2008 International Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 2008 International Vibe

2008 was a year of "keeping it together" while the rest of the world felt like it was falling apart. While the economy was leaning out, International was still churning out the heavy-duty workhorses that kept the freight moving. In our records, we've focused on the ultimate survivor of that year: Beige. It's the color of a truck that spent more time at weigh stations than it did in a showroom. It wasn't about flash; it was about the grit of the daily haul.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2008, factory robots had become masters of efficiency, applying just enough clear coat to make it through the warranty period. This was the peak of "Robot Efficiency," where the paint was stretched thin to save a buck at the assembly plant. On an International truck, this means your hood and roof are likely showing the battle scars of lean manufacturing. Because the layers are so sparse, a single stone chip doesn't just sit there-it becomes a gateway for delamination. Once that thin factory clear is breached, it starts to flake away like a bad sunburn, leaving the base color beneath it defenseless.

Restoration Tip

Since 2008 paint is all about thin, precise layers, your repair strategy needs to match. Build your layers slowly; don't blob it. If you try to fill a chip with one giant drop of paint, the solvent gets trapped, the repair stays soft, and it'll eventually shrink and look like a crater. Treat it like the factory should have: apply a thin layer, let it flash off, and repeat until you're level with the surrounding clear. Patience is the only way to beat the robots at their own game.