Can red stay red forever and does white really look clean longer?

G

gswearengin

New member
Hiya guys,



Still looking into getting a new car (MKVI VW GTI), having a hard time deciding between white and red. The car looks fantastic in red, but I'm not sure I could pull that off forever, and I am also really concerned about how many faded red cars I see and how many truly red older cars I...well...DON'T see! With proper care can a modern red car be kept the same eye-popping color it was when it was new?



Honestly, I think I will end up going with a white one. It's just a difficult decision to make because I generally hate white cars. I think the new GTI looks great in white, and I am hoping it would be a good choice long-term. Is it true that white cars look clean longer than most other colors? That is a big motivating factor for me.



My current GTI is black, and while I love the way it shines when it is new, I just can't stand the swirling and the fact that it looks dirty almost immediately. I spent the whole weekend on my car this weekend and it already looks like crap!



Please share your thoughts!



Thanks guys,



Gary
 
Yes white is very easy to maintain, shows less dirt and swirls.



The red you are thinking of is single stage paint and would oxidize.



With proper techniques and product the red could look better than new for many years.



One of the best shines is from red paint.
 
For the first 10 or 15 years, it you wax it at least ever 3 months, fade will be a non issue, especially is you use a good wax/sealant with uv protection. The red cars you see that are faded are neglected.



White slowly turns yellow, so don't think that its perfect either....
 
gswearengin said:
Is it true that white cars look clean longer than most other colors?
Click to expand...



Depends on what you mean by "look clean". Where I live near LA there is a lot of dust that blows in from the east, and lately, that has been topped off with a layer of fine ash from the recent forest fires. So my white car looks dirty in just a couple of days. It rained a bit yesterday on my slightly dirty white car, not enough to wash the dirt off, just enough to make little black circles all over it. Yuck.



Grey cars don't show this constant rain of dirt so quickly, or at least, not so obviously.
 
I agree that white doesn't look good on many vehicles, but in those cases where it does look good (or even just OK), I'd go that route in a heartbeat. IME it's very easy to keep white looking nice (or better) with relatively little work.



Heh heh, last time I was shopping for a beater toy Accumulatorette was very pleased that I was considering a white one; she figured it wouldn't become some big, time-consuming, detailing headache.



And yeah, that VW is one vehicle I *do* like in white; I was just admiring one in traffic yesterday afternoon. That's the color I'd get if I were buying one of those (make mine a four-door :D ).



IMO red can be as demanding as black; to me it just never looks OK unless it's really, *REALLY* nice. 85-90% looks great with some colors (like white ;) ), but that's not nearly good enough for me when it comes to red.
 
One thing to consider is the resale value a color will add (or detract) from a car.

Odd-colors (like purple/violet) may not appeal to everyone, hence, it's harder to sell a car with that color. (OK, if it's a Dodge Charger in Plum Crazy it will add to it's value).

White just has a more neutral appeal in most cars, and it seems to make a small car appear bigger. Yes, white does seem to hide dirt and swirls. But as Yakky previous stated, it does yellow and get grungy. Plus rust or tar stand out like a sore thumb on white.

Personally, though, there is nothing like red on a sports or performance car (Like the GTI). It looks fast just standing still and, yes, it WILL attact attention, including that from from the police. And yes, red does fade if it's not properly cared for.

Here's one more food for thought: If some crook wanted to steal a GTI, which color would they look for?? White might just save your car from being stolen.
 
Best color for a daily driver IMO is silver. White shows less paint imperfections but, every little bit of dust or dirt always shows.
 
Words of wisdom from someone with a 10 year old euro red car.



1.) After you're done waxing it looks amazing!

2.) Dust shows up like no other, especially when parked under a tree at night

3.) Mud splatters up the sides of the car show up a lot!

4.) Waterspots are very obvious.

5.) Wax residue is also very obvious.

6.) I haven't noticed any spiderwebbing/ swirls.



Red is a must for a sports car, although the VW R32 looks best in blue for sure!
 
The only time red would fade and turn pink like that is if it was a single stage like the others said. I for one would pick red. I have a pearl white es300 and even thought it hides a lot of dirt and dust I think the color doesnt shine as much as the other cars on the road. The only way to make a white car look good is to make it as reflective and glossy as you can. You cant really get a wet look on a white car/or its very hard.
 
yakky said:
For the first 10 or 15 years, it you wax it at least ever 3 months, fade will be a non issue, especially is you use a good wax/sealant with uv protection. The red cars you see that are faded are neglected.



White slowly turns yellow, so don't think that its perfect either....
Click to expand...



Go with that cream colored white, like on the Chysler 300. Love that color. Thinking about painting my Durango R/T that color down the road, when the paint eventually reaches the end of its life.
 
The VW white used on Jetta's and Passats is called "Candy White" and it really does look like a candy coating on a piece of gum or something.
 
I'd go with white as well.



The red is Clear Coated. Still white on VWs look beautiful.



PS: After prepping it add a few coats of FK1's #1000. You'll see.
 
Thanks for the input, y'all...keep 'em comin'!



I am still leaning toward a white one. It does also come in a really nice dark gray metallic color (carbon steel). I am assuming that color will show dirt almost as badly as black. I have seen it in person and know that it will show swirls...I can get over that as long as it doesn't look dirty immediately.



Here is a picture of the carbon steel gray:



018.jpg




Thoughts?



:thx



Gary
 
My car is white...a Shelby GT500...but that was what the dealer had....I would definitely go with red....plus...like my Dad says.....most cars in white look like refrigerators...haha
 
I think silvers look cleanest the longest. White and black depending on the type of soiling can look dirty FAST
 
Yeah...but to me....silver looks like primer with clearcoat.....do red.....ANY color has issues....my white car shows rail dust WAY more than my DD that is black
 
A bright red doesn't show dirt that much. People at work comment often that my car always looks so clean... even after driving through a few days of rain and I haven't had time to wash it. A deep red, on the other hand, shows dirt from a mile away.



As for fading, my previous car was also red and it showed no fade and looked pretty good right up until the clearcoat started failing at about 14 or 15 years. Had I actually cared for that car's paint the way I do now it might still be fine. I wouldn't be concerned about fade at all on a clearcoated car, especially if using a UV protective sealant three or four times a year
 
You guys aren't allowed to suggest colors that the car isn't available in! :)



For me, it's either white (most likely), the dark gray above, or red. It also looks fantastic in black, but I'm not going there again. I do miss having a silver car, but that's not an option this time around...



Thanks again,



Gary
 
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