1997 Lexus Touch Up Paint (42 OEM Colors)

The 1997 Lexus Vibe

1997 was the year Lexus decided to stop being the "new kid" and started making everyone else in the luxury segment sweat. If you weren't rolling in a Black Onyx LS400 or a SC400 in a shimmering tri-coat pearl, you just weren't doing the 90s right. This was the era of the "over-engineered" legend, where the leather felt like butter and the doors shut with the thud of a bank vault. We've focused our collection on the survivors of this golden age-the high-end pearls and the iconic two-tone combinations, like the Light Grayish Beige and Dark Gray cladding that defined the LX450 and ES300 look. It was a time when luxury meant earth tones, deep metallics, and enough clear coat to make a mirror jealous.

Paint Health Check

Lexus paint in the late 90s was some of the best in the world, but we are firmly in "The Peeling Era." While the 1UZ-FE engine under the hood might last a million miles, the clear coat on the roof and trunk wasn't built for thirty years of UV assault. These cars used a high-solids basecoat/clearcoat system that looks incredible until it doesn't. Once that clear starts to delaminate-turning into that white, flaky "sunburn" look-the game changes. You're not just fighting a scratch anymore; you're fighting the layers literally coming apart. If you see a small chip where the clear is starting to lift at the edges, your clock is ticking.

Restoration Tip

The secret to keeping a '97 Lexus looking "Executive Class" is immediate intervention. Because these clear coats are prone to delamination as they age, a single rock chip on the hood is a doorway for moisture to get under the clear and start the peeling process. Seal your chips immediately. Don't wait for a weekend that never comes. If you're working with the Warm Gray Tri-Coat Pearl, remember that patience is your best friend-apply the base, let it flash, and then lay your mid-coat pearl in thin, even strokes to get that factory depth. And for the love of the classics, don't forget the cladding; those plastic lower panels need a sealed finish just as much as the metal to keep that two-tone contrast sharp.