1990 GMC Touch Up Paint (46 OEM Colors)

The 1990 GMC Vibe

1990 was a year of transition for GMC. The boxy "Square Body" Suburban and G10-G30 vans were still holding the line, while the GMT400 Sierra and S-Series were already defining the modern truck silhouette. It was a time of work-first utility, and the color palette reflected that. We've locked down 8 essential shades from this era, ranging from the "fleet-spec" Tangier Orange that dominated municipal Medium Duty rigs to the classic Bright Red and Silver Metallic that made the Sierra look like a king in the driveway. It wasn't about flashy pearls yet; it was about solid, honest colors that meant business.

Paint Health Check

If you're driving a 1990 GMC today, you're living in the heart of "The Peeling Era." This was the wild west of early clear coat technology. The big problem isn't just oxidation-it's delamination. You've likely seen it: a Suburban or M Van where the paint looks like it's suffering from a giant, flaky sunburn. GM's clear coats from this period were notorious for losing their bond with the basecoat, especially on horizontal surfaces like the hood and roof. Once that clear starts "ghosting" or lifting in sheets, the basecoat underneath is left defenseless against the sun. If your Silver Metallic is starting to look chalky or white in patches, that's the clear coat saying goodbye.

Restoration Tip

When dealing with 1990 factory paint, you have to be a hawk about stone chips. On these early base/clear systems, a single chip is a doorway for moisture to get under the clear coat and start the peeling process. Seal those chips immediately with a high-solids solvent-based touch-up to "glue" the edges down. If you're already seeing the clear lift, don't just spray over it-you need to carefully sand back the flaking edges until you hit a spot where the paint is still actually stuck to the truck. Catch it early, seal it tight, and you might just keep that factory Red from turning into a map of the moon.