If you've bought a used car and want to touch up the paint, you must first locate the colour code. Here's where to find your car's colour code.
12:2114 June 2024
Small scrapes and scratches on your car will sometimes need a little touch-up. Perhaps you've purchased replacement paint and want to try painting it yourself, or perhaps you're outsourcing it to the professionals. Either way, it can help to find your car's paint colour code before taking the plunge.
It may be tempting to get some paint cards – like the ones you find at the hardware store to paint your house – and try your best to match them, but according to the New Zealand Automobile Association, there are an estimated 80,000 available automotive paint colours in the world across four different finishes: solid, metallic, matte, and pearlescent.
Most of them are very close together to the naked eye – particularly silver, which may look the same in the shade but will look completely different in certain lights.
Luckily for you, cars are stamped with their original colour code. Here is where you can find it on your car – and what to do if you cannot.
Where do I find my car's colour code?
Your car's colour code will be stamped on its build/VIN plate. Here, you will find all the information on your vehicle, including its engine, transmission code, axle code, VIN number, and colour code.
Your car's build plate will be a silver plaque on older cars (Sub-2000s) and a sticker on newer models. The location of the build plate will change depending on the car. The vast majority will sit under the bonnet on the firewall (the panel that sits between your engine and the cabin) under the windshield. Some may be found in the door jamb, on either the passenger's or driver's side.
The colour name itself will not be stamped, but it will usually consist of three or four characters with letters and numbers. It is imperative that you note down the model, make, and year of your car along with the colour code, as, for example, 'ES6' will often be different for a Nissan than it is for a Toyota factory colour if they share the same code.
With this code and vehicle information, you will be able to head to an automotive paint supplier or even select auto parts stores and have a bottle of paint mixed up.
How do I find my paint code if it's not on my build plate?
Some cars won't have their paint code stamped on the build plate. Don't stress, though, as there are other ways to find it.
If your car still has its logbook, the colour code is usually on the vehicle information page at the front of the book.
If it does not, it may be worth doing some research into all the colour options offered for your car's specific model-year. From this, you will be able to find your colour code. Ensure that only one shade of your colour is offered for that year to be certain you have the right colour.
If all else fails, you can visit an automotive paint supplier. They can scan your paint and mix up a can or bottle of touch-up paint that matches your car exactly.
Better yet, if your paint has faded, they will be able to mix a colour that suits the faded paint rather than the factory paint code, creating a seamless blend between your current paint and the touch-up.
It should be noted that painting a car is no easy task and will always turn out better if undertaken by a professional.
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Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
