2001 Fluidesign Background Info
The 2001 Fluidesign Vibe
Welcome to 2001-the year we realized the Millennium Bug wasn't going to reset civilization, so we all went out and bought cars that looked like brushed aluminum laptops. Whether you were rocking a custom build or one of the specialty All Models of the era, the vibe was "High-Tech Minimalist." We've kept our focus on the survivors of this digital dawn, specifically the iconic Silver Blue Metallic. It was the shade of the future: cool, calculated, and just blue enough to remind you that you weren't driving a toaster.
Paint Health Check
Now, listen close, because 2001 was smack in the middle of The Peeling Era. Back then, the industry had moved fully into the basecoat-and-clearcoat workflow, but they hadn't quite mastered the chemistry of keeping them glued together forever. If your Silver Blue finish is looking "milky" or looks like it's suffering from a bad sunburn, that's delamination. Once the clear coat decides to part ways with the base, no amount of "miracle wax" is going to save it. If you see white, crusty edges around a rock chip, you're on the clock.
Restoration Tip
The golden rule for 2001 paint: Seal those chips before the air gets ideas. On these Silver Blue Metallics, a tiny nick from a highway pebble is an invitation for moisture to get under the clear coat and start lifting it like a cheap sticker. When you're touching up, don't just "blob" it on. Use a steady hand to fill the crater just to the level of the surrounding paint. If the clear has already started to lift at the edges, you've got to carefully sand back the "dead" clear until you hit a solid bond, or you're just painting over a lie. Keep it sealed, and that Y2K shimmer will actually make it to the next decade.