Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum. I have currently put a 2003 coupe on hold from a dealer. It is silver, auto, leather, roof, c4 w/zenon, and has 6 disc cd. I was making a joke to the dealer about how it was crappy that they charge for silver and he said the paint is better than the "stock" three colors. (I was deciding between black or silver.) He stated that the metalic paint doesn't allow dirt to "bond" to the finish like the black would. He also went on to say that the silver would not need to be waxed were as the black would require waxing and more care. This sounds kinda far fetched, but this will be my first benz and I have mainly bought Chevy's all my life so I have no idea. :oops: So is the dealer selling me a line or is this fact? Thanks guys in advance!

he probably meant that the silver won't need to be waxed as much as a black c230

I can understand what he's talking about though
My black c230K attracts all types of particales

if you look up close it takes in everything
but if you're a safe distance then
you can see that my car is bling blinging

It's true that silver and other exotic colors cost more

It's about 600 or 700 dollars more because the paint that they use is not factory paint

Thanks for the reply Kelly.

I too live around Chicago and hope to be looking to get my benz soon. The salesman I talked to went as far as saying the car care kit they sell for $98 is a placebo, and that it does nothing for the paint. He says that he even tells people this and they still request it because they feel they have to wax their car.

My choice would be BLACK! :)

Black is the hardest color to maintain. It shows every speck of dust and if there are any swirls or scratches, they are very visible. Silver is the easest to maintain. It hides dirt well and swirls and scratches are not as visible on silver.

All paints need to have some sort of protection. Wax is time consuming and doesn't last long. Polymer sealants such as Klasse or Zaino provide much better and longer lasting protection. Zaino is like an SPF 44 sun block. It is what I use and I am very happy with Zaino products. It can be time consuming to put on, but it lasts a long, long time. It put on several coats in November and it still looks good. For more information see the Zaino Brothers (http://www.zainobros.com) web site. Many people use Klasse polymer sealant. Both brands are very good.

.....

Lynn,

What Zaino products do you use/recommend? Is there ones that work better for you? How about for the leather interior?

Thanks, and I can see I am gonna be getting a little nuts with my new car..

I use Z-1 Polish Lok, but I would now recommend ZFX instead. I use Z-2 Show Car Polish for Clear Coat Paint, and will use Z-5 Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches when neccessary. I wash the car with Z-7 Show Car Wash and between washes I use Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray as a quick detailer and to clean up bird, droppings, bug splats and tree sap. I also use it between coats of Z-2 for a deeper glossier finish. Z-6 can be used as a lubricant when claying your car.

I use Z-12 Glass polish on occasion. Of all the Zaino products this is the only one that requires any elbow grease to use. I use Z-16 Tire Gloss, which isn't all that "glossy". It restores the "new" look to tires and other rubber pieces. I have Z-14, which is a cleaner and polish for hard plastic, but I haven't use it yet.

People who have tried Zaino products for leather do not recommend them. Try Lexol cleaners and conditioners. Also, many people like Meguairs leather wipes. I will be trying those in the next month or so.

When I picked up my car from the dealer, they had it prepped for me. This included waxing my car. Is there a time frame between now and when I should put a coat of zaino on? Also, if this is true, what do/can I do in the meantime to maintain the finish?

Thanks

SilverC, a top quality wax may be good for about two months, and I doubt the dealer used a top quality wax. If you decide to go with Zaino, strip the old polish by washing wth Dawn dishwashing detergent before applying Zaino.

SilverC had said that the dealer told him/her that the paint is better than the stock three colors. i have a white color. does that mean that is more likely to be demage by like washing, or rain, or whatever... the "naturals" ...like outside factors i suppose. i don't really have time to wax or polish it, but if there was just like a bird droppings or water stained dirt, i would just wipe it off with a napkin and water.....is that bad considering the color of my car?

Your white car will not show swirls and scratches as badly as dark colors. Wiping the car with a napkin is not a good idea. You can buy several small microfiber towels and a bottle of quick detailer at Pep Boys, Autozone, etc. to clean up the bird droppings.

I have a black 02 c230 in black. I would get the black because it blends much better with the back of the car. The c230 has a spoiler that is attached to the back of the car, underneath it is a glass section that tends to look much better when the car is black. Look at it, it makes a huge difference. Black is classy, and although I love silver, black stands out in any occasion. Come on, you are driving a benz, most of the best looking benzs that I have seen have been in black. If you have the time, get black, but if you are lazy, go with silver. Paint is a paint is a paint, the silver just hides dust better. Any metallic finish will do this, of course, the specs of metallic blend with the dirt.

um, hello, it is not as if people who don't get black are lazy...i just think that they also have better things to do than to clean thier car everyday. While black is a nice classy looking color, it is very hard to maintain its cleanliness, especially for those who drive it a lot or who don't have a garage to park it in. I live in an apartment complex where i ahve to find parking where it is available (most of the time it is in an area with trees hovering over), even though i may use the parking with cover, dirt will still cling to the car and in order to make it look nice everyday , that almost seems inconvenient for those who just don't have the time. I am a college student with almost like 10 hour days at school. while i love my car a lot, i do not want to spend the extra hour ...or hours...i could be studying or sleeping or socializing to be cleaning my car. As for people who are older, duh, they have jobs too.....can't always spend time cleaning their car too. I mean cleaning it once a week is fine, but with black, it seems that the dust is just more easily noticeable.

I agree hlea34 thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking 8O

ok! everyone relax. we all have a reason why we picked the color benz we picked. no one is right, no one is wrong. it is a personal choice. thankfully there are many colors so we are not all driving the same color car. how boring would that be. those of you who picked black know that you are going to have to spend more time washing and polishing to keep your car looking good. while those of us who picked SILVER are racking up the miles CRUISING.

Black is harder work than other colours but worth it.

One word for swirls in the paintwork: Zymol

It also smells like coconut 8)

This is my baby just after being Zymol'd

http://www.daven.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/merc/merc.jpg

very nice looking car zygote! so clean and shiny!

I'm looking into buying zaino wax. I'm wondering if my black c230k sedan is a clear coated paint or "regular paint".

Thanks! :)

So far as I know all cars are now clear coat and have been for several years. MB's are definitely clear coat.

Go black! It may need to be washed frequently, but it looks bling blingin' wow! Anyway, who doesnt want to wash their new benz frequently!!!!

I like Magma Red and use Meguires, easy to get and from what i have read just a good as the other waxes.

A white paint job, does the best job of covering dirt. A car has to be really filthy to show on a white paint job. due to whites reflection of all colors. black absorbs all colors.

Black is harder work than other colours but worth it.

One word for swirls in the paintwork: Zymol

It also smells like coconut 8)

This is my baby just after being Zymol'd

http://www.daven.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/merc/merc.jpg
Is Zymol a wax or a polish. I just don't want to remove a layer of finish with one of those "get rid of swirls by getting rid of a layer" kinda product.

Sorry for the late reply.

Answer is, I don't know!!! :?

I guess it's a polish since it does feel "powdery".

Any wax is better than no wax. I've not heard of any new technology in paints that would not need to be waxed. If it exists, you can bet MB isn't using it as a stock paint. I've always used Meguire's cleaner wax, and I've used the MB kit (which is Mequire's also). Might try the Zaino products sometime as they seem highly recommended.
No matter what you do for black it is still going to show everything. That's the price we pay for having that occasional liquid black look when it's freshly detailed.
You should never wipe your car with any sort of paper napkin, towel, etc. as it WILL scratch the finish. Also, try to resist the urge to wipe anything off of a dirty car, even with your hand. It's like rubbing sandpaper on the car.

Loved reading all these articles.

I have a brillant silver that I treat with no wax. I feel wax holds dirt particles. I can't prove it, it's just a sense.

I polish (no abrasives, same as a good wax in that respect) and polish often because of my location. I think I am correct in assuming all Benz paint is clear-coated now. I know my silver is.

So all I am doing is polishing a sealer. I am sold on Mequiars. I also use their leather conditioner. It seems to allow the original scent of the car to be maintained, not overshadowed.

I have used Zaino products. Great stuff. It almost comes down to what do you prefer, blondes or brunettes. I like both.

Lynn, I agree that their tire care does not give what I am looking for. I use Meguiars gel. Great product.

I recommend Liquid Glass
a polymer polish containing ultra-violet sunscreen inhibitors,moisterizers,conditioners,rust prohibitors
add layers for added protection and recommended to allow vehicle to "bake"in the sun between coats to increase the bonding of polish to the paint or clearcoat
my coupe is three weeks old and I'm up to the 7th coat
looks like a show car
working towards 12 before the road salts hit her this winter aaaargh
wva