Mitsubishi Ion Blue Metalic (T35) Touch Up Paint

The Look

Your Lancer carries a specific kind of energy from the mid-2000s, and this color is the reason why. It is a confident, medium-depth blue that feels right at home on a car built for the street or the rally stage. Since your car has likely been on the road for nearly twenty years, you will notice that this shade still holds its character well against the sun, though the original luster often hides under a layer of fine road grime. It is a performance-oriented color that makes the angular lines of that era pop without being as loud as a bright red or yellow.

Technical Details

This is a true metallic finish, which means it relies on a high concentration of tiny flakes to create its signature glow. Metallic paints are notorious for a phenomenon called mottling, where the flakes cluster together and create dark, uneven stripes or "leopard spots" across the surface. This happens because the flakes are heavy and want to sink or move while the paint is still wet. If your layer is too thick, the flakes will swim around and ruin the uniformity. You want the flakes to lay down flat and stay put to ensure the light hits the surface evenly.

Best Practices

You can find your paint information on a silver metal plate located in the center of the engine firewall, right behind the engine. Before you spray or dab Mitsubishi Ion Blue Metalic (check for code T35), you need to shake it for 60 seconds. This is non-negotiable because those metallic flakes settle at the bottom of the container very quickly. Test the color on the included card to see how it matches your aged clear coat. When applying, keep the container moving and use light, overlapping passes rather than one heavy coat. Give it plenty of drying time between layers to prevent the blue from becoming muddy or sagging.