What is the easiest color to keep looking clean?
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What is the easiest color to keep looking clean?
Hi,
I think we have a general consensus that black is the most difficult to keep looking clean.
What is the easiest?
I have had both silver metallic and white and found both to look quite sharp with minimal effort. I also presume something like desert metallic would be easy. Someone did write that white was a difficult "color" to keep clean which struck me as odd since I have always found that to be easy.
Any opinions?
CP
I think we have a general consensus that black is the most difficult to keep looking clean.
What is the easiest?
I have had both silver metallic and white and found both to look quite sharp with minimal effort. I also presume something like desert metallic would be easy. Someone did write that white was a difficult "color" to keep clean which struck me as odd since I have always found that to be easy.
Any opinions?
CP
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From: Los Angeles
2002 c230k
You're right, silver and white are the easiest to keep clean. White looks clean as long as you are not next to another white car where you acn tell the difference. Silvers vary so there is no real reference so it looks clean no matter what. Thats why my C is silver, it stay looking clean for ages!
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From: Lincoln, NE
2000 BMW Z3 2.3 Roadster (hardtop current ly attached)
silver is the easiest to clean and to keep clean... white will show imperfections up close, and silver will hide them well. Silver will also "absorb" a certain ammount of heavy dirt befire it becomes visible, where white will appear dull and crusty long before the silver does...
This knowledge is derived from a year working at a detail shop and two years working for a dealership.
This knowledge is derived from a year working at a detail shop and two years working for a dealership.
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'01 CLK 55
Das Mafia is right on the mark. From what I've gleaned from a few years of assisting friends in concours prep, I've learned that silver was the least time consuming color to maintain and the positive results exceed the effort expended, while black's characteristics are inverse to this statement. This explains why 80% of the cars I've owned over the past 25+ years have been silver. The rest were "lapses" in practical thinking....Of course, as a garage queen, nothing beats a beautifully maintained, rarely driven black car...especially in hand rubbed lacquer. Yum. 
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Originally posted by NANA
Orion Blue - 'coz nobody looks at it!
- just kidding
Orion Blue - 'coz nobody looks at it!
- just kidding
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From: Westwood, NJ
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Yeah, I thought there was a minimum # of posts that was necessary before membership to the "I'm So Jealous of the Beauty of the Orion Blue Color That I Attempt to Make Fun of It " Club was obtained.
Kids these days.
AFAIK, all Orion MBs have working seatbelts.
To answer the original question, I'd assume that desert silver would be the best color at hiding dirt. Kinda surprised that MB-BOB hasn't piped in.
Kids these days.
AFAIK, all Orion MBs have working seatbelts.
To answer the original question, I'd assume that desert silver would be the best color at hiding dirt. Kinda surprised that MB-BOB hasn't piped in.
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From: Lincoln, NE
2000 BMW Z3 2.3 Roadster (hardtop current ly attached)
Originally posted by Brian Yee
Das Mafia is right on the mark. From what I've gleaned from a few years of assisting friends in concours prep, I've learned that silver was the least time consuming color to maintain and the positive results exceed the effort expended, while black's characteristics are inverse to this statement. This explains why 80% of the cars I've owned over the past 25+ years have been silver. The rest were "lapses" in practical thinking....Of course, as a garage queen, nothing beats a beautifully maintained, rarely driven black car...especially in hand rubbed lacquer. Yum.
Das Mafia is right on the mark. From what I've gleaned from a few years of assisting friends in concours prep, I've learned that silver was the least time consuming color to maintain and the positive results exceed the effort expended, while black's characteristics are inverse to this statement. This explains why 80% of the cars I've owned over the past 25+ years have been silver. The rest were "lapses" in practical thinking....Of course, as a garage queen, nothing beats a beautifully maintained, rarely driven black car...especially in hand rubbed lacquer. Yum.
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From: Laguna Niguel, CA
Metallic colors in general hide dust better than the equivalent solid colors. A color that hides dust really well also hides shine. So it's a toss up depending on how much shine to you want. My dealer does free hand car washes anytime I want so it's not extra work for me and that's the only reason I put up with black. They even buff the car twice a year for free (so far). If it wasn't for that I would have gotten silver or white as a second choice. My wife's car is silver and it stays outside because the dust doesn't show. It's also easier to wash because you don't have to as picky when drying the car, the water streaks don't show either, specially on a hot summer day when the car dries too fast and leaves spots.
Besides, I used to get my car washed twice a week mostly because the wheels looked so bad from brake dust. Now I have Porterfield pads and I only need to go in once a week.
Besides, I used to get my car washed twice a week mostly because the wheels looked so bad from brake dust. Now I have Porterfield pads and I only need to go in once a week.
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
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My experiences is that given a small amount of time (i.e. winter-time in Sweden) a brilliant silver car transforms into a desert silver one. This is a good thing, 'cause I really like both of these colors :p
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I actually think it's a bright red car. Hids everything. Silver and White do not hid the soot, the fog leaves on my car.
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Originally posted by tommy
To answer the original question, I'd assume that desert silver would be the best color at hiding dirt. Kinda surprised that MB-BOB hasn't piped in.
To answer the original question, I'd assume that desert silver would be the best color at hiding dirt. Kinda surprised that MB-BOB hasn't piped in.
Since Steve H. and I have the only Desert Silver cars (that I can recall) I suppose we have no one to back us up if we were to say that DS is the easiest color to maintain.
I've had several white cars and I found all of them easy. I've had a bright silver car that was equally easy to keep clean. I've also had an easy-go yellow, but MB doesn't play that shade. I've had dark silver (pewter) and Kelly Green... both might as well have been black.
But the Desert Silver honestly hides not only dust, but the brownish dirt. I only have to wash it when the wheels get unbearable. Wonder if I can have the front wheels painted DS?
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From: On a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay
c230k, black, auto, c2 (let the sunshine in), Bose, leather, and CD
Ahhh, you think that 'cause you live in Bush country (As a Democrat and some who was staff on Clinton/Gore '96 --- needed to drive American cars then -- just wanted to say thanks for "W") . When the fog roles in here. It leaves a blanket of soot on you car. When I had a silver car, it was dirty all the time.
Maybe your a Rep. Just trying to spice this boring thread up some!
Cheers,
Beth
Maybe your a Rep. Just trying to spice this boring thread up some!
Cheers,
Beth
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From: NYC
C32 AMG, C300 Sport
Had a color called Moondust...
It never looked dirty. Kind of a silver, gold overtone type color. Very nice.. seemed to change color in various light conditions. Black as mentioned is the toughest and anything light and grey is the easiest. Silver can probably go the longest without looking the grimiest.
.... and what kind of fog are you in leaving soot on the car?!!! nothing like that good ole Frisco air.
.... and what kind of fog are you in leaving soot on the car?!!! nothing like that good ole Frisco air.
Last edited by vinmanc32; Apr 11, 2002 at 08:39 PM.
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From: On a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay
c230k, black, auto, c2 (let the sunshine in), Bose, leather, and CD
It's strange. Every car gets it, it come right off the ocean, rolls through the Golden Gate, past Alcatraz (sp), turns a right at Russian Hill, follows the cable car up the hill, and attacks my car. Black is actually easier with this issue.
With the exception of a few islands, the closest land is 6000 miles west. The only thing I can thing of is fog needs to form around dust the way rain drops do.
With the exception of a few islands, the closest land is 6000 miles west. The only thing I can thing of is fog needs to form around dust the way rain drops do.
Last edited by galaxygrrl; Apr 13, 2002 at 02:06 AM.
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Geez, Galaxygrrl, poor gas mileage, and now toxic fog, too? I'd start looking for some pix suitable as an avatar on that Joan Jett website...
Haven't always voted Republican, but I've never voted Democrat. Nixon genuinely disappointed me, but not as much as trying to talk morals and accepting responsibilities with three teens during the "it all depends on how you define 'it' " Clinton years.
I've always been taught not to talk religion, money and POLITICS in police society, so I apologize in advance.:p
Haven't always voted Republican, but I've never voted Democrat. Nixon genuinely disappointed me, but not as much as trying to talk morals and accepting responsibilities with three teens during the "it all depends on how you define 'it' " Clinton years.
I've always been taught not to talk religion, money and POLITICS in police society, so I apologize in advance.:p
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Well we've already talked about politics so I thought it was safe (some other thread, I don't remember) I have a bad week and you call me Joan Jett.
I'll just look for an oppertunity to throw a zinger your way. And can I just point out you've been a bit grumpy lately. But even grumpy you're still fun!
[BTW, nobody was more disappointed with Mr. Clinton than those of us who elected him and worked for him (we just couldn't say it when he was in office). ]
I'll just look for an oppertunity to throw a zinger your way. And can I just point out you've been a bit grumpy lately.
But even grumpy you're still fun![BTW, nobody was more disappointed with Mr. Clinton than those of us who elected him and worked for him (we just couldn't say it when he was in office). ]
Last edited by galaxygrrl; Apr 13, 2002 at 05:26 AM.
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a Freudian slip?
Originally posted by MB-BOB
I've always been taught not to talk religion, money and POLITICS in police society, so I apologize in advance.:p
I've always been taught not to talk religion, money and POLITICS in police society, so I apologize in advance.:p
Are you a totalitarian?
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Originally posted by MB-BOB
Nixon genuinely disappointed me, but not as much as trying to talk morals and accepting responsibilities with three teens during the "it all depends on how you define 'it' " Clinton years.
Nixon genuinely disappointed me, but not as much as trying to talk morals and accepting responsibilities with three teens during the "it all depends on how you define 'it' " Clinton years.
Let me see: how hard to explain is underage drinking, accepting a victory that you really didn't win, pulling frat pranks during Vietnam War protests, selling your soul to a utility company, your vice president profiting from selling to Iraq, and having a double-digit IQ yet still rising to the top through connections?
I still don't get all of this anti-Clinton stuff. It's hard to swallow (yes, pun intended) little miss Monica as the innocent victim.
