1998 Peterbilt Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 1998 Peterbilt Vibe

By 1998, the Peterbilt 379 wasn't just a truck; it was a status symbol on eighteen wheels. This was the era of the owner-operator peak, where the "Long and Tall" look reigned supreme. While the industry was experimenting with all sorts of flashy metallics, the real road warriors knew that nothing commanded respect in the left lane like a classic Medium Red. It was the color of a truck that worked for a living but looked like a million bucks doing it. If you were driving a Pete in '98, you weren't just hauling freight-you were hauling an image.

Paint Health Check

We're firmly in The Peeling Era here. In 1998, Peterbilt was perfecting the transition between high-solid single stages like Imron and the newer base/clear systems. The good news? That Medium Red has a deep, rich bite. The bad news? Late-90s clear coats had a nasty habit of "delaminating" once they hit the ten-year mark. If your cab has spent its life under the sun, you're likely seeing that "scab" effect where the clear starts to lift in sheets, especially around the rivets or the leading edge of those fiberglass hoods. Once moisture gets under that clear, it's a slow crawl toward a total strip-down.

Restoration Tip

The secret to keeping a '98 Pete looking fresh is aggressive edge-sealing. If you spot a stone chip, don't wait for the weekend. That chip is an invitation for the clear coat to start lifting away from the red base. Clean the area with a prep solvent and hit it with a catalyzed touch-up immediately to lock the edges down. If you're using our Medium Red spray can, remember it's a catalyzed formula-it's got the chemical backbone to stand up to the diesel and road salt that eats "hardware store" paint for breakfast. Treat every chip like a leak in your air lines: fix it now, or it'll cost you a lot more down the road.