I am looking at buying a 1988 Toyota xtracab and can not see it in person before purchase. The clear coat is peeling and im wanting to make sure this truck has not ben resprayed and possibly hiding body damage when it goes for a respray after purchase. Did Toyota use clear coat on their white pickups of this year (1988)?

The graphics appear to be original but in-case they were replaced after some paint work, I want to confirm clearcoat is factory applied before I make the purchase.

Thanks for your time.

 

My 91 does not have clear coat.

 

Single stage white was orig on my 92

 

My two 88 4Runners do not have clear coat.

 

Toyota put vin stickers on both fenders, hood, radiator core support, passenger door, and driver's door if the vin plate was mounted to the door jam.
They're not full blown vin plates, they're just the vin on something like a label maker, except they stick very very well. And they can't be replaced. So if one is missing it typically means the metal they were attached to has been changed.

I like paint mil readers, but obviously getting a seller to do that isn't likely.

 

If you are that worried about hidden anything for an 88 anything it might be a better idea to in person your purchase. Finding these trucks in unmolested original condition is getting almost impossible and if you do you are going to pay for it, good luck!!!! Make sure to start a thread and show us what you end up with!!!

 

Well, it's mine now. It'll be here tomorrow. Seeing it in person was not an option due to the 12hr drive. I'm hoping it's not a disappointment but I need a clean cab and I don't have months to hunt for one.

Thanks for the replies.

 

Sweet!!! Let’s see some pics when available!

 

I think clear-coat started with 1996 models. You'd see it peeling off on a lot of third gen 4Runners. I'm happy that our earlier model trucks do not have it

 

According to some folks here, even the newer white Tacomas use single-stage paint:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/...%20the%20paint.

 

In the late 80’s there were some “exotic” colors that started using clear coats, but nothing on the trucks or SUV’s that I recall.

 

My '88 medium blue metallic 8D7 4Runner had clear coat. My '89 white 033 one did not. I've had it resprayed with 040 super white though. Almost every light metallic blue 1st gen I've ever seen has clear coat issues. My guess is they only used clear coat on metallics. I can say the black 1st gen Tacomas don't have clear coat.

 

man, I don’t remember the metallic 8D7 on the first gen. But it’s possible. I spend 10 minutes many mornings looking for my keys.😭.
88-89 we saw some interesting transitions from 1st to 2nd. Not a clean differentiation like most models.