Care for matte black paint?

Anyone have any tips for care of flat black paint?

Can you use a regular carnuba or sealant on it?

What would you use for protection of this type of finish?

Thank you.

 

Very interesting question, we are in the business of making things shine. Have never detail a flat black finish. Cant answer this but am very interested in the answers here. Haven't seen too many flat black cars these days. Mostly seen on old muscle cars. Cudas were famous for the using the flat black paint.

 

This is something you may see more and more of. I was surprised to see several flat black cars at the Detroit Auto show this year. Doesn't do a thing for me, but it did get me thinking the same thing..what the hell do you do with THAT?

 

I love solid black! The best colour for flattering your machine polishing when you get it right, and punishing it when you get it wrong! My favourite colour to detail

The ultimate key to getting be best out of flat black is the same as all colours, but even more important here: prep, prep, prep!! Machine polishing the finish with a fine finishing polish to burnish it to a high gloss - you'll get excellent clarity, and deep mirror like reflections from the colour that really will stand out in a crowd (IMHO).

One prepped, its like always: the LSP choice doesn't matter all that much. Sealents will help the reflectiveness, waxes will deepen the gloss a little: take your pick. After thorough machine polishing preparation, this solid black Golf received Clearkote Yellow Cream Wax as its glaze to add a little extra wettness to the black and was topped off with Dodo Supernatural which enhanced the depth of gloss very slightly indeed.





Get it like a deep, glossy pool of water on the paint would be my aim - and the only way to do that is to burnish the finish with a fine finishing polish.

 

Dave, your missing the point here bud. Not talking about glossy black. We are discussing FLAT black. No shine...how do you protect it without getting a shine?

 

Ah, you mean matt... (sorry, flat to me means solid with no metallic, guess that's a British thing).

In which case, I aint got a clue! LOL

 

Hmmm, KAIO, Black WoW or something similar?

 

Looking around, the one thing that springs to my mind is 303 Aeorspace Protectant, but not 100% sure of its suitability on this style of paint... Something that would need to be researched before working on the paint.

 

I suppose I should have titled the thread Matte Black or Satin Black to be clearer.

Have I actually stumped you guys? :gasp:

I don't know where to start on this and don't want to mess it up. Not much info online either.

What I have found thus far basically just says that a wash is all you can do. That doesn't seem right.

help, please!

Thank you.

 

It might be a Belgian thing as well because I was thinking the exact same thing you were Dave...

 

Maybe we can get the title edited to SATIN or MATTE to get some more traffic in this thread?

Maybe people are skipping this over thinking its a simple question?

MODS: can you help me out? Thanks.

 

well the best way to find out how to care for that paint type would call the car manufacturer and ask...or a dealer....

AL

 

brianja, I've modified the tittle let me know if that's okay eace:

 

Works for me! Thanks.:applause2:

 

Okay I don't get it, I've read over this thread a couple of times now and this is what I get.

Your asking about how to keep a matt black paint matt? No shine, no carnauba glow?

Isn't that kinda the opposite of what we do? I mean detailers are supposed to bring back life to the paint not hide it

Am I missing something?

 

That is the issue Nica, we bring shine and vibrance to what we touch, but how do we as professionals, maintain a car that is not supposed to shine? You see this finish mostly on older muscle cars unfortunately or fortunately I have never worked on one because I would be in this same situation.

 

hmmm...I know the type of paint you speak off Pooter but I was under the impresion that you would treat that type of paint just like any other

Very interesting question though but you got me that's for sure :shead: :shead:

 

yeah. that's the problem I am having.

I know all of the products and techniques we ave at our disposal are intended to make a gloss clear-coated finish shine.

As has been said, though, in this finish type high gloss is not the goal.

How does the procedure change when the desired end result is a deep, dark matte finish? Does it change at all?

Example:

 

My thinking would be this.. The matte paint is UNDER the clear, is it not? By polishing the clear, you're simply removing scratches and improving clarity to see the matte paint below. If I were handed the keys to a car with matte paint, I'd treat it as any other..

What do you guys think?

 

OMG that Ferrari looks so hawt in matte black. Just stunning!!

I know Meguiar's has some R&D going on, they are figuring out how to care for the newest matte paint jobs. I haven't really heard anything official from then though.