Fleet Western Star Paint Info
The Color Breakdown
When you're building trucks designed to pull a small moon, I suppose you only need one shade to make a statement. Western Star keeps it simple but flashy with exactly one recorded fleet color: Viper Blue Pearl. It's a bit of a flex-giving a heavy-duty workhorse a name that sounds like it belongs on a supercar-but when you see that metallic shimmer under a highway sun, it's hard to argue with the results.
What to Watch For
Before you get to work, you'll need to find your "birth certificate." On a Western Star, the paint code is rarely out in the open; you'll usually find it on the Vehicle Specification Decal. Check the inside of your glove box first, or look for a silver plate on the driver's side door jamb.
As for the paint itself, watch those fiberglass fairings and the massive leading edge of the hood. Because these trucks spend their lives eating road salt and wind, the paint can sometimes lose its "grip" on the fiberglass, leading to small chips that want to turn into peeling sheets. If you see a spot where the clear coat looks a bit "milky" or lifted, that's your cue to step in before the driveway repair becomes a weekend project.
Driveway Repair Tip
Since Viper Blue Pearl is a pearl finish, those tiny sparkles like to settle at the bottom of the bottle while it sits on your shelf. Shake that touch-up bottle for a full two minutes-long after you think you're done-to wake up the metallic flakes. When applying, don't try to fill a deep chip with one big "blob." The pearl flakes need to lay flat to catch the light correctly, so use three or four very thin layers instead. It requires a little more patience, but it's the difference between a "scar" and a "disappearing act."
