1998 Mazda Touch Up Paint (46 OEM Colors)

The 1998 Mazda Vibe

Welcome to 1998, the year Mazda decided to go all-in on "Zoom-Zoom" while the rest of the world was worrying about Y2K. Whether you were tossing a Miata through a canyon or hauling the kids in an MPV, these cars had a lean, hungry look to them. In our shop, we don't care how many colors the brochure had; the only one that truly defined the era was Black Onyx. It made the Millenia look like a stealth bomber and gave the Protege a level of class it probably didn't deserve. If you're still rocking a 1998 626 or a B-Series Truck in that deep black, you're driving a survivor of the great late-90s styling revolution.

Paint Health Check

Now, let's talk turkey. You're living in the "Peeling Era." By 1998, Mazda had fully committed to the basecoat-clearcoat system, which was great for showroom shine but a ticking time bomb for anyone living in the Sun Belt. We call it "Automotive Skin Cancer." That Black Onyx looks incredible because it absorbs every bit of light, but it also absorbs every bit of heat. Over twenty-five years, that thermal stress causes delamination-where the clear coat decides it's had enough of the basecoat and starts lifting off in sheets. If your roof or trunk looks like it's sunburned and peeling, you've got clear coat failure, and once it starts, it doesn't stop until it hits the primer.

Restoration Tip

If your clear coat is still intact but you've got rock chips on the hood of that Miata or Truck, you need to move fast. In this era of paint, a chip isn't just an eyesore; it's an entry point for moisture to get underneath the clear layer. Once water wedges itself between the color and the clear, the "lift" begins. Grab your touch-up kit and seal those chips immediately. Don't just dab the color; make sure you're sealing the edges of the original clear coat to keep it locked down. Think of it like a dam-if you don't plug the hole now, the whole roof is going to peel by next summer.