Renault 18i Touch Up Paint (11 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

Renault offered the 18i in a palette of 11 colors that perfectly captured that "French Executive" energy of the 1980s. They really went for it with the metallics, giving us sophisticated shades like Champagne Metallic and Spruce Green Metallic, alongside the more moody Nuage Metallic (which is French for "Cloud," for those of us who didn't pay attention in French class). Whether yours is dressed in classic White or the deep Bordeaux, these colors were designed to look just as good parked outside a bistro as they do in your driveway.

What to Watch For

Finding your paint code on an 18i is a bit of a treasure hunt. Look for the legendary "Oval Plate"-a small metal tag usually riveted to the radiator support or the passenger-side strut tower inside the engine bay. On these vintage Renaults, the metallic colors like Sepia Gray tend to suffer from a "tired" clear coat that can start to flake off in the sun. If you have a solid color like Red, you might notice it looking a bit chalky over time. Keep a close eye on the edges of the door handles and the bottom of the trunk lid; these are the spots where the paint likes to thin out first.

Driveway Repair Tip

When you're using a touch-up pen or brush on these older Renault metallics, remember that the "magic" is in the metallic flakes, which love to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Shake that paint for at least two full minutes-long after you think you're done-to wake up the sparkles. When applying, don't try to fill a chip in one go. Drip a tiny amount of paint into the center of the chip and let it spread itself out. If the color looks a bit dark at first, don't worry; it requires patience as it dries to its true shade. Two thin coats will always look better than one thick blob.