I'm interested in using my tax return in painting my car.
It's a 2004 brilliant black and the original owners didn't take too much care in cleaning, maintenance, or respecting the car.



I really like flat/matte/satin black paint on our cars, and really any car to be honest. I was just wanting to know a few things about maintaining the paint, protecting the paint, what to expect out of it. Does it show dings easily? What about scratches? Just any info would be nice.

I don't want opinions. I believe most people on here follow the "I like it and it's my car" way of thinking. That's the way to go.


Thanks in advance.

 

I wanna see a 8 with flat black, anyone got any pics?

 

theres one on here somewhere with a wide body and flat black...looks sick

 

^You were saying...

 

I think only a modified 8 would look good Flat Black (as posted above)

But **** man go for it, it's one of the sexiest paints out there...

 

the first pic is sick, i remember seeing that pic the first time I ever visited these forums.

 

instead of painting it, why dont u wrap it. Flat colors will eventually polish with the elements and it'll look uneven. Im not sure how much wraps cost but im sure its cheaper than a good paint job

 

lets go EXtreme and take this fat black 8 alittle further. My hardcore 4x4 buddies will Rhino coat there bodies to get that added insurance against severe offroad abuse like thick wild brush,tree branches,small rocks and stuff.... so if your going to flat black it, why not go that extra mile and and get a coating that will withstand anything you can throw at it...........

 

he is right...flat black will either polish or scratch rather quickly....and once that happens you need to repaint it fast or it will look terrible...with a vinyl wrap you can do it for a fraction of the cost and it will look just as good

 

Couldn't you clear coat it?

Of course it will look a little different but it will still be flat.

 

in case anyone wants a comparison the first set is painted, the second set is vinyl wrap. personally i think the vinyl looks better, flatter.

 

i saw that same 360 in my town last summer, with the vinyl sticker

 

there is a matte clear you can apply to protect it from the elements FYI...talk to a qualified body shop to get the straight answer...you will get nothing but opinions and half truths on this subject here.

 

looks like it took some damage to the drivers door as well

 

very cool i didnt know that, course ive only ever seen flat black a couple times. and never the vinyl wrap

 

^yup, that's the benefits of being an automotive paint tech....

I have painted small parts of cars with matte black and holds up well. I have not done entire cars or anything...we don't really do any custom work...so that's why I suggested to talk to a qualified body shop.

I do like the idea of the vinyl wrap though because it is reversible if you ever sell the car.

 

Those Ferraris look sick! Matte black FTW!

 

Actually the SpeedSource 8 is wrapped, I talked to them about it down at Daytona I was interested to hear why they went with a Flat black paint (aerodynamic properties, when I would see every other car being waxed and polished to have the slickest car they could possibly get) one of the techs told me it was a vinyl wrap and I was correct in my assumption but the wrap actually weighed less then the combined coats of paint, thus being more efficient. Now I would have deffinately expected that responce from an F1 team but I was a little suprised that they had thought that through...

 

I thought about the vinyl wrap, but the local stores in my area are under skilled, and they overcharge. I honestly could probably go to a dealer around here and get it painted CHEAPER than I can get the local shops to vinyl it. That is no exaggeration.


The more and more I think of it, it's highly likely I will have to travel to get the desired results anyway. Right now its all up in the air. I'm very willing to do it, but I don't want to invest in something that will bite me in the *** 8 months later. I believe putting that much money into anything, should get results. So I'm being as careful as I can.

 

How modified do you think it should be? I believe the majority of us would dig a wide body, or even just a MS kit, but its not really financially sound for a full time student and cell phone salesman. The car needs a paint job, and that why I'm falling on the sword. I much rather would toss that money into an exhaust system, high flow cat, etc. but the car needs some help. I just got the AP from MazdaManiac, so that should suffice for the performance upgrades for say... maybe a month.

I really like the lines on the 8. I think that the car with the aero package and dropped about an inch with my black wheels would look superb.

 

Flat black is awesome, i dont think all cars can pull it off.

 

I say do it!

 

i have painted a jeep flat black with a buddy its a one stage paint and a matte clear over it it was pretty cheap paint