1988 Isuzu Background Info
The 1988 Isuzu Vibe
1988 was the year Joe Isuzu was lying his way into our hearts, and the Trooper and Pickup were busy proving that "boxy" was a legitimate design choice. It was a weird, wonderful time for the brand-you had the Impulse looking like a spaceship and the I-Mark just trying to keep up. Our database shows a staggering 25 colors for this year, which is frankly more variety than most modern manufacturers dare to dream of. Whether you were rocking California Rose (which is exactly as 1988 as it sounds), Hazelnut Metallic, or one of those iconic Two-Tone schemes on a Trooper, Isuzu wasn't afraid to get adventurous with the palette.
Paint Health Check
Welcome to The Peeling Era. In 1988, the industry was fully committed to the new Basecoat/Clearcoat systems, but the chemistry hadn't quite figured out how to stay married forever. If your Spectra Red looks more like "Dull Pink" or your Brittany Blue Metallic has white, flaky patches that look like a bad case of road-dandruff, you're looking at delamination. This is where the clear coat decides it's tired of hanging onto the color and starts to lift. On these boxy Isuzus, the flat surfaces-the hood and that massive Trooper roof-are the first casualties of UV radiation. Once the clear lifts, the color underneath is defenseless and starts to chalk out faster than a sidewalk drawing in a rainstorm.
Restoration Tip
If you still have original clear coat that hasn't turned into cornflakes yet, you have to be a hawk about maintenance. Seal every stone chip immediately. In this era of paint, a single chip is an invitation for moisture and air to get under the clear coat. Once that seal is broken, the clear will start to "tunnel" and lift away from the base color. Use a precision touch-up pen to seal those edges the moment you see them. If you're already seeing peeling, you'll need to sand back the "feathered" edges of the clear until you hit stable territory before applying new color, or that old clear will just keep lifting under your new repair.