How to get THIS black finish?
 

A lot of black finishes I see seem to have too much reflectiveness and crispness to them. They almost look plasticy to me. Once in a while I'll see a stunning black finish such as the one below that just soaks up light and doesn't reflect too much of it back. How does one get that softness and depth (as opposed to the sharp and crisp reflectiveness?)

Btw, this pic is off of an Ebay auction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-996-TURBO_W0QQitemZ280056246430QQihZ018QQcategoryZ1015 6QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

well I had a black DAILY DRIVER for five years so I can speak with experience.
Allot of people will say try this brand or that brand and its not really to do with brand but the types of products.
The 'pool of water' deep shine vs. the sharp glassy shine has mostly
do with bio ingredients vs. synthetics.
Pure carnauba waxes give you that wet natural look but they aren't very durable unless you coat them with an anti-static or polymer sealant that works over carnauba.
The synthetic waxes/sealants dry up hard and last very long lengths of time. These look good on Silver and metallics. They give black and reds a candied finish which most people love but views are mixed among more discerning eyes.

to try to bridge the gap allot of synthetics are being blended with higher concentrations of carnauba.

But most of what you see in that photo is down to good prep. The swirls have been obliterated which keeps the overhead sun light from reflecting and allows the wax to show its depth. There is also a fair bit of layering going on there I imagine.

Some good carnaubas I've tried: Pinnacle $ouveran and Natty's Blue(for black).
But I wouldn't use either without FK 425 as pure carnaubas have sticky finishes that attract lots of dust and pollen.

p.s.
the 911 in that pic was dirty 30 minutes after the photo was taken.

I trust PL about Black, partially since I've never had one.. But, like pictures of potential brides in Uzbeckistan; what you think you see is not maybe what is...

http://www.yourperfectpicture.com/ca...4/DSC02659.JPG

Bert Smith Porsche does some of the better photography I've seen from car dealers on Ebay - excellent interiors, but much of what you end up seeing on a monitor is: camera, lighting and post-click production. This next one is the same pic..quickly run thru Photoshop with the pixels cut by half.

j i m

I suspected as much, just wanted it confirmed that it's the difference between a natural (carnauba) wax and a synthetic one. I especially thought Zaino finish pics I've seen are among the most shiny and reflective ones.

I agree that the 911 will be dusty 30 minutes after the photo but there's just something so beautiful about how black soaks up all light, especially on a curved Porsche body.

wetstuff, I agree lighting also plays a role and photos can be manipulated, but I've seen this difference in real life, as well. I see many clean black cars that are just too shiny, crisp and reflective for my taste, and once in a while I'll see one I like.

Z.

well the lighting on your 911 there is "legit" in the sense that the photo wasn't taken on an overcast day, or during dusk where the skytone reflection dials out all the swirling often found on black. That 911 picture (looking at the shadow under the car) was taken with the sun pretty much directly overhead. THis is where you can really see the state of black paint. Kinda like taking flood lights into the detailing garage to identify and polish out swirls. This particularly 911 is well prepared. Playing with resolution and contrast will increase the 'shine' or reflection but the depth of paint is not often faked in these type photos. But I'm sure a detailing product company can make anything look good for marketing purposes which I don't think is the case for these Ebay seller.

maybe Santa will get you a tin of $80 Pinnacle Soveran, even though the $25 Natty's Blue from Poorboys does an equally good job.

p.s.
why do people put crisco on their tires like that? tires should never be shinier than your paint. bling bling.

I have a black car and hate to drive it when it is dirty so I wash and detail all the time. Last weekend I was in a bit of a hurry, while shopping at Target for some microfiber towels I picked up some Turtlewax spray on wax (not sure exactly of the product??). You spray it on while your car is wet and wipe dry....I was very happy/suprised with the finished look. Plus I had it washed and clean in 45 minutes..... I will never give up on my Klasse products but for a quick detail job it worked great..

+1 Pinnacle Sovereign. I also like Zymol Concours. It's about $150.00 a tub, but it's good stuff. You're supposed to warm it up between your palms and spread it on with your hands, but I use an applicator.

..........and here's a similar thread in a parallel universe...

http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/83008-porsche-black-paint.html

Happy holidays all!


Ji m

autopia is great for how to's and finding good places to buy things.
But many many many subjective opinions run rampant on that forum.
Some people are fanatical about certain brands and are truly convinced
that there are huge differences between high end brands in the looks department based solely on brand. Not true.
The basic ingredient for each type of product are common across all
the brands just in differing concentrations which results in better durability
(not really an issue for a guy that's always cleaning) or less elbow grease required.

Be careful with the HYPE its making some folks very very wealthy. Some products you can only get from some brands like Plexus for isntance but the vast majority are equal within a small enough margin that even enthusiasts can't tell a difference. If I put my vote of confidence behind a product its because it really isn't offered by the others. There little if any examples of this.