1998 Renault Touch Up Paint (3 OEM Colors)

The 1998 Renault Vibe

1998 was a hell of a year for the French. They won the World Cup, and their showrooms were packed with the curvy, "bio-design" lines of the Clio II and the first-gen Megane. Everything was getting softer, rounder, and-if you lived through it-greener. In the late '90s, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a Green Metallic Renault. It was the definitive shade of the era, a deep, forest-inspired hue that made those little hatchbacks look way more sophisticated than their price tag suggested. We've focused our collection on the survivors of this palette, specifically that iconic green that defined the European curbside.

Paint Health Check

By 1998, Renault had fully embraced the basecoat-and-clearcoat system. It looked great on the showroom floor, but we are now deep into The Peeling Era. The clear coat tech of the late '90s hadn't quite mastered the long-term battle against UV rays. If your 1998 Renault hasn't spent its life in a darkened garage in Provence, you're likely seeing "delamination." It starts as a small white hazy patch, usually on the roof or the hood, and before you know it, the clear layer is flaking off like a bad sunburn. Once that top layer lifts, the metallic basecoat underneath is defenseless against the elements.

Restoration Tip

The secret to keeping a 1998 finish alive is Edge Management. If you spot a stone chip, don't just ignore it. On these late-'90s clear coats, a chip is an entry point for moisture to get between the layers. Once water gets under that clear, it'll start to "bridge" and pull the clear away from the color in large sheets. Clean the chip with a prep solvent and seal it immediately with a touch-up pen to lock those edges down. If you've already got a bit of "feathering" where the clear is lifting, don't power-wash it-you'll just peel the car like a grape.