2017 International Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 2017 International Vibe

By 2017, the world of the International Truck was all about "business-friendly" functionality. While the rest of the automotive world was drowning in a sea of silver and appliance-white, the real workhorses were often sporting that tactical, "don't-wash-me-I'm-busy" Beige. It was the year of the dynamic neutral-a color designed to hide a week's worth of road grime and site dust without breaking a sweat. If you're looking at our database and seeing only one color, don't feel cheated; in 2017, the only color that mattered was the one that got the job done without looking like a mess.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2017, factory robots had become so efficient at their jobs that they were applying paint thinner than a diner napkin. This was the "Efficiency Peak"-great for the manufacturer's bottom line, but a nightmare for anyone driving behind a gravel hauler. Because the basecoat and clearcoat layers are applied with surgical precision, they lack the "meat" of older finishes. The conflict? Once a rock chip pierces that thin clear coat, the seal is broken. In this era, you don't just get chips; you get delamination where the paint starts lifting away in sheets because the bond to the primer was just barely "enough" to leave the factory.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2017 International, your biggest enemy is the "blob." Since the factory paint is so thin, a heavy drop of touch-up paint will stick out like a mountain on a prairie. Build your layers slowly. Apply a tiny amount, let it shrink as it dries, and then add another. You want to match the shallow profile of the surrounding factory finish. Whatever you do, don't just "glob and go"-at this age, a thick repair will eventually crack and peel away from the thin factory edges. Keep it level, keep it light, and you'll keep it on the truck.