How about white!

[tguil]

We're about to replace my wife's silver Tacoma. I really like the silver -- a easy maintenance color. There is a white regular cab 2005 Tacoma 4X4 on the dealer's lot. It has black fender flares and bumpers -- a plus because these flares do not show rock chips like the painted ones do.

Any thoughts on white -- ease of maintenance, showing dirt, etc. I do know that they are great if body repairs need to be made. Color match is not usually a problem

It's a daily driver and her truck not mine. She likes it and the price is right. I just can't seem to get too excited about a white truck.

Tom

[Mike Phillips]

Hmmm...

After owning a black Pilot in the windy, dusty desert...

Hmmm...

White is kind of sound good now days!

Nah....



Black makes for too good of a rolling test panel!

[LnkPrkSoldier]

Mike's car has swirls?!?!?! what is the world coming to?! jk. white... mud and dirt does show a lot on white... as well as black. for color wise for it to not look dirty.. i would say you get a beige type color. but white also looks very good even if it is dirty at time. its really up to you. you are going to be the one driving it.

[rusty bumper]

Re: How about white!

Originally posted by tguil
We're about to replace my wife's silver Tacoma. I really like the silver -- a easy maintenance color. There is a white regular cab 2005 Tacoma 4X4 on the dealer's lot. It has black fender flares and bumpers -- a plus because these flares do not show rock chips like the painted ones do.

Any thoughts on white -- ease of maintenance, showing dirt, etc. I do know that they are great if body repairs need to be made. Color match is not usually a problem

It's a daily driver and her truck not mine. She likes it and the price is right. I just can't seem to get too excited about a white truck.

Tom

I've never owned a white vehicle, but they are hard to detail!

I buffed & buffed my brother's white Toyota, but I was never able to bring out the gloss like I wanted to.

Maybe if you stay on top of it, you might not have this kind of problem.
**************************************************

Swirls on the Phillips' car!

The blowing desert sand must have a sand blaster effect on paint.

[Mike Phillips]

The swirls in that picture were DISO, the Dealer Installed Swirl Option!

They be long gone...

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
The swirls in that picture were DISO, the Dealer Installed Swirl Option!

Some dealers have the gall to charge for it too.

[LnkPrkSoldier]

salesman : " So would you like to invest in the new circular accented paint. Its the new fad in Europe. We personally add this to every wash that we do. Would you be interested? "

thats something that would most likely be said in a while. lol.. probably at a scion dealership. lol jk of course!! a lil humor never hurt anybody! except those who have a phobia of humor....

[magnus]

White isn't all that bad of a color. I had a white 2002 Chevy Tahoe LS and it was only a pain to clean due to its size.

Yes, white does show dirt, as does every color, but it seems easier to put up with when it does get dirty.



Even though white isn't as much fun to detail, since it doesn't give back that deep reflection like the darker colors do, it does give back a great shine when done right.





Since I live in a somewhat rural area (strawberry farms and the county dump are required travelling routes to get into town), I opted to go with white just because in my mind the color says clean even though it may have a coat of dust on it. Just my two cents!

[rusty bumper]

magnus,

What does it feel like when you are buffing white paint?

When I buff paint (with a PC), the paint seems to soak in the product I'm using and makes for a smooth feeling afterwards. That is, the paint has a rich, smooth feel to the touch, and I can tell it by the action of the buffer.

When I detailed my brother's white Toyota, the paint didn't have that smooth feel to it, and the buffing action had a rough feeling to it, no matter how many passes I made.

My brother was happy with the looks of it afterwards, but I never was completely satisfied with it myself.

[JeffM]

Im bored to death with my wifes white car.

Its frustrating trying to get all of a product off too, they all dry....white.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey Tom,

Having owned a few white vehicles in my life, I have both pros and cons to owning white.

Pros: By using the right products, you can develop an incredible gloss on white! This gloss always makes the vehicle look like it is brand new! Touch up paint does not show up as bad as other colors, and light dust also goes un-noticed. Swirls and light marring are also less of an issue. Using the right accents and tire/wheel combination, white can look pretty darn nice!

Cons: While white does not show dirt/dust like a dark color, road grime from driving in the rain really stands out as it dulls the gloss. Plus, with rail dust and driving in the winter with salt on the roads, you get these little tiny rust-looking spots. Clay will remove the rail dust easily; and if you clay every year (I clay 2-3 times a year anyway ), those road debris specks also can be eliminated fairly easily.

In the end, if you love detailing and the reflections, you need a dark color. But if you like gloss and easier maintenance, white is a good choice.


Tim

[magnus]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
magnus,

What does it feel like when you are buffing white paint?

When I buff paint (with a PC), the paint seems to soak in the product I'm using and makes for a smooth feeling afterwards. That is, the paint has a rich, smooth feel to the touch, and I can tell it by the action of the buffer.

When I detailed my brother's white Toyota, the paint didn't have that smooth feel to it, and the buffing action had a rough feeling to it, no matter how many passes I made.

My brother was happy with the looks of afterwards, but I never was completely satisfied with it myself.

I think I can give a very direct answer: It depends!

My Volvo is only a year old (this month) and is wonderful to work on. My '66 Mustang was repainted at some point in its life before I got it. It was repainted the original color (Wimbledon White), but it is a very hard paint and will probably require some rotary work if I ever learn how.

My wife had a '94 Toyota Corolla and though I only had a very few Meguiar's products back then, I do remember it having a drier, rougher feel even after being waxed (Meguiar's Gold Class Carnuba). It may be that Toyota just has a different paint mixture than other manufacturers.

2hotford's pros and cons are dead on, though I don't have to deal with the salt issue.

As far as JeffM's issue with getting products off, I don't have that problem with either of my cars, even using #7 (Show Car Glaze) on my Volvo, which I've heard others complain about removal on any color.

Good Luck!

[rusty bumper]

Thanks Mangus!

This has turned out to be a very informative thread for tguil, and myself too.

[the other pc]

When you're looking at a truck check the paint codes. If it's clearcoated it doesn't matter if it's white, black or plaid it will polish the same (but flaws are harder to see on white).

Not that I'd bother. I will only buy white trucks. White shows dirt and scratches least and is easiest to match if it needs repairs. If it's 120 degrees out and you happen to lean against it while wearing shorts you won't burst into flame.

It looks darn good when it's clean and shiny too. If you ever get the chance take a good look at a freshly polished white Mercedes SL, sweeeet.

Here's the "family truckster" at MOL Fun day. After weeks without a wash (building a nice patina to try new products/tools) when I pulled it up several people kind of looked at it with politely restrained disgust.

After a round with Hyper Wash and a Super Suede Drying Towel, no wax, QD or anything, they were all smiling in approval. I even got a "what wax is that?" (it was #26 that was over 6 months old!).


PC.

[VanityDetailing]

White is all I work with... for the most part.... but the gelcoats on boats is a little different than paint/clear on a car.


But after you spend some quality time with it, it will definitely reap you great rewards.





That's the pink boat/rv gel wash, #50 one-step cleaner wax, Flagship marine wax, #69 Quik Wax