Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I've never had a white car before and I'm looking to get a used 911 in white. How hard is it to keep clean, hide swirls, etc. In the past I've tended towards light metallic colors which are perfect for me, because they don't show swirls and I'm not exactly a pro at detailing ( actually thats probably an understatement ).

 

Well, we have a white 2003 Lincoln Navigator. The thing is huge and swirl marks are only visible when its out in the sun or in direct light from else where. The 911 will be a breeze compared to a white SUV as long as you wax your car every now and then. If you polish and wax frequently, you will not see too many swirl marks but if you polish and wax rarely then you will (common sense). I can tell you one thing, white cars get really dirty fast but are more easily taken care of than black cars. So it won't be too hard to care for a white car.

Hope this helps...

Here's our Nav by the way: This pic was taken before waxing and before this pic I never waxed the SUV for a year... It's too big lol

 

In the sun or under florescent lighting like a gas station, no matter what color you have, you'll see imperfections such as swirls. The important thing you must remember about a white car is to make sure the clearcoat is in great shape. It should have a nice shine or gloss to it. Beware of a slight haze or if you look close, tiny little black or orange dots the size of salt grains. These are your indication that the finish wasn't properly cared for. Also, in the door jams, make sure the paint around the hinges is glossy too. For some reason, white cars have issues with their clearcoat if not cared for. Also, as mentioned above, they do attract dirt faster.

Now the positive side. I think white only works for certain cars; the 911 happens to be one of them. No matter a 993, 996, 997, white makes that car look so sexy. Once you properly detail the car, maintenance is actually easy. A simple wash sometimes makes it look 100X better. You can always cheat a little and not have to machine polish a white car since your eye optically doesn't pick up the imperfections as dramatically as a dark colored car.

So in recap, as long as the paint is in great shape, go for it. If you do see a light haze on the finish or those little sand grains that are dark on the paint, no big deal. You can easily clay and polish that stuff out. But, if the door jams are hazy and lack the nice glossy finish, then I personally would walk away as that is sign of serious neglect.

 

Maintenance CAN be easy, but there is a lot of it. It's very easy to not wash the car for a long time, and dirt and grime can build up in all the cracks and creases on the car. White paint can often oxidize easily too. I recommend to wash the car frequently, and also to wax and clay the car frequently.


John

 

White will not show dirt and swirls as much as almost any other color.

Dirt is dirt, swirls are swirls. Nothing in the COLOR changes that. It is just less noticeable the lighter the color.

I had a white van, now a white F250 4x4 PSD and it is hardly ever washed and looks respectable. The paint is beat, swirled out, and will give you road rash if you brush up against it...but still looks much better than a black or even grey or silver color neglected the same way.

Actually, the hardest thing on a white car is getting a perfect detail! It is more difficult for a non-pro detailer to visually 'track' the clearcoat surface during the detail- you really need to concentrate on the surface to get the swirls out- on a black car, they are obvious, but on white or silver it is tough to get them all (not for you pros.. )

GL

A

 

Well, I think it is not that hard to maintain. only, do not get it on to mud racing or you'll end up having a 911 in chocolate brown. Dusts of course would not be apparent in it as much as it does on dark colored car. Just wax it regualrly.It's just about the proper maintenance of your car.

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My husband bought this pontiac parts and so far, they are all working well.

 

like mentioned two posts above, white is easy to care for, but if you want perfection, be prepared to spend some time in the garage polishing because seeing the swirls is difficult. A properly lit garage with some portable halogens on stands and the right detailing tools will yield good results.

 

Periodically cleaning a white paint surface with a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash) will ensure a clean paint surface

 

white and silver are the easiset to care for even when not washed they look clean great lazy man/woman color

 

· White paint - tends to turn grey with time (an unsightly grey film) which is due to road dirt becoming ingrained in the paint, a chemical cleaner and a polish will normally rectify this. The 'yellowing' is paint oxidation caused by ultra violet radiation; it takes time and neglect of the paint for this to occur. Clean paint surface with a chemical paint cleaner or a d-limonene based cleaner and then use an abrasive polish to remove oxidation.

With all vehicles a regular routine of cleaning the paint surface is important; more so with light coloured paint as dirt is more noticeable than on darker colours. Most people may think white paint won’t show paint defects when clean, actually it will, you just have to look harder than darker colour paint like a black car; but they are there as the light will refract as opposed to reflect. A level clear is just as desirable on a white/silver or light colour car

 

+1....all colors have their pros and cons. If you remember to care for the paint properly, you don't have to worry about swirls and imperfections and can get whatever color your heart desires. However, the darker the color, the more effort to keep it looking perfect.