1998 Subaru Touch Up Paint (16 OEM Colors)

The 1998 Subaru Vibe

In 1998, Subaru was officially moving out of the "weird farm wagon" phase and into its rally-bred golden era. Whether it was the first-gen Forester hitting the trails or the Impreza 2.5RS making everyone wish they had a turbo, these cars were built for dirt. While the database shows a lean list, the only color that truly captured that late-90s energy was Brilliant Red. It was bold, it was sporty, and it made those chunky plastic bumpers actually look like they belonged on a race car.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the heart of The Peeling Era. By '98, the factory had fully committed to the basecoat-clearcoat system, but the technology hadn't quite figured out how to survive a decade of sun. If your Legacy has been parked outside, you're likely dealing with "Delamination"-that's painter-speak for when the clear coat starts looking like a bad sunburn. Once that top layer turns chalky or starts flaking off in sheets, the base color underneath is defenseless. If your roof or hood looks like it's shedding its skin, you're officially in the clear coat failure zone.

Restoration Tip

The biggest mistake you can make with 1998 paint is waiting. Once a rock chip pierces that clear coat, moisture gets trapped between the layers and starts "lifting" the clear from the inside out. My advice? Seal those chips immediately. Don't just dab some paint in there; make sure you're cleaning the edge of the failure with a fine-grit touch-up stick to remove any loose clear before sealing it. If the clear has already started to cloud up but hasn't lifted yet, a heavy high-solids buffing compound can sometimes buy you time, but once the bond is broken, you're better off prepping for a proper reshoot of the panel.