Caring for WHITE paint?

Alive 55

Alive 55

New member
Hello,



I'm very new to Autopia. What a terrific resource. I’ve read much about caring for dark colored cars, which reflect very little light and require a great deal of attention to minimize swirl marks and imperfections. However, I need advice for white paint. What makes white paint look best?
 
I would treat white paint the same as black. The only difference is you can get away without having to be so perfect! :up Seriously, I honestly don't see how it would be any different. It would need the very same products and attention that black would.
 
Thanks Jason!



My concern was that there might be a product out there that specially makes the light colors (that reflect much light) “pop�.

I’ve meticulously detailed my cars for years and thought I knew it all. A few months ago I stumbled across Autopia, what a wealth of information, as well as access to people who know much more than I could ever hope to.
 
Nick



I've been reading this forum for 2 year now and still learning.



I think most of the quality products do a great job but its the quality of the work the people on this board do that gives the extra snap to the finish.



My white Pick up is six years old and for me Mothers products do the best job.



On my P/U I clay it, use mothers cleaners, Mothers Reflections and top it with Mothers carnuba with no cleaners in it and always use Micro Fiber.



It really stands out for White.



Hope this helps.



Bob

Stockton Ca
 

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I've come to really like the look of sealants on white. I had been topping with S100, but recently decided to layer Klasse over the next few weekends, so I'm sans caranauba right now. The current look with Klasse AIO and SG is pretty awesome. Previously, I've also used NXT and Liquid Glass and been very happy with the results, though I usually topped with S100.



Here's a good thread about white vehicles. I still stand by the idea that one of the best things you can do with white is pay close attention to the offsetting trim/tires/wheel wells, etc. to provide contrast.



Of course, treating it just like black is a good idea. There's nothing worse than thinking you've got it perfect and then coming out of the movie theatre or supermarket to see every swirl and scratch under those parking lot lights.
 
Agree with everything that has been said so far. Some of the products I used on my white X have been: NXT, S100, VM, EX, Tropi-Care Premium Polish. Have heard that the following products are also excellent on white: EX-P, Pinnacle Glanz Paste Wax, Natty's, Klasse SG, and Liquid Souveran. The most important thing is the process. Good Luck and post some pics when your done.
 
Thank you everyone, great stuff!

I have concluded that, albeit only noticeable under fluorescent light, I must rid my Mercedes of the swirl marks and fine scratches. I have a PC and have used both MPPC and P21S paint cleaner with no success. I’m very concerned w/burning thru my clear coat. Can anyone recommend an appropriate abrasive and PC speed?
 
My personal favorites:



3M PI III RC (cutting pad), followed by 1ZPP (polishing pad), and as an extra glossy step 1ZMP (finishing pad)



All of the above started off at speed 3 or 4 and then worked in at speed 5.
 
nickbuoni said:
I have concluded that, albeit only noticeable under fluorescent light, I must rid my Mercedes of the swirl marks and fine scratches. I have a PC and have used both MPPC and P21S paint cleaner with no success. I’m very concerned w/burning thru my clear coat. Can anyone recommend an appropriate abrasive and PC speed?
Click to expand...



As you probably know, at this point, neither MPPC nor P21S paint cleanser (referred to, here, as GEPC) is an abrasive--they are chemical cleaners. As you step into the realm of abrasives, remember the adage "least aggressive product first." With a PC, you should not have any worry about burning through the clearcoat. Even at it's highest setting, the random orbit will not allow enough heat to build up to burn. But it will be enough heat to break down the diminishing abrasives in products like Meguiars Swirl Free Polish (SFP) and Dual Action Cleaner Polish (DACP). And those are the products I like to use, and in that order.
 
I know I've recommended it a lot, but Blackfire, expecially after a few applications over time, looks incredible on white. One of the best things you can do with a white vehicle is make all of trim/other colors really stand out. Make sure the wheels and tires and wheelwells are cleaned and dress, make sure the trim/mirrors/etc are taken care of, and make sure everything that gives some conrast to the white is attended to. It makes the white seem to jump out a bit more, at least in my experience.
 
nickbuoni said:
Jason,



I'm not down w/the lingo yet. Can you clarify the products, please?
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I apologize for that. I believe John Styrnol cleared that up for us already except for the 3M product. That was 3M Perfect It III Rubbing Compound, not to be confused with Turtle Wax type rubbing compounds (liquid sandpaper :down ) This one works great with the PC and will remove most paint defects and leave the finish squeaky clean and ready for your polish.



You can find the 3M products locally, and if you would prefer to buy your products locally, you can follow the 3M Rubbing Compound with the 3M Perfect It III Machine Glaze (MG). The MG would replace the Einszett Paint Polish I mentioned above.
 
I use Klasse AIO,then Klasse SGx5 coats 24 hours apart, then top with S100. I have tried a lot of the combo's and find this to be the best hands down.:wavey
 
Willy d said:
I use Klasse AIO,then Klasse SGx5 coats 24 hours apart, then top with S100. I have tried a lot of the combo's and find this to be the best hands down.:wavey
Click to expand...



With that much sealant, it better look good!:lol
 
nickbuoni said:
Hello,



I'm very new to Autopia. What a terrific resource. I’ve read much about caring for dark colored cars, which reflect very little light and require a great deal of attention to minimize swirl marks and imperfections. However, I need advice for white paint. What makes white paint look best?
Click to expand...



The same process should be used regardless of paint color. There are a few products that are said to enhance certain colors, but any of the quality products discussed here on a regular basis will do a good job for you. I've been using DACP, #9, Vanilla Moose and topped with S100 and have gotten very good results. Here's a pic of my white Navigator:



14039navigator2.jpg




The only think I find hard with white, is applying the wax by hand. It's hard to see on the white base and you don't know if you are applying to much or missing some areas.:D
 
Your Navigator looks incredible. Even your windows look wet! I have DACP and the S100, however, I don’t have any Vanilla Moose. Can I substitute another glaze (Meguiar’s or 3M)? and do you apply all products by hand or just the S100? I owe it to my car to make it look that good!
 
Thanks for the kind comments. The Vanilla Moose isn't absolutely necessary as you can get similar results with Meguiars glaze or 3M. I've just really been a fan of Vanilla Moose since I first got it. It's definitely worth looking in to.



If your surface isn't to bad, you can probably get by with Meguiars #9 and then followed by either #7 or Speed Glaze. #7 can be sometimes be tricky to use, but Speed Glaze is pretty user friendly. I do all my polishing with the PC and use a yellow pad with DACP and then a white pad for the other polishes. I finish with S100 by hand. For the windows I use 0000 steel wool with some Wax Shop polish that I have left over (but DACP would work just fine). I don't use a lot of pressure on the steel wool but allow the polish to do most of the work. I then follow with Meguiars Quick Detailer. Good luck. White may not be as reflective as black, but with some good hard work, a white vehicle can look stunning.:D
 
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