I have a '88 F-150 and for several years the paint has been flaking off. After investigation I learned that this a due to a bad primer (apparently used industry wide) and that by the time I needed it, Ford had Paid for arepaint of some trucks, but had discontinued the program. I was upset about this as my truck (w/4.9 6cydr) still runs great and I wanted to keep it. But was faced with an EXPENSIVE complete sand repaint job.
But earlier this week I stopped into an Auto Parts store (Pepboys) and just chanced to look at thier auto touch up paints. They have a brand (Plasti-Kote) that claimed to exactly match the original color. I learned my paint code from the tag on the inside driver door frame and bought 2 cans. (BTW: What I always thought was Maroon, actually is Candy Apple Red). Cans come in 6OZ size and cost about $4. each. I also bought wet/dry fine grit auto sandpaper.
Yesterday AM it was raining, so I went out in the rain and sanded the area's I wanted to paint. Then after the rain stopped I cleaned the area's w/paint thinner and after it dried, started touching up the truck.
I can't tell you how THRILLED I am with the results. My heavily flaked pickup now looks 10 (at least) times better!
The paint matched the color PERFECTLY and you have get up close and personal to spot the touched up places. And I barely even used the 2nd can.
Of coarse, it won't stop the flaking, but it makes it SOO much easier to live with! $4 beats a $500+ complete repaint job in my economic state, any day.
Just thought I'd pass it along for those it might help.

 

Just the other day I stopped into my local Speckman's Auto, and was talking to the sales clerk about this very same thing. I didn't know it was caused by a faulty primer, but oh well. I have an '89 F150 4.9L Lariat, and it runs good also, but has some flaky paint. Espacially where there were chrome strips on the wheel wells to carch the rain. For what other purpose I don't know. The store clerk said the paint would be faded from the original color, but he could match it and put it into a spray can for me. He even suggested after sanding I would want to use a primer/filler before using the color. Great tip to make your old truck look like a million bucks with very little mullla.

 

That's great news on the paint. We had a '91 Thunderbird that developed a paint problem. Turns out the cause was a product called "Uniprime" manufactured by PPG, which in turn was foisted on all the domestic manufacturers, as well as some of the foreign manufacturers with plants in this country, by PPG. It is apparent after several years by paint flaking, paint fading into rust, etc. Readily apparent on GM trucks of the time by enormous sheets of paint peeling off and others seen, as in the case of our T-Bird, by the paint fading and then rust showing up beneath.