1988 Bentley Background Info
The 1988 Bentley Vibe
1988 was the year of the "Gentleman's Express." If you were behind the wheel of a Turbo R or a Mulsanne S back then, you weren't just driving; you were piloting two and a half tons of British architectural pride. While the rest of the automotive world was drowning in a sea of corporate grays and "safety" beiges, Bentley stayed true to the heritage. In our database, we've focused on the one survivor that truly defined the era: Racing Green. It was the only color that mattered for a car that looked like a bank vault and moved like a low-flying jet. In '88, if you weren't in a dark green Bentley, you were probably just the guy holding the polo mallets.
Paint Health Check
Welcome to The Peeling Era. By 1988, Bentley was still using a high-build finish-often those legendary hand-flatted Thermo Plastic Acrylics-but the clear coat technology was the Achilles' heel. These cars were painted thick, but the bond between the base color and that glossy top layer is likely waving the white flag by now. You'll see it as "delamination"-where the clear starts to look like a bad sunburn, flaking away in silver-dollar-sized chunks on the roof and the boot lid. Once that clear lifts, the base color underneath is exposed to the elements and begins to chalk out faster than a sidewalk drawing in a rainstorm.
Restoration Tip
With a vintage beast like this, your biggest enemy is a stone chip. On these '88 models, a tiny nick in the paint isn't just a cosmetic flaw; it's an invitation for air and moisture to crawl under the clear coat and start the peeling process. Seal those chips immediately. Don't wait for the weekend. Use a high-solid touch-up to bridge the gap between the clear and the base. If you catch a chip early, you can lock down the edges and stop the clear coat from "traveling." Think of it as a tactical strike to keep your Racing Green from turning into a patchwork quilt.