Dfink114

I would agree with you 93% of the time, but when the car looks like this, there's no comparison to any other color.

mustangTator

Looking at that makes me wanna reconsider trading my black one in. Are those stripes painted? That's really bad *** looking

essque

i feel this thread to the very core of my being. it's amazing how many looks the car gets when it's clean and how many people don't even give it a second glance when dirty. after 3 years of daily driving and washing it 2-3 times a week, it was almost unbearable to look at under direct sun. it's now getting wet sanded, wheeled and buffed out so i'll post results soon.

3 things i'll be doing differently with the new finish: 1) making the time or paying for a good wax job every few months. 2) no more being lazy and taking it to the car wash. 3) clearing out my garage and parking it in there from now on. if there's one thing i've learned, it takes a system and discipline to properly maintain a black vehicle.

ColSaulTigh

If I could offer up a suggestion or two:

1) Learn how to properly wash your cars. Use the two-bucket method, and get GRIT GUARDS! They work wonders!

2) Spend some time on YouTube and search for "Junkman2000" - he is a WEALTH of great information on how to properly wash/wax/protect your car's paint.

3) Learn how to properly correct those swirls. It's not that hard - take about 1/2 a day from start to finish, and you'll have a mirror finish when you're done.

4) INVEST in the proper cleaning supplies and chemicals.

Anyway, don't lose faith. You can fix your swirls with a little education and some diligent work!

dkmcclelland

I just wanted to show you my last vehicle. This picture was taken at 145,000 miles and is proof that anyone with the proper amount of time and effort can maintain a black car.

This is after I done a paint correction, not a professional!













In any case, I said I would never own another black car ever again... This is my new baby

muscledom

Dude that's black. If you can't handle it dump the car. That's just the nature of black. The only time you can see all the imperfections is once you're like 6 feet away anyway. Spend more time IN the car and you won't have these problems. It's aggravating, I know. But it's the nature of the beast.

muscledom

Holy ****. That doesn't even look real haha

RichCooper

Well, I think every 2013-2014 owner knows how stressful a black car must be because I've often heard complaints about how they struggle with the blacked out tail lights space on the 13-14 and i know they can only imagine how hard an entire car must be. That's why next spring I'm getting any color but black

mustangTator

Yeah I know I made the decision to buy black, noone forced me so now I have to deal with the consequences but it really is like a second Job. I know that with proper time and techniques that I can make it better but the worst part is not having a garage. Also time is a luxury that I rarely come by. It shouldn't bother me as much as it does because I did upgrade and I do have a second mustang that is sterling grey (which shows next to nothing) but "Susie" is still one of my babies lol I'm mustang crazy.

JCStang

Thats why I don't use my Mustang as a daily driver....odd thing is my daily driver is black as well, but it's my "beater". But my next daily driver will definitely NOT be black. As long as you don't park next to a couple of the guys on this site ( and they know who they are!!) your car probably looks great to most people. I went to a few dealers and was checking out some used cars and every single one was a swirl mess...so as long as car is scratch and dent free it most likely won't affect any trade in value if you go to sell....

Missouri Hoss

To be honest, I don't know what color would be the best for hiding dirt, other than turd brown. I had a solid white '07 GT and it constantly kept me busy washing, wiping and dusting. My two main problems were, brake dust from the GT that would absolutely coat the back of the car and its wheels, and black grease streaks from leaky trucks on the interstate. Now that I have red, it's a little easier on the eyes, but brake dust still remains the #1 problem. At least the rotors on the '14 don't bleed rust like the rotors on the '07 did.

Dfink114

Thanks! The stripes are vinyl.

kcoTiger

I'm still just absolutely stunned that someone would sell a car not because of the interior, not because of the gas mileage, not because it's a lemon, not because it's not powerful enough, not because it's too expensive, but because of swirl marks in the paint. You don't need a car, you need an easel. I have a black car. I wash it usually once a week. I garage it. I keep an old sheet over it in the garage to help with the dust. But if the car were a base level Fiesta, I still can't see myself justifying such a completely useless reason to get another car. Good lord above, talk about first-world problems.

mustangTator

You know maybe it is first world problems but I'm sorry if I care more abut my mustang then to throw an old sheet over it and wash it only once a week. I am a perfectionist just like many other members on this site, so you can keep you habits and I will continue to be **** about the paint but for you to act like I'm the only one who has had these thoughts about black paint makes you look ignorant.

ThrustangFiveO

See this is why i bought Sterling Gray. No stress whatsoever with the paint. I clean and wipe down my paint religiously and i have yet to find a scratch. Who knows, they might be there but i cant see em whether its in direct sunlight or fluorescent light.
My last car i bought brand new and was black. What a nightmare. Spent more time orbital polishing and waxing the **** thing then i did enjoying it. Everytime u washed it "spiderwebbing" would COVER it from front to back.
Just not worth the headache. Never again.

laserred38

OP, the paint is probably at the point of needing a good wet sanding. The clay bar isn't penetrating deep enough (twss ) to remove the swirls. The wet sanding will bring the clearcoat down so that it's all even and can be polished back to the shine. The clay bar just skins the top...

SSStang

Very good advise! Sounds like a autogeek member.

ColSaulTigh

Thanks SSStang! No, I'm not an autogeek member, but I have been to their site (as well as Chemical Guys) and done a lot of homework. They have very helpful videos, and autogeeks even offers a class on how to properly detail your car.

If your car has a lot of swirls, you need to first remove them, then learn how to prevent them. It's really common sense.

I am migrating from a 2001 Ford Ranger to my 2014 Mustang GT Premium - completely different class of vehicle. I fully intend to protect my investment as best as possible. Black cars are no harder to properly take care of than other cars IF YOU INVEST THE TIME AND EFFORT into it. Fix the issues ONCE, then learn how to avoid them going forward.

Bucko

It seems most everyone owns one black car in their lifetime.

My wonderance is, how many go for a second one in black; repeat buyers of black?

5.0 power

I am a third repeat buyer. Had an '07 Sixer. Traded it for an '07 Roush. And now I have a '12 Black 5.0