Lexus Light Gray Metallic (cladding) (K9310) Touch Up Paint

The Look

This shade represents the dawn of the Japanese luxury era. Back in 1989, when the ES250 shared the stage with the legendary LS400, this lower body cladding was a signature look designed to give the car a sophisticated, two-tone "tuxedo" appearance. Because your Lexus has likely been on the road for over thirty years, this gray urethane finish has probably taken the brunt of road debris and sun exposure. It is a functional, rugged color that was specifically engineered to hide the grime of daily driving while making the car look more planted to the road.

Technical Details

Before you spray or dab Lexus Light Gray Metallic (cladding) (check for code K9310), you need to shake it for 60 seconds. This is a metallic finish, which means the paint is packed with tiny silver flakes. If those flakes aren't perfectly suspended, you will end up with "mottling"-a fancy word for dark, uneven splotches where the metal particles clumped together. Metallics are sensitive to how they are applied; if the layer is too wet, the flakes sink and look dark. If it is too dry, they stand up and look fuzzy. Keeping your layers thin and consistent is the secret to a professional result in your garage.

Best Practices

You can find your official paint code on the driver's side door jamb on the white VIN sticker, usually listed after the letters "C/TR." When you are ready to begin, always test the color on the included card to ensure the shade matches your current level of paint fade. To prevent the metallic flakes from settling unevenly, keep the container moving at all times during application. Whether you are using a pen or a nozzle, work in light, overlapping passes rather than trying to get full coverage in one go. Give it plenty of drying time between layers to let the metallic structure set properly.