2008 Renault Touch Up Paint (8 OEM Colors)

The 2008 Renault Vibe

2008 was a big year for the diamond badge. It was the year the Megane III arrived to show the world that Renault could do "sophisticated" just as well as they did "quirky," while the Clio III was busy being the sensible overachiever of the bunch. While the rest of the automotive world was drowning in a sea of boring greyscale, Renault was actually out there fighting the good fight-selling about ten percent more color than their competitors. We're talking about a lineup that ranged from the executive cool of Pewter Grey and Boreal Metal Grey to the more adventurous Purple Blue and Medium Red. It was a confident era, right before the global economy took a nosedive and everyone went back to buying white hatchbacks.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the "Thin Paint Era." By 2008, the painting robots in the factory had become masters of efficiency-which is just a fancy way of saying they learned how to stretch a gallon of clear coat across an entire fleet. These cars were sprayed with surgical precision, resulting in beautiful finishes that were, unfortunately, about as thick as a layer of French crepe. If you're looking at a 2008 survivor today, you're likely seeing "road rash" on the hood or Gris Silver Ultra that's starting to look a little translucent on the roof. The clear coat is hard, but it's brittle; once a stone chip cracks that surface, the edges like to lift because there just isn't much material holding it down.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2008 Renault, you have to fight the urge to be a "one-coat hero." Because this factory paint is so thin, a giant blob of touch-up paint will stand out like a sore thumb. The secret is to build your layers slowly. Apply a thin coat of your base color-whether it's that deep Maroon or the subtle Light Beige-and let it shrink down. If you need more coverage, add another thin layer after twenty minutes. When you finally hit it with the clear coat, use several light passes rather than one heavy drop. You're trying to mimic a robot's precision, not a baker's frosting technique. Build it up, don't blob it on.