Mustang Colors Over Time

[UMDrummer]

I am in the market for a new Mustang next MY. I've always had dark colored Mustangs, and I can't deal with the upkeep anymore on those colors. I am very anal when it comes to keeping my car clean; I wax it once a month at least.

My question is: how does race red, ruby red, or triple yellow hold up over time, in terms of swirl marks or scratches? My black and lava red Mustangs obviously showed every little defect. I would like to get a real "color" mustang with lower upkeep. Of course magnetic looks awesome, but I feel like everyone has that color. Will I regret another more potent color in 5 years?

I went to a dealership lot and it looked like their race red Mustang already had swirl marks on it with 0 miles. Can anyone help rate upkeep and longevity between race red, ruby red, and triple yellow?

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[Rdot9]

Grabber Blue looks pretty sweet for the 17s

 

[GT Nate]

if you want a color that hides swirl marks get white or silver. If you want a different color, correct the paint and then use proper wash/dry techniques.

 

[Hashbrownn]

or.. you can get it wrapped and not worry at all

 

[Martman GT]

My TYT has been a breeze to keep clean. The only parts of the car I have to keep an eye on are the gloss black stripes because they will mark up. A little scratch remover and liquid wax fixes the stripes right up. The yellow looks great all the time. Even taking the car to the local full service car wash hasn't caused any problems in regards to swirls or scratches. I've had the car 9 months and only waxed it twice. I do use a spray bottle quick detailer a couple times a month though. Keeps the paint feeling nice and smooth.

 

[Boss]

My Ruby red has been good so far,a foam gun is a good investment for dark coloured cars

 

[15wile]

Deep Impact Blue is hell to keep clean, and shows every blemish in stark contrast. But it's a beautiful color, so I really don't care.

 

[jasonstang]

lighter color generally show scratches less. Metallic paint will even hide the scratches better because how light is diffused.

 

[15wile]

lighter color generally show scratches less. Metallic paint will even hide the scratches better because how light is diffused.

Not quite accurate. Once the scratch eats all the clearcoat, metallic paint underneath looks very dull. No shine. Easy to see the scratch. And touch up paint is hard to level off right, too.

I have like 10+ scratches and nicks in the paint up front that I need to apply some clearcoat to, over the touch-up paint, if I actually want to hide them.

If you have a light silver metallic, though, you can probably get away with it. And flat colors are easier to touch up, don't always need to coat in clear.

 

[SF-2015 GT]

Since CO is being replaced with Grabber Blue, I'd go that route. The finish on my car seems to hide everything from dirt to marks. Even stone chips on the mirrors are virtually invisible. Good luck to you!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I am in the market for a new Mustang next MY. I've always had dark colored Mustangs, and I can't deal with the upkeep anymore on those colors. I am very anal when it comes to keeping my car clean; I wax it once a month at least.

My question is: how does race red, ruby red, or triple yellow hold up over time, in terms of swirl marks or scratches?

Since they all use the same clear coat (even Ruby Red), the actual swirls will be the same regardless of the color which I assume you know and care about how noticeable they will be. That boils down to how light the color is and if its metallic. Metallic reduces the noticeability of swirls and so does lightness. So of the 3 you mentioned, the yellow will show swirls less than the others by a good margin, followed by Ruby Red with Race Red a close 3rd (lighter than Ruby but not metallic). White is of course the best and a bargain in the US since Ford had to eat the extra cost here. Oxford White is an extra cost paint in other markets like the yellow and Ruby Red are. If a color is too mild for you, adding contrasting stripes can counter that.

 

[GTP]

My TYT has been a breeze to keep clean. The only parts of the car I have to keep an eye on are the gloss black stripes because they will mark up. A little scratch remover and liquid wax fixes the stripes right up. The yellow looks great all the time. Even taking the car to the local full service car wash hasn't caused any problems in regards to swirls or scratches. I've had the car 9 months and only waxed it twice. I do use a spray bottle quick detailer a couple times a month though. Keeps the paint feeling nice and smooth.

[MENTION=19354]Martman GT[/MENTION] can you provide more details as to which products you used? I am afraid I have scratched through the shiny layer of my stripe in a couple spots, and that will lead to premature tanning. (The outer layer provides the UV protection.) Trying to decide if I should replace it or just wait it out.

 

[KevinG]

Metallic colors will reduce visible swirl marks. If any color is not washed and dried off with the proper washing/drying microfiber cloths, it will scratch up the surface. Ruby Red would be a good choice for you.

 

[Martman GT]

@Martman GT can you provide more details as to which products you used? I am afraid I have scratched through the shiny layer of my stripe in a couple spots, and that will lead to premature tanning. (The outer layer provides the UV protection.) Trying to decide if I should replace it or just wait it out.

Sure. I'm not as fanatical about my cleaning supplies as most seem to be here. Maybe I don't have to be because of the color of my car. Here's a pic of the products I use and I use the cheap micro fiber towels that I bought from Walmart. I found that I got better reflection off of the black hood vents so I took a picture under florescent lights to show the condition of the paint. When I use the Scratch Dr. I apply with damp micro fiber and buff off with dry clean micro fiber. For wax, I use the foam application pad damp and then buff off after drying with clean micro fiber. Detailer is again a clean micro fiber. Hope this helps.

 

[Cobra Jet]

To avoid swirls do NOT wash and wax your car like Daniel Son in Karate Kid...

Hand washing and hand waxing in a circular motion is what causes most swirls in clearcoated surfaces.

Think of the car as a piece of wood (or if looking at a sheet of stainless steel) - go with the grain. For those that don't understand that statement, it means if the grain was horizontal you would wash and wax side to side - NO swirling motion.

So for instance:
Sides of car = left to right
Roof = forward and back (from front to rear)
Front hood = forward and back (from front of hood to windshield)
Trunk lid = left to right

Another tip to avoiding clearcoat surface damage:
Do NOT apply force to the panel when washing or waxing. By applying force during washing, if any road debris is caught up in your sponge (or micro fiber), all you're doing is smearing that debris across the panel, causing the scratches. Thoroughly wet the panel, thoroughly soak the sponge or micro fiber in soapy solution and GLIDE it across the panel with very little pressure.

The same applies to hand waxing or hand polishing. The harder you press the more damage you can cause to the clearcoat IF any debris gets in between the applicator pad and surface (and it only makes it that much harder to remove the wax once dried as well).

*** If using a mechanical orbital, that's totally different from manually applying products by hand. Some folks think they need to apply heavy pressure by hand when it's not necessary and only prolongs the labor intensive process.

If using a mechanical orbital you do not need to apply heavy pressure when applying or removing wax or polish. Again you're letting the orbital do the work and merely guiding it across the body panel.

As far as Ruby Red, IMO it holds up well to normal fallout from weather and common road dirt/dust. Sure it's "dirty" but not as blatantly obvious as if it were a black, blue or dark green color.

Gray and Silver vehicles fair very well with "dirt", it's hidden well on those colors (having been previous owner of both colors).

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