Mitsubishi Lightning Yellow (Y01) Touch Up Paint

The Look

This color is the visual calling card of the early 2000s rally scene. While most cars from that era were content with silver or black, your Lancer stands out with a shade that was practically designed to look fast while sliding sideways through a gravel stage. It defines the identity of the Evolution VII and VIII, making it one of the most recognizable factory colors in the tuner world. Since your car has likely spent the last two decades under the sun, you should expect the original finish to be slightly lighter than a fresh coat. Yellow is notoriously susceptible to UV fading, so your repair might look a bit richer than the surrounding panels at first.

Technical Details

This is a solid finish, which means it lacks the metallic flakes or pearl dust found in more complex modern paints. The benefit is that you do not have to worry about the orientation of the particles or "mottling" stripes that plague silver cars. The trade-off is that yellow pigments have low opacity. They are thin by nature. If you try to cover a dark scratch or a gray primer in one thick pass, you will end up with a mess. You need to apply several light layers to build up the color density. Because there is no glitter to hide behind, a clean surface is your only path to a repair that disappears.

Best Practices

Before you spray or dab Mitsubishi Lightning Yellow (check for code Y01), you need to shake the container for at least sixty seconds to fully distribute those heavy yellow pigments. You can find your identification plate on the firewall under the hood or on the driver side door jamb. Always test the color on the included card to ensure the shade matches your current level of paint fade. When you begin, keep the container moving to prevent the paint from pooling or sagging. Work in the garage or the shade to keep the surface cool, and allow plenty of drying time between your light layers to build the coverage you need.