Why do white cars only look good at night?

**LastDetail** · 12-21-2005, 11:03 PM

SOOOOO Hey everyone!
It has been a while since I had the opportunity to do my own car, finals and customers have a way of making me not want to spend any time detailing my own car. But finals ended last Thursday and so Monday morning I got right down to business on my truck. (Don`t ask what I was doing between thursday and sunday. Not that I don`t want to tell, I just can`t remember!) Man was the truck terrible. Heavy swirling, lots of good ol` IFO, and some angry pigeon tattooed my hood. Yeah good times.

So I get the whole car done all pretty-like and then I run into a problem. I beleive that you can only fully appreciate a detailed white car at night, in the day-time they look great don`t get me wrong, but unless it is night you just don`t get that, ya know, POP. I mean look at the Bimmer from 1CleanW6`s thread right next to this one, deep pools of liquid paint goodness. You just can`t get that look on a white car during the daytime. But at NIGHT white looks awesome, you just can`t take pictures of it.

So tonight I set out to change all of that, I tried a lot of different combos and then think I found something that works pretty well, indirect halogen lighting, pointed at an angle away from the car. I have pictures at night with the flash that I am posting first, just so you get the idea of what I am trying to overcome.
Anyway here are the pictures and process, please give me feedback on what you think of this. Is it awesome or too artsy?

Process:
Megs NXT wash. with wool mitt. X2 (yea it was that bad)
Clay Magic clay
Gold Class wash
SSR3 with LC Yellow :gun_banda PC 5-6 (Swirls Pwned!)
SSR2.5 with LC Orange PC 5-6
EX-P X2
Natty`s by hand X3
Mothers Duration Tire Dressing

I hadn`t been planning to post this detail, because I have already shown my truck, so no "befores", Sorry.
Here are the night shots.

First with a flash:

Pretty disapointing, but then I got all camera geek and got THESE shots.

I am pretty pleased with the results, but I was wondering what you guys might think. Anyway sorry about this long post, hoping to get some good feedback, anyway that I might be able to improve it.

**BLACKWRX** · 12-21-2005, 11:27 PM

whats the deal with that civic hatch, it looks likes in full drag trim.......what do you have done to that thing

**LastDetail** · 12-21-2005, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by BLACKWRX

whats the deal with that civic hatch, it looks likes in full drag trim.......what do you have done to that thing

Oh thats my roomates race car. Yea full drag, NA ran an 11.7. But he just blew it up a couple weeks ago. He was running a 2.0 liter set-up, fully sleeved with custom pistons and extended stroke, Compression at 16:1. Fully ported and polished head with an aggressive intake manifold and throttle body. Fully gutted, full cage. Made 260 WHP. Not bad for all motor. But right now no motor at all thats why its on the driveway, he just tore down the motor.

WHAT ABOUT MY CAR!?!?!?!?!?!

**The Fuzz** · 12-21-2005, 11:52 PM

White only looks that good at night for the same reason every car looks better in the shade. It`s the only time it will reflect brightly lit objects. The rest of the time it just absorbs light and doesn`t reflect anything. That still looks pretty good at any rate.

Two smooth thumbs up.

**Miami_Sunset** · 12-21-2005, 11:56 PM

i HATE WHITE CARS. No matter how uch layers you add it`s hard to see the depth, wetness.

**The Fuzz** · 12-22-2005, 12:04 AM

Have you ever considered that white may not ever get deep or wet? You can`t expect all colors to do the same things. White isn`t like black. Black will never get bright like white will either. Compare apples to apples. If you can get your white car looking better than all the other white cars, then who cares if a black car is deeper? Again, it won`t ever shine like white, so you still win.

**Jngrbrdman** · 12-22-2005, 12:28 AM

I feel your pain on white. My last car was white and it was hard to get looking just the way I wanted. However, when it was all shined up and looking good I know it turned more heads than if it was black. Black is always shiney, but not everybody can get a white vehicle to look that good. If you can get white to shine then you can do anything. I loved having a white car because I knew that it kept me on my toes. I learned dang near everything I know about detailing on white cars.

**wytstang** · 12-22-2005, 12:29 AM

The money shot

If you want to really show off white yet have plent of lighting to show your work. Go to a parking garage at night and snap away, the dark yellow tint lighting garages use give well detailed white cars all the attention they need.

**LastDetail** · 12-22-2005, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by wytstang

If you want to really show off white yet have plent of lighting to show your work. Go to a parking garage at night and snap away, the dark yellow tint lighting garages use give well detailed white cars all the attention they need.

Oh man I really like that idea. I think a parking garage near me is in for a visit sometime soon.

Fuzz: thats a really good point. I beleive too that white doesn`t reflect like other colors, and that it absorbs a lot of light. My main frustration though was that I couldn`t get a picture to show the depth that I was seeing with my own eyes. I was really proud of how deep it looked, being white and couldn`t get the camera to work with me. Don`t you worry in my heart I know I am a winner. Maybe not a Smoooooth winner, but a winner nonetheless.

Jngrbrdman: Yeah, I have always had white cars. This is my third car and also my third WHITE car. I don`t understand why I can only get a good deal on white cars! The real irony is I always wanted Black, and my mother is the polar opposite of me, she always wants white and always gets good deals on black. Its enough to make a person cringe.

Thanks for the comments guys.