Suzanne Keane explains why not all paints are the same and why you should choose your paint colour carefully!
They may all look amazing in brochures and on the forecourt but once you drive that car away keeping it clean and shiny will fall solely on your own head.
They may all look amazing in brochures and on the forecourt but once you drive that car away keeping it clean and shiny will fall solely on your own head.
For an easy life the best colours to choose are brown, beige, gold and champagne tints. These hide dirt extremely well and most will look good as new after a quick wash. The downside to this is that they never really look clean or shiny either. Silver requires slightly more maintenance (tar removal etc) but is generally an easy colour to maintain and responds well to a polish & wax. Grey is another great colour – shines up well, never really looks dirty and also hides tar spots!
White has become very popular in the past few years and hides dirt surprisingly well until the sun shines. Unfortunately with a white car tar becomes a major issue so you would need to invest in a good tar remover (and gloves if you like your nails).
Red and yellow may turn heads but are prone to fade over time as they absorb more high energy light which makes them prone to oxidisation. It’s not just the sun that fades paint – chemicals in the air and from washing can cause problems too. However if you intend buying a red or yellow car don’t be too disheartened – with the correct care and maintenance they can look like new for a long time – just make sure when (if) the sun shines to keep them parked in the shade and if you have a garage use it!
Dark Blue Metallic Shine
If you don’t like or have time to clay, polish and wax a car stay well away from the following colours:
- Black
- Dark Blue
- Burgundy
If you love shiny paintwork these colours will give the deepest shadows and the best paint depth but if they aren’t looked after show up swirl marks (especially black), scratches under door handles and any other blemishes – Burgundy is the worst culprit for showing deeper scratches – so they can be a real pain but if you enjoy spending time on your paintwork they will be the most rewarding!
Don’t forget the plastics!
Cars with a large amount of unpainted plastics will need a certain amount of TLC to stop them from cracking and turning grey so for an easy life choose the painted mirrors and bumpers!
Suzanne Keane
31st March 2014
