1997 Isuzu Touch Up Paint (25 OEM Colors)

The 1997 Isuzu Vibe

1997 was a glorious, boxy time to be alive. While the rest of the world was busy making "jellybean" cars, Isuzu was doubling down on the rugged grit of the Trooper, the Rodeo, and that sleeper hit of a pickup, the Hombre. In our books, Onyx Black isn't just one color-it was the color. It gave those trucks a "menacing government agent" look that turned a suburban SUV into a mountain-climbing tank. If you're still rocking a 1997 Isuzu today, you're likely holding onto one of the last true survivors of the pre-soft-curve era.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the peak of The Peeling Era. By 1997, the industry had moved fully into the basecoat/clearcoat system, but the chemistry hadn't quite figured out how to survive twenty-plus years of the sun's teeth. On these old Isuzus, you aren't just looking for "fading"-you're looking for delamination. This is where the clear coat starts to lift in white, flaky sheets like a bad sunburn. Once that clear coat loses its grip on the Onyx Black base, the party is over; the exposed color underneath will turn chalky and gray faster than you can say "Joe Isuzu."

Restoration Tip

Because you're working with a clear-coated survivor, your mission is containment. If you see a rock chip, you seal it today, not next month. On 1997 paint, a tiny chip acts like a perforated edge; once moisture gets under that clear, it starts to peel like a cheap sticker. When using touch-up, don't just "blob" it on. Build the color up in thin layers to match the depth of the original clear, and make sure you bridge the gap between the color and the healthy clear coat around it. You're not just fixing a scratch; you're stopping a structural failure before your roof looks like a map of the moon.