Ask the Car People.SM


Does silver paint fade - READ ONLY

18 messages,  Last post on Aug 31, 2001 at 10:36 PM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair - Archived Discussions Forum.

This discussion is ARCHIVED. To reactivate the discussion, post a request in the Lost? Ask the M&R Host for directions! discussion.

Messages Page 2 of 2

#9 of 18 Peeling paint by andre1969

Aug 21, 2001 (8:17 am)

I think it was around 1988 that car makers were forced to use "environmentally friendly" primers and paints on cars, and this is what led to all that peeling and stuff. Didn't clearcoats start getting popular around that time, as well? I believe they had problems with them, as well. But those late 80's/early 90's cars, I don't think it mattered who the manufacturer was, or what the color was...your chances of getting a peeler were about the same.
 
The '86 Monte I used to own was two-toned, dark gray and silver. The hood and roof were dark gray, and everything else, including the trunk lid, were silver. On that car, the silver held up better than the gray. That car was from the era where paints would fade and get "crows feet' as the metallics burned out and deteriorated. I'm sure if it was a few years newer, it would've done the peeling routine, instead!
 
As for one color being more prone to fading, wouldn't it almost make sense for a darker color to fade more quickly, since it absorbs more heat? So in that case, I'd expect something like dark blue, dark gray, or black metallic to fade quicker than something like a light blue or silver.

#10 of 18 by namfflow

Aug 21, 2001 (12:14 pm)

Depending on how you care for it all colors will eventually fade.
 
What I don't like about silver is that as it fades it ends up looking like grey primer. If I want my care to look like it is primer than I'll just finish it in primer.
 
Silver is one of those colors that you get when you have no style.

#11 of 18 Silver is now the #1 color by mrdetailer

Aug 21, 2001 (1:19 pm)

It even passed up white. So we can't say it's not stylish any more.
 
Nissans are known to have problems with their paint currently, and silver and gold are the most brittle colors.

#12 of 18 by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Aug 21, 2001 (2:31 pm)

The silver paint on my Benz is original and still looks fantastic. It is a 1980.

#13 of 18 silver paint fade by 1981corvette

Aug 23, 2001 (12:03 am)

been painting custom motorcycles for over 20 years. Reason for silver fading or forming spots is the metallic pigments. The metallic pigments migrate together to form those dark and light spots which cause the color to look faded. Also the metallic pigments start to lie down which reduces the refraction of light through the depth of the paint. Something like a diamond that has no inclusions versus one that has a bunch of inclusions. If you must have silver, keep it out of direct sunlight for extended periods of time or face the results of fading.

#14 of 18 The secret to paint longevity... by wtd44

Aug 23, 2001 (9:39 am)

I learned this fact the hard way, you might say! I have sprayed many gallons of automotive paint on cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Pick pastels with no metallic. You'll be happier longer.

#15 of 18 2002 E320 by martye320

Aug 24, 2001 (9:43 am)

I'm trying to decide on leasing a MB E320. If I lease it for 5 years, will the dealer say that the paint has faded on a Silver Metallic car and stick me with extra costs in the end? I know that they charge heavily when you buy the car for metallic colors, so I don't want to contribute more for something that won't be mine anymore.
 
Otherwise, I'll go with white ext. and grey inside. Any experiences?

#16 of 18 Mercedes talk by bretfraz

Aug 24, 2001 (2:59 pm)

I think we have covered this here in the previous 14 posts. Merecedes applies one of the most advanced paint jobs available on any car today. But if you don't take care of your car, things go wrong. I cannot imagine any Mercedes owner not keeping their mega-buck car looking its best. With regular washes and wax jobs, there simply should not be a problem.
 
Defects happen and if your car has a defective paint job, make sure you get it taken care of by the dealer. Chances are if your car has a problem so do others. A finance company will have a hard time justifying charges outside of wear and tear if hundreds of E320's have documented paint problems.
 
If this is an issue with you, discuss with the dealer before buying. The finance company may be able to provide you with the lease maturity documentation they provide to leasees that have cars about ready to come off lease. The dealer also may have some of this paperwork for you to review. No harm in asking.

#17 of 18 White is an incredibly good color. by mrdetailer

Aug 24, 2001 (3:14 pm)

I have a silver car that I repainted about 3 years ago. I have an 11 year old white car on it's original paint coat. Glazing and Waxing are just as good on both colors. There's a reason White has been a best selling color for years.
 
1. Cooler. It reflects more heat and car interiors in the summer are considerably cooler.
 
2. Paint doesn't get as hot. Simple physics again. I can leave my white car in the sun while I wash the others and it still stays cool. Nothing reflects sun and heat like white.
 
3. White pigments are harder than other paint coats. I fill in rock chips on a regular basis. Even though it has more road miles each year than my other cars I only have to fill in about a quarter of the chips.
 
and Ironically, it is the easiest car to keep clean.

#18 of 18 white, good and bad by swschrad

Aug 31, 2001 (10:36 pm)

the pigment for white, titanium dioxide, is about the most stable compound out there (outside of carbon black for, you guessed it, light yellow )
 
the bad side of white is that up here in snow country, you don't see white cars and trucks until the airbag deflates for half the year. but it's a fine base for everybody's corporate signage to be applied over, so that boosts the sales of white a very significant amount indeed. IMHO ought to be a law that white vehicles get vinyl letters and/or stripes before going on the road.

Messages Page 2 of 2

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement