1984 Isuzu Touch Up Paint (15 OEM Colors)

The 1984 Isuzu Vibe

Joe Isuzu might have been a pathological liar in the commercials, but the 1984 lineup was the real deal. Whether you were rocking the Giugiaro-designed Impulse-which looked like a spaceship compared to everything else on the road-or the "built like a mountain" Trooper and Truck, Isuzu was hitting its stride. Our database shows a respectable 15-color spread for '84, ranging from the futuristic Matterhorn Silver Metallic and Charcoal Metallic to the rugged, dirt-disguising Gothic Brown Metallic and Fawn Brown. It was an era where you could still get a bright Yellow I-Mark without people thinking you were a delivery driver.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Single Stage Era. Back in '84, Isuzu was still spraying a lot of their fleet with single-stage acrylic enamels. This means the color and the gloss were mixed into one thick, solvent-heavy cocktail. The bad news? This paint is a living thing, and right now, it's likely gasping for air. If your Bordeaux Red Metallic looks more like a dusty brick, or your Seine Blue has a chalky, white film on the hood, you're looking at heavy Oxidation. The UV rays have literally cooked the top layer of pigment into a dead, powdery crust. If you don't see any shine left, it's not because the paint is "gone"-it's just buried under forty years of neglect.

Restoration Tip

Because this is single-stage paint, you can actually perform a "resurrection" that isn't possible on modern cars. You need to strip away the dead layers to find the buried treasure underneath. Use a dedicated paint cleaner or a light rubbing compound to buff away that chalky oxidation. When your buffing pad turns the color of the car (like Claret Red), don't panic-that's just the dead paint coming off. Once you hit fresh pigment, the golden rule applies: It needs wax or it dies. Without a heavy coat of high-quality wax to seal those pores, the oxidation will return faster than a Joe Isuzu punchline. Seal it up, or prepare to watch your finish turn back into a chalkboard by next summer.