Are Black Colored Cars Difficult to Maintain?

[shailinder]

sorry to open up an old thread. but i think someone is missing a point.
AFAIK black is the least visible colour in the night. so if you are using a black car in the night always leave park lights.

I do not think this is something to do with the black colour only. Any dark coloured car would be difficult to spot in night where street lights are not available.

But black is bold colour according to me

Red Rash: Full of zest and energy. Drive, think and talk fast

Black Beast: Full of aggression and impulsive

Mean Green: Driver tend to get hysterical while driving and speaking

Blue: A calm and composed state of mind

Flashy Blue: A fearless state of mind

Stylish Silver: Symbolic of style and endurance

Warm White: Signals a peaceful state of mind

Golden: Reveals sophistication and confidence

Source:

Your car colour reflects your personality... - The Times of India

 

[kannan]

Black is the darkest of all colour. that's why i said that black is the least visible. if you are low beams then the chances are rare that you may see a black car parked on the side. (happened to me once, in highway (since road maintenance was going on width was low) at 03:30 hrs a lorry was coming so i dimmed since he did not return the courtesy i blasted my big aux lights at his face then i saw the car parked and had to brake hard.)
You missed out grey! From another website

1 Silver A driver who wants to give the impression of wealth and prestige

2 Blue Peaceful and serene drivers who value relationships over money

3 Black A desire to stamp authority on other road users

4 Red Passionate and a little wild, likes to take charge of any situation

5 Grey A sign of stability and reliability

6 Green A conscientious driver who tries to smooth over tense situations

7 Purple A self-assured driver with a love of all things beautiful;

8 Yellow Confident and not afraid to let out one's inner child

9 Gold A desire to express independence

10 Orange A sign of a happy person who enjoys being unique and craves attention.

 

[ilango[speed thirst]]

i had a black lancer ,
just you keep washing one half and the other cleaned half gets its share of dust.

 

[cooldhaya]

White and black are considered the most difficult colors to maintain but the reasons are different.


White you have to put in more effort while cleaning because even a single spot of dirt will get highlighted easily.


Black in addition to keeping it clean the most important part is keeping the swirl marks at bay!


Swirl marks won't be seen easily in white or light colored cars but black and other dark colored cars you have to be very very careful to prevent swirl marks. Even better i would say people having black or dark colored vehicles start washing your cars on your own , your washman will not know about these swirl marks!


Always use MF cloth and two bucket method for washing your rides. Wax your cars liberally , atleast once a month , it helps in hiding the swirl marks a little. Swirls marks are almost unavoidable but if you take care you can atleast minimize it!


Other black car owners in the forum you can share your thoughts on how you maintain your black beauties.

 

[mukeshus]

Yes black color is attractive only for few months.

Then its a hell to maintain.

So i prefer light colors over dark one.

Hey guys i had read an article somewhere, It says dark color cars say black, Maroon etc Insurance cost will be more.

As its said in dark these colors are difficult to see, and the chances of accident is more.

As against White, Silver which are visible well in the night conditions.

Don't know whether Insurance companies will follow it soon.

 

[zengetz]

IMO black cars look the best if maintained well. So if you love your ride and devote your time and money to keep it glossy as always then go for it. If not the next best color to go for is Silver or White.

I own a black Getz and believe me, there is a lot of effort spent since the past 2 years for me to keep the car in its showroom finish. Here are some tips on how I keep my car in its condition.

The downside is that just a few minutes after detailing the car you will be disappointed to see it gather dust. But trust me even even if its clean for 5 minutes.

The feeling is great and its WORTH IT! (Knowing that it will accumulate dust again ;) )

This is what I do for my car from my experience. Needless to say I use the 3M microfiber and a pressure washer system.

1. Do not wash the car every day. Wash it twice a week only if you have to. I let mild dust accumulate for a couple of days.The car would still look black but no shine.

2. Do not wipe dust. This will get you the infamous swirl marks right away and it only worsens.

3. If the car is dusty just run water let the dust loosen.

4. Next use a good foam based car wash. I use Formula 1 Wash and wax.

5. Rinse thoroughly and wipe the car with a soft chamois. This will take off most of the water and leave the car semi dry.

6. Use the Microfiber to dry the car.

7. Wax the car with a good polish atleast once every 2-3 months. This will also burn off a lot of calories if you do it yourself ;)

8. If you have a cover for the car. USE IT!

I have also recently done a car detailing done outside where I got swirl marks removed and a Teflon coat.

Here's a pic. Sorry about the quality.

 

[cooldhaya]

@ Mukesh But black looks sexy! Just now saw Iron Rock's XUV'S pictures and it looks awesome! The same XUV in silver won't be that attractive in IMO. Yes in foreign countries they charge more for black colored vehicle insurance , i think in India they have still not started following it. Yes i agree on the safety aspect too.

@ Zengetz Amazing results! But one suggestion don't use car cover if your car is dusty. Even those minute dust particles will cause scratches in your car if you slide your car cover over it. Since you own a black car you can even wax your car once a month if time permits!


And also all black car owners get the Jopasu duster! It removes dust effectively compared to the multi-colored dusters which sell at all signals , these multi-colored dusters also cause swirl marks!

 

[mukeshus]

Aah that's a gleaming Black Cat.

Good to see the Getz the way you have maintained it.

 

[zengetz]

@ Zengetz Amazing results! But one suggestion don't use car cover if your car is dusty. Even those minute dust particles will cause scratches in your car if you slide your car cover over it. Since you own a black car you can even wax your car once a month if time permits!

Thanks Dhaya! I do not use the cover if its dusty and I agree with your view. Im more comfortable to have it covered in a protective layer of dust instead :)

And also all black car owners get the Jopasu duster! It removes dust effectively compared to the multi-colored dusters which sell at all signals , these multi-colored dusters also cause swirl marks!

I don't prefer not using the duster.I run the dust down with water and then take it form there. And yes I wax the car once every 45 days approximately.

Aah that's a gleaming Black Cat.

Yep its the Black Panther with a killer heart.

Good to see the Getz the way you have maintained it.

Thanks Bro. I have spent a lot of time and efforts to keep it that way but like I said its worth it. No guesses my next cat I mean cheetah would be in black too

 

[350Z]

Excellent posts. Black colour cars are also supposed to have lesser resale value in India because of superstitious reasons. As for the white, it hasn’t been a too difficult task to maintain one. But as cooldhaya rightly said, even a small spot of dirt is easily visible on white. A regular cleaning of the car on weekdays and a slightly thorough one on weekends is more than enough to keep a white, or for that matter, any car in immaculate condition.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[cooldhaya]

Yeah the main reason i revived this thread is my next car will be black too!


I have been searching the internet and other forums on how to maintain a black car and it sure is a tough job! Swirl marks are unavoidable and this it's proved in your case , inspite of you taking so much care you have ended up with swirl marks.


And also my Verna has it's fair share of swirl marks , i have been searching online for any DIY'S to remove these swirl marks but here in India we don't have those stuff needed readily in the stores! Learnt that waxing is the best way to prevent the swirls getting highlighted!


@ 350Z White is the best buddy! Safer and looks good in some cars too. But maintaining a black car makes you live and love your ride more!

 

[zengetz]

And also my Verna has it's fair share of swirl marks , i have been searching online for any DIY'S to remove these swirl marks but here in India we don't have those stuff needed readily in the stores! Learnt that waxing is the best way to prevent the swirls getting highlighted!

Swivel marks come up sooner or later but the good news is that these are not exactly damages caused to the paint layer.

The out layer (Protective Clear coat in some cases) are the ones that form swivels. Its very easy to combat.

* Feel the paint with your nail tips very mildly. Is its a deep scratch i.e you can feel a difference in layer, you CANNOT remove it. If not the case and you can simply feel swivel marks smooth then you can get rid of it easily.

There are tons of products available online and DIY's that can show you how to do it.

I would advise you do a DIY only if you have the right tools. You can use your energies but its time consuming, very tiring and the results you would see is not consistent.

The best option is to visit any detailers and have a restoration process done. This is what I had got done recently

Step 1. Thorough rubbing of the body is done using special compound and the right buffing pads to shave of microns of the outer layer.

Step 2. Teflon Coat applied using the buffing tool.

Step 3. Liquid wax / Poly-sealant

Step 4. Paste wax

Before you do it anywhere, check if the workshop has the right tools and personnel. Insist on seeing what products they use.

Ask them for a demo spot in a very inconspicuous area of your car.

So don't fret too much about it, your car is in good condition and let the swivels not dampen your spirit.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Undoubtedly, black's a relatively difficult colour to maintain. Dirt really shows on black and the less said about small dents and scratches, the better - even a small one completely stands out and ruins the aura of the rest of the perfectly shining and polished car. I got talking to the owner of a car body shop some days back and he told me that among all non - metallic colours, black is the most difficult to mix-and-match properly.

But black really looks fantastic if maintained well. Just look at a simple car like the Fiat Linea in black

 

[cooldhaya]

@ Zengetz I have 3M store here in Chennai bro though they charge more their work is very professional.

I am not trying to fret , my next car will definitely be black , i want to make sure that i atleast try my best to keep the swirl marks to a minimum , i know its unavoidable!


Once i feel the swirl marks are a bit too much i will take it to a professional detailer like 3M. Afterall when we spend 4-5Lakhs for our cars i think we should think hard about spending 3k for keeping it in good condition!

 

[rekharam]

I might be late, but my 2 cents,

*The dirts are more visible in black color. I clean my car everyday.
*Black color car gets heated when parked under sun. But if open your window a little bit, it allows the hot air inside the vehicle to escape. So whenever you park your black car under the sun, just leave open your window a little bit
*Black is not as visible as other cars in night and especially if park it on the sides of road. In highway if you pullover your car, please switch on your hazard light.
Black is beauty....

Drive Safe.