Vehicle Color for Mountain Driving

[Pinned]

The quality / hardness of the clearcoat and how it's treated will make a bigger difference than the color. Subarus, Toyotas, Hyundais tend to have soft clearcoats that are more prone to swirls, embedded dirt, etc. Ford, GM, Mercedes, BMW tend to have harder clearcoats that are more durable (and often thicker as well).

Either way, spending the money to get a new car ceramic coated is worth it IMO. Makes washing much easier and lowers the risk of clearcoat damage substantially.

[RShea]

Shopping for used vehicles, always try and avoid black and white. Hardest to keep clean and show dirt the most, especially if dirt road travel is involved. White also will show the chips and seen to rust as soon as they get the least bit of clear coat damaged due to stone chip or minor scratch. Something about the paint and underlying primer. (I've been looking at used vans and 80 or 90 percent of them are white... ) Can see many with hood and front of the roof damage...

Last 2 have been a lighter chocolate brown and now a lighter beige color. But don't do as much time in the mountains as some on here do for trips either. Blue, Silver, and some of the trending colors that come and then eventually go out of style (Copper- basically a Rust was one for a bit, then nothing screams outdated as a Maroon or darker red unless it truly is a classic or antique vehicle.)

[alfajores]

I will make a case for colors not to buy:
White - In the case you have to park road-side in a big storm, it is hardest for the plows to see if it is partially covered. I have seen a bunch of white cars scraped while darker colors don't seem to get hit as often in the West.
Black - Night driving and the occasionally idiotic folly of forgetting to turn your lights on and you may get humped by another car. Especially so with out of towners on windy roads in the mountains.
Some Reds - hear my out, in certain lighting, the sun can reflect off some medium red (typically pearl or metallic) paint and blind out the brake light glow. My wife told me I was completely wrong on this until one day she saw it and was flabbergasted. She was wrong aka I was right. Seriously, some reds with a low sun angle will make your brake lights too dim to see in contrast to the brightness and color of your car, possibly resulting in a collision from a less than attentive driver.

Any wrap that makes your car too distracting. Seriously. Just don't do it.

My go to is blue. It is often in the marketing materials and holds value, easier to spot in parking, and middle of the road enough that none of the above apply.

[El Chupacabra]

For old used vehicles, like winter beaters, white is great. Easy to touch up any paint issues, casual matching looks just fine from a few feet away. Also cooler in summer. Doesn't fade. Real colors like red, blue, green, all fade.

For newer / nicer vehicles, I have a general preference for lighter color vehicles, because they don't show scratches or swirls as much as darker colors. Gloss black is hard to keep looking nice. I've had several silver vehicles over the years, and I'm just a little tired of having the same color over and over.

That said, the best winter beater vehicle color is whatever was available in acceptable condition at an acceptable price. Beggars and choosers...

[XXX-er]

white or silver doesnt show the dirt

[danmelon]

[Dee Hubbs]

Apparently white is the thinnest coating of paint so they are more prone to chipping from gravel and rust associated with that.

It funny you say this, in the bike industry White Painted bikes are heavier that any other standard color. The need more paint (heavier) to get an even/good finish.

[XXX-er]

I had body work on the fender of my medium/ dark silver Ranger at the ford dealer, I never actualy looked at the first atempt but the bodyshop manager said he needed to redo the paint cuz the Ford factory puts tint in the clear coat for that color and the difference is so obvious it can't go out like that, they need it for another week, I had the free loaner so no worries. They ended up getting the color match so close you had to be looking very hard to see the difference, so I was OK with it

but tint in the clear coat sounds whack to me ???

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Yeah, I don't think there's a paint color that can stand up to the shit the MDOT uses to "sand" the roads.

[kc_7777]

White Nissan Frontier en route to the Powder Highway. Haven’t been hit by a plow yet. Turn your lights on. And clean the muck off the front and rear lights regularly as you drive (eg each time you stop for a leak walk around to clean off your lights. Lights will save you from getting hit way more than the color of the vehicle when it’s dark and snowy.

PS the tan leather heated seats in Frontiers rule too.


Another vehicle tip…only stay in motels where you can back right up to your door to chuck gear inside easily. Eg. Alpine Inn in Nelson.



Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[singlesline]

How are you washing it? Darker tend to start showing swirls early and are hard to keep looking good over time. If you ever use non-touchless car washes or use the soapy brush at spray-it-yourself car washes, you are just asking your car to stop looking nice and shiny after a few years--those things eat paint.

Touchless washes or hand washes that use good discipline only (e.g. multiple buckets, grit guards, other good detailing practices).

Either way, spending the money to get a new car ceramic coated is worth it IMO. Makes washing much easier and lowers the risk of clearcoat damage substantially.

Legit ceramic coats (make sure you're not just paying a dealer to rub some cheap sealant on it...) are pretty dang nifty.

I question their ability to actually protect anything despite their claimed hardness, but they really do make washing easier and they also seem to really help keep the car looking good even after it starts to get dusty. My ceramic coated car really stays looking shiny from a distance even if you can see the grit build-up up cloase.

Ceramic-based sprays help (Technicians Choice TEC582 on Amazon is a good pick), but they aren't nearly as effective as a true ceramic coating.

Unfortunately paying someone to apply a good ceramic coating is $$$, especially since they should be doing a lot of paint correction work first. You can DIY, but it is a lot of prep work plus an application process that you need to be real careful to get right--most of the pro-grade products aren't sold direct to consumers as application is too finicky (but they also last longer and have a warranty).

[XXX-er]

wash?

[singlesline]

Just washed and waxed my almost black rig and it’s getting beat after 7 seasons.

Wax helps (and modern wax-alternatives are even better)...but after 7 seasons have you considered calling a detailer for some legit paint-correction buffing?

A 2 stage cut and polish followed by a good synthetic spray on sealant-type product could leave your car looking nearly new. Obviously not going to fix dents or deep scratches, but most cars have plenty of clear coat and can easily take 3-5 fairly aggressive buffings in their lifetime.

[EWG]

wash?

First of all, this.

Second, life is fucking short. Get the color you like the most. If your ski/bike/hiking/climbing/rafting/etc habit causes your car to show wear, then good. Scars are cool, even on a car. I'll take the color I like and the patina of an adventurous life over something 2% more pristine anytime.

Fuck, pretty sure all the dropping and banging and smacking our cars take from skis and bikes are going to cut up the car no matter what the color. Not to mention the way my lovely wife drives offroad - good Jesus.

[gaijin]

Never cared about color aside from what looks cool. Never cared for white. Then I got a white rig and discovered the benefit in summer. Might never go back.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XXX-er]

well ski season IS over so I washed inside & out vacummed swapped in the summers and i can confirm

it is silver

[EWG]

well ski season IS over so I washed inside & out vacummed swapped in the summers and i can confirm

it is silver

FKNA right. Just did the same with my wife's and actually had to hose it down for a long while to get the thick mud crust off before it could be washed. It is indeed still red. There was no evidence of that for at least a month.

Then again, it's an off-road rigged Jeep GC and she drives dirt like a lunatic, so that doesn't help.

[Name Redacted]

It funny you say this, in the bike industry White Painted bikes are heavier that any other standard color. The need more paint (heavier) to get an even/good finish.

For aircraft, white is lighter because it is generally just primer. It shaves off a surprising amount of weight. Most people who buy something in white plan on getting a custom paint job though, which would negate the weight saving.

[MakersTeleMark]

I'd say most white vehicles by actual number are fleet vehicles. Ever been to a NV town? Thousands of them donned with whips.

[Hood26]

I miss actual two tone options. Shooting the rocker panels in black or beige doesn’t count. Grey and blue square bodies are sexy.

I appreciate the merits of silver, but it is way too in-lawy for me.

Current rig is kinda like a gun metal. It’s a cool color. Wife picked it, I think she just likes keeping me busy because it has been work. I am swirl free. Multiple bucket wash system and mostly good discipline. I am thinking a detail and polish is on the horizon. I hate washing rigs. Trucks are tools, but even tools need some TLC.

I like blue the best, but current blue options are all very dark. My first gen Light Blue Pearl Poly is my favorite. It is blue because when grandpa ordered the pickup before it he told the sales guy “any color but white” so he got a ODOT Orange pickup and got shit for years about it. Next pickup, same sales guy, and grandpa tells him, “any color but white you son of a bitch.”

Totally want brown interior next go around. Anyway, glad I asked; I figured there were some good insights. Would have never thought about the downsides of white and red, I was thinking about the next rig being white.

[RShea]

White Nissan Frontier en route to the Powder Highway. Haven’t been hit by a plow yet. Turn your lights on. And clean the muck off the front and rear lights regularly as you drive (eg each time you stop for a leak walk around to clean off your lights. Lights will save you from getting hit way more than the color of the vehicle when it’s dark and snowy.

PS the tan leather heated seats in Frontiers rule too.

It is not the time while driving that you have to worry about getting the vehicle hit. It is if it is parked and becomes buried on the side of the road or in a parking lot that ends up getting plowed out and can't tell there is even a vehicle under the snow drift.

[kc_7777]

wash?

Exactly. Never washed my truck since I got it in 2017.

That’s what rain is for?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[skaredshtles]

Exactly. Never washed my truck since I got it in 2017.

That’s what rain is for?

...

[kc_7777]

It is not the time while driving that you have to worry about getting the vehicle hit. It is if it is parked and becomes buried on the side of the road or in a parking lot that ends up getting plowed out and can't tell there is even a vehicle under the snow drift.

My thinking is if your car becomes buried, or is under a snow drift, then the color doesn’t matter much.

I got white cause that what they had in the Frontier model I wanted, with the tan leather interior. I’ve stickered the shit out of the tailgate too. White is good for your sticker game.

I’m serious about not washing. Dumb.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Pinned]

Legit ceramic coats (make sure you're not just paying a dealer to rub some cheap sealant on it...) are pretty dang nifty.

I question their ability to actually protect anything despite their claimed hardness, but they really do make washing easier and they also seem to really help keep the car looking good even after it starts to get dusty. My ceramic coated car really stays looking shiny from a distance even if you can see the grit build-up up cloase.

Ceramic-based sprays help (Technicians Choice TEC582 on Amazon is a good pick), but they aren't nearly as effective as a true ceramic coating.

Unfortunately paying someone to apply a good ceramic coating is $$$, especially since they should be doing a lot of paint correction work first. You can DIY, but it is a lot of prep work plus an application process that you need to be real careful to get right--most of the pro-grade products aren't sold direct to consumers as application is too finicky (but they also last longer and have a warranty).

I don't have a garage at the moment, so I actually did pay someone to do the coating on my truck despite having all the gear. It ran me about $1200 for a "5 year" coating including a single stage correction. I didn't think that was egregious for a full size truck with a topper on it. He did the wheels as well. Truck was used when I bought it and the paint wasn't 100% concours perfect, still isn't. But it looks pretty good for a daily driver.

I've done plenty of paint correction and coating applications in the past - I think they've gotten a lot better. I wouldn't have any hesitation about applying a "pro install" coating by myself these days, but it is a lot of prep work and definitely not worth the investment in equipment for someone who isn't necessarily into cars. I think it's probably also important to temper expectations like you said - and that 5 year coating is probably only good for 2-3yrs for people who are driving in harsh climates.

All that said, I think the ceramic coating + keeping up with maintenance on it goes a long way to preventing clearcoat degradation from chemicals, sun, washing, etc and that makes it worth it to me with how expensive cars have gotten.