is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

[spyghost]

hi,

i just got this curious question in mind since i'm planning on changing the color of my daily driven car to black.

is it really possible to maintain a swirl free daily driven black car?

the driving condition is city driving (approximately 30 kms a day) with occaisional long drives in a year (300+ kms per trip). the environment is tropical country.

the least amount of cleaning that i can do is once a week which is every weekend. style of cleaning is 2 bucket always.

[Murr1525]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

I dont know if there is any perfect daily driver...... Esp not with a family, job, kids, other hobbies, etc.

[the_invisible]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

I have a 2000 Nissan Maxima in black, purchased in October 1999, daily driven, in meticulous condition from the paint to the drivetrain. No dents or rust. Suspension is showing sign of aging, but that will change as I will be upgrading the OEM sport suspension with some adjustable sport shocks. But yes it is absolutely possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car. I drive it 70km a day on an average week. The only imperfection on this car is a slightly rashed wheel, but I am just lazy to repair it myself. Why repair a slightly scratched wheel when I could have fun wetsanding the car instead?

Recently, the look of my daily driver has been improved by wetsanding. Washing your car frequently and with the two bucket method with grit guard will reduce swirls. But swirling will inevitably occur. To maintain a black car, you must have the persistence and perseverance to maintain it. Washing once a week is probably enough. My car is equipped with racing brake pads front and rear and I get a lot of dusting... I am also an extremely aggressive driver so you can imagine how much brake dust I have to clean off every time I wash my car. Dedication is the key.

If you are living in places without winter salt, that will improve the looks of your daily driven car. Also, you have to watch where you park.

[james0509]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Yes I think it is possible.

It only depends on 2 factors: time and money.

If you got lots of both, then yes it is very possible.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

I think it is possible. It will require a lot of effort on your part. But you can realize a great looking black dd. Good luck.

[Blueline]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

hi,

i

is it really possible to maintain a swirl free daily driven black car?

It certainly IS possible. My black vehicle is spot, swirl, and scratch free. That said, it is a lot of hard work. One does not own a black car, it owns YOU!.
My next car will be silver.

[akimel]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Sadly, I am not skilled enough to keep my black Honda swirl-free. My best efforts simply are not good enough. I keep trying to improve my wash and quick detailing techniques, but the swirls appear regardless.

Black cars only lead to madness and despair.

But boy are they beautiful when properly polished and waxed!

[the other pc]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Perfection is not possible, PERIOD.

There is no such thing as a perfect finish on any car, anywhere. All finishes have imperfections, even multi-million dollar concours winners. Their flaws are just fewer and smaller than everybody else’s.

So the simple answer to your question is no, it’s not possible to have a perfect finish on a daily driver, black or otherwise. The real question is “what level of finish can I have on my daily driver?”

The state of a finish is dependent on many factors, like the characteristics of the paint itself, the environment it’s exposed to and the handling it’s subjected to. Any one of these can degrade the finish (sometimes severely and/or irreparably). Only your maintenance activities have any chance of improving the finish. The best you can do is to limit the damage where you can and use the best techniques available for maintenance.

At some point, you find a practical balance between what is realistically achievable, how much work you’re willing to put into it, and what level of quality is acceptable to you.


pc.

[Alex C.]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Not possible IMO, too many factors when driving on open road day in and day out. I tried at first, but it got to be a bit tedious. It is possible to keep your ride looking better than 90% of the vehicles out there though.

[Eddie6th]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

It's the amount of handling that creates all the problems. Everytime you wash,dry or make contact with the paintwork there is always the chance of creating defects.
I would say it is possible to have a very good surface and quite free of swirls,but you'll have to take every precaution.

[imacarnut]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Perfection is not possible, PERIOD.

There is no such thing as a perfect finish on any car, anywhere. All finishes have imperfections, even multi-million dollar concours winners. Their flaws are just fewer and smaller than everybody else’s.

So the simple answer to your question is no, it’s not possible to have a perfect finish on a daily driver, black or otherwise. The real question is “what level of finish can I have on my daily driver?”

The state of a finish is dependent on many factors, like the characteristics of the paint itself, the environment it’s exposed to and the handling it’s subjected to. Any one of these can degrade the finish (sometimes severely and/or irreparably). Only your maintenance activities have any chance of improving the finish. The best you can do is to limit the damage where you can and use the best techniques available for maintenance.

At some point, you find a practical balance between what is realistically achievable, how much work you’re willing to put into it, and what level of quality is acceptable to you.


pc.

Agreed and Well Said.

[SVT Lightning]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

Perfection is not possible, PERIOD.

There is no such thing as a perfect finish on any car, anywhere. All finishes have imperfections, even multi-million dollar concours winners. Their flaws are just fewer and smaller than everybody else’s.

So the simple answer to your question is no, it’s not possible to have a perfect finish on a daily driver, black or otherwise. The real question is “what level of finish can I have on my daily driver?”

The state of a finish is dependent on many factors, like the characteristics of the paint itself, the environment it’s exposed to and the handling it’s subjected to. Any one of these can degrade the finish (sometimes severely and/or irreparably). Only your maintenance activities have any chance of improving the finish. The best you can do is to limit the damage where you can and use the best techniques available for maintenance.

At some point, you find a practical balance between what is realistically achievable, how much work you’re willing to put into it, and what level of quality is acceptable to you.


pc.

Gotta agree with this.....maybe 90 to 95% but not perfect. Trying for perfection will only make you INSANE!!!!!!

[Mikejl]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

I strive for perfection and I hit around 90%. For me all the work I put into it is a labor of love. My family and neighbors think I'm nuts.

Blueline is right, a black car owns you.

The first time I read Al's signature line above, I thought he was losing it. Now I just nod my head and say to myself "so true, so true."

Mike

[TKDDAD]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?



Nothing owns you like a black vehicle and nothing gives you more satisfaction than seeing it glisten in the sun...it's the epitome of the love hate relationship....

[akimel]

Re: is it really possible to maintain a perfect daily driven black car?

The first time I read Al's signature line above, I thought he was losing it. Now I just nod my head and say to myself "so true, so true."

Not only am I losing it ... but I have lost it! ... bruhahahahahaha!