2017 Chevrolet Background Info
The 2017 Chevrolet Vibe
2017 was the year Chevrolet decided we all needed a little more personality in the driveway. While the Silverado and Suburban were busy hauling the country's cargo in "Pepperdust Pearl" and "Son Of A Gun Gray," the smaller guys like the Spark and Sonic were running around in "Mint My Mind" and "Green With Envy Pearl." It was a wild time for the color lab-we've got 130 shades on the books for this year alone. Whether you were rocking a Bolt to save the world or a Camaro in "Brimstone" to wake up the neighbors, the "Vibe" was clear: high-definition metallics and puns. I mean, they literally named a color "You Drive Me Grazy Pearl." You can't make this stuff up.
Paint Health Check
Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2017, the robots at the factory had "efficiency" down to a science, which is a polite way of saying they started stretching a gallon of paint further than a paycheck at the end of the month. The clear coats from this period are incredibly hard but notoriously brittle. If you're driving a 2017 Equinox or a Silverado, you've likely noticed that a single pebble on the interstate can leave a crater. Worse yet, some of those high-end whites like "Abalone White Tricoat" have a nasty habit of "lifting" or peeling in sheets if a chip goes ignored too long. The bond between the primer and the basecoat is under a lot of pressure, and once the seal is broken, the air gets in and the party's over.
Restoration Tip
When you're touching up a 2017, remember: build layers slowly; don't blob it. Because the factory finish is so thin, a heavy-handed repair will stand out like a sore thumb. If you've got a chip on your hood, don't try to fill the whole canyon in one go. Apply a thin layer, let it flash off, and repeat until you're level with the surrounding surface. Since these modern clears like to "crow's foot" (crack) if they get too dry and neglected, make sure you're sealing those repairs immediately. A quick dab of paint today prevents a square foot of "Summit White" from flying off on the highway tomorrow.