...It's worth cleaning everyday
Black C6
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
From: Tyler Texas
Black C6
hey guys Im getting ready to be getting a 2008 coupe z51 and I really love black clean but i keep hearing horrible stories of swirl marks or paints chips ect. I have never owned a black car and do not know what a swirl mark even looks like. could one of yall show me pics of swirls to see how bad they look and can swirls easly be removed if you wash the vehicle again. I know black shows scratches easier and if rocks hit your car you will see paint chips easier on a black car than a silver car. does anyone like never wash there car and has a black vette in a year or 2 of driving say 20 k a year after 40 k road miles will a black car have rock chips all over it and look horrible? can you fill in scratches with touch up paint. and also when i go to the dealer to trade in my car every year or so if i got swirls or rock chips scratches all through the paint from just regular driving and road debris. will my car bring less money than a silver car that you can see defects in the paint. also if you wax a black car as soon as you get home from the dealer and always keep it waxed than you should never get any kinda scratches in the paint. if you get rocks hitting it will mess up the wax then you could just strip it and re wash the car right?
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,640
Likes: 5
From: Owensboro Kentucky
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Stock up on very soft clothes, good hand glaze, don't let it get waaaayyy too dirty, and remember that you will still get swirl marks, but you can always get them out with a good glaze and wax. Oh, and don't let just anybody buff it with an orbital buffer. They actually have classes on how to buff a car and not many people have attended. I know, since I've owned 5 black vehicles, presently have two, and got a black '08 c6 on order. I'm gonna be busy!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 6
From: Los Alamitos California
St. Jude Donor '09
Black is a pain to keep clean. But it does look the best when clean. I just put on Zainos this weekend and it looks great. The gloss enhancer has anti-static properties and it really works. My car is nearly dust-free where it normally would have a layer on it by now. I really don't use wax anymore as I prefer the sealants for longevity.
San
San
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Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 351
Likes: 0
From: washougal wash.
How long do you plan on keeping your car, will it see daily or weekly use? Black is fantastic when new, but it really is a pain to keep nice on a dd. If you are gonna keep the car a long time and drive it often, do yourself a favor and get a more forgiving color. Sometime in '08 I'll be doing a color change, probably jsb, '09 if the good deals carry over. Good luck.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 6
From: Bedford, TX
Black doesn't have to be a full-time job. I wash mine maybe every 2 weeks. I use a leaf blower and MF towels to dry it. I wax it with Meguiar's NXT. I use a California duster to get the dust off of it and keep detail spray and a couple MF towels in a rear cubby to take care of the occasional bird splat.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 540
Likes: 0
From: Prosper TX
I've had a black 08 vert for 6 weeks and I hate it...well, kinda.
If you are really **** about your car and paint, just don't get black if its a DD. Mine is and I'll probably wash it twice a week for the next 47 months. (lease) I spent hours on it the other day. I was standing in the driveway with the sun going down so I could really get a good look at it and two car guys stopped and just were going crazy over the 2 coats of sealer, 3 coats of carnuba, dressed trim, etc. As I was pointing out the things that drove me nuts, they were laughing at me....I can handle it...
Nothing ever looks better than a black car dolled up. But the get dirty looking the first time the wind blows. I have 3 cars - all black. Every time I guy a new car, I start saying "no more FREAKIN' BLACK!!!!!". Then I drive a new black car home...clay bar it....seal it...wax it a couple of time...and say "What the HECK was I thinking??? I did it AGAIN!!!"
I think they have pharmaceuticals for people like me.
You'll know if you have to have black...you just know.
If you are really **** about your car and paint, just don't get black if its a DD. Mine is and I'll probably wash it twice a week for the next 47 months. (lease) I spent hours on it the other day. I was standing in the driveway with the sun going down so I could really get a good look at it and two car guys stopped and just were going crazy over the 2 coats of sealer, 3 coats of carnuba, dressed trim, etc. As I was pointing out the things that drove me nuts, they were laughing at me....I can handle it...
Nothing ever looks better than a black car dolled up. But the get dirty looking the first time the wind blows. I have 3 cars - all black. Every time I guy a new car, I start saying "no more FREAKIN' BLACK!!!!!". Then I drive a new black car home...clay bar it....seal it...wax it a couple of time...and say "What the HECK was I thinking??? I did it AGAIN!!!"
I think they have pharmaceuticals for people like me.
You'll know if you have to have black...you just know.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 792
Likes: 4
From: New Jersey
Have an 08 black vert and love it. Wash it once a week and lots of wax and detailer...it's easier to keep clean than I thought and it looks Aces when it's out in the sun. It's my daily driver and at night I use a duster and a microfiber cloth to get the dust off.
Go for black - Vettes look their best !
Go for black - Vettes look their best !
Administrator
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 67,425
Likes: 1,962
From: Chattanooga, TN
CI 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Lifetime Member
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I've had a black 08 vert for 6 weeks and I hate it...well, kinda.
If you are really **** about your car and paint, just don't get black if its a DD. Mine is and I'll probably wash it twice a week for the next 47 months. (lease) I spent hours on it the other day. I was standing in the driveway with the sun going down so I could really get a good look at it and two car guys stopped and just were going crazy over the 2 coats of sealer, 3 coats of carnuba, dressed trim, etc. As I was pointing out the things that drove me nuts, they were laughing at me....I can handle it...
Nothing ever looks better than a black car dolled up. But the get dirty looking the first time the wind blows. I have 3 cars - all black. Every time I guy a new car, I start saying "no more FREAKIN' BLACK!!!!!". Then I drive a new black car home...clay bar it....seal it...wax it a couple of time...and say "What the HECK was I thinking??? I did it AGAIN!!!"
I think they have pharmaceuticals for people like me.
You'll know if you have to have black...you just know.
If you are really **** about your car and paint, just don't get black if its a DD. Mine is and I'll probably wash it twice a week for the next 47 months. (lease) I spent hours on it the other day. I was standing in the driveway with the sun going down so I could really get a good look at it and two car guys stopped and just were going crazy over the 2 coats of sealer, 3 coats of carnuba, dressed trim, etc. As I was pointing out the things that drove me nuts, they were laughing at me....I can handle it...
Nothing ever looks better than a black car dolled up. But the get dirty looking the first time the wind blows. I have 3 cars - all black. Every time I guy a new car, I start saying "no more FREAKIN' BLACK!!!!!". Then I drive a new black car home...clay bar it....seal it...wax it a couple of time...and say "What the HECK was I thinking??? I did it AGAIN!!!"
I think they have pharmaceuticals for people like me.
You'll know if you have to have black...you just know.
It's a sickness. I'm on my third Triple Black Corvette. I also have a red one, but it's the Black that shines like a mirror when it is clean. 
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: Poughquag NY
It's ironic but a lot of the swirl marks that you are talking about happen when you wash the car. Check out some detailing forums to find out the right way to wash, dry, polish and wax your car. Be very careful washing not to rub in the dirt into the finish and even more careful drying it. A lot of detailers will use a leaf blower so as not to cause swirls. I use Micro fiber towels and a small vacuum/blower to get into the crack, lights, mirrors, etc. Clean from top to bottom so you don't move the road debris from the bottom of the car to the more visible places. Then deside if you want a wax or sealer. Both have different looks but the sealer for a daily driver will last longer.
Good Luck and choose wisely
Good Luck and choose wisely
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: HOUSTON TX
Dude, I have a couple of black cars and none of them get as dirty as the black vette. They look the best but it is a FULL TIME job keeping them clean. Even on dry, clean roads they just get dirty and show SWIRLS BIG TIME. Sorry, but just being honest. I am going back to silver cars.