes: Seal chips immediately before the clear lifts. Once air and moisture get between that base color and the clear coat, the bond is toast and it'll start peeling in sheets. If you've got a chip in your Bright Silver Metallic, don't wait for the weekend. Clean it, dab the color to match the depth, and get a solid clear over it. If the clear is already flaking at the edges, you've got to sand those edges back until they're feathered and "tight" before you even think about applying fresh paint. These old-school solvent colors have a deep, rich "melt" when you apply them, so don't be afraid to build your layers-just make sure you're working on a stable foundation.