Currently looking at a black car..
 

Alright. So I'd like opinions from those that own/have owned black cars. How much of a PITA are they to keep clean? Keep in mind that I live in a state where we actually have Winter (Illinois,) though I tend to clean my cars less during that period. I keep hearing horror stories about how impossible they are to keep clean, and how they seem to get dirty right away. Having a spotless car isn't terribly important to me, but it would be nice not to pay $200 every week to get it washed/waxed. Anyways, just looking to hear some thoughts from you guys. And I included some pics of the car in question :)

Everyone complains about it, but I've never owned one.

Black looks great when its clean. But I clean my car once a week in warmer months. In the winter months its another story : (

If you have a garage to put in it when it might rain you should be ok. I hated washing my car, and then the next day it poured and it would be covered in water spots.

...looking back I miss having the red Stang, but I LOVE my black one, thats why I want a black Cobra.

People who complain about cleaning thier cars are lazy nansie pansies and dont deserve to drive.

Next mustang i get i hope it is black. My last one was black and it was not that big of a pain to keep clean.

Nothing looks sharper than a high shined black stang driving at night. It is like an inky wet sea with razor sharp reflections sliding across the surface.

I could probably manage one $200 wash/wax per month. Otherwise it would have to be the usual $30 hand wash every week or two (with a light wax.) I do have a garage, but the car would have to sit outside when I am at work. I only live a mile from work though, so the car isn't exactly going to be a highway cruiser. Figure on less than 40 miles per week.

Can't you wash/wax the car yourself?

It's not that I'm lazy. It would just be nice to keep that money in my "mod" account. My current Racing Green Audi can go more than a month without being washed/waxed (except during Winter.) And I suppose it would be cheaper if I did it myself, but I am horrible when it comes to detailing. The only thing I am good at is wheels/tires :p

Practice makes perfect!

True. Kind of expensive to fix a mistake though :(

i love my black stang, and yes practice makes perfect, i know untill right about now i use to not be worth a crap, but i stuck to it and now i am decent, and i can almost get it done with no swirls...

but black is the best..

Black is more difficult to keep clean, especially in the pollen months. I washed/waxed my car this past Saturday for the meet and it was dusty as hell an hour later. I keep a California Car Duster in my trunk for that purpose. I think they take a little more upkeep than other colors, that's if you want them looking sharp all the time. I drove my car around for a week looking like a yellow pollen ball because I didn't have time to clean it. It was horrible. :o But once it is clean and shiny, every time you lay eyes on it, it's like a choir of angels singing from heaven.

You don't have to spend $200 a month to keep it washed/waxed. That is ridiculous. If you want to make sure you have mod money, then do the washing and waxing yourself. It isn't hard. Just buy some decent products, follow the directions on the bottles, and go to town. It would be hard to mess something up, unless you washed it with a brillo pad. Also invest in a good car cover. That could cut down a lot on your washing/waxing time.

why are you looking at buying a cop car?

So he can drive around and make everyone think he's an undercover cop, duh! :p

It's not all that bad. Just wash the car once a week or so and you'll be fine. Not sure why you need to wax it every month or so.

get a mercury marauder.



FTWWWW

It's hard to find a newer 4 door V8 for under $4500. P71's are the only option that I know of, and I've grown to like them. Marauders are a hell of a lot more, and you only get an extra 50hp over the Interceptors. Plus the P71's are bare-bones and built like tanks, so they are perfect for an engine swap/other mods. The only thing I plan on running off of the new engine is an alternator, unless I decide that not having power steering in a 3900lb car is too much of a PITA.

Sry but i gotta hate on ya for the cop car. But yeah 200 bucks per month is too much. Go and buy a bucket, car soap, wax, buffer(not nessecary but easier), brush or something to scrub with, hose, and a microfiber towel. Its like 30 bucks at most for all that and itll last you for a few months atleast
EDIT: meant 30 :P

...

did you mean 30 bucks?

I've always wanted a old P71 CV. Haha. I've ridden around with my mom her work vehicle, a Police Interceptor CV, with the spot lights and some other little stuff. Everyone thinks your a cop. No one will pass you and dumb-asses will hold up traffic because they think you can give them a ticket, fun.

As for having a black car; I love black, or any dark color. It looks the best when it's clean, but it's hard to keep it clean. Mine is covered in pollen right now. If you can deal with it not looking it's best all the time, then it's worth it, because when it's is clean, you drool. Black just takes a bigger investment of time. I like to wash mine once a week, I keep a California duster in the trunk, and dust it off every once in a while if I am trying to keep it nice.

I noticed something (new) that we sell at work yesterday. It's called the Black Box, and it's a complete multi-step detailing package specifically for black vehicles :). If I do go with this particular car, I'll have to give it a try. Price isn't too bad.. $20. If it goes on sale at some point, I can probably get it for $15.

Black is a personal favorite, my ranger and jeep are both black, and now half of the mach. Its not THAT bad to keep clean, I live down a gravel road as well, which makes it a little tougher on me than most, but I still go for the black.

sure black looks amazing but I wouldn't want a black mainly just because of how damn hott it gets here in Texas

Black is aweomse at the shows but I have to go back and clean it like once an hour from random dust and pollen and finger prints and drool and god knows what else

Well...the black looks clean at night no matter how dirty it is!

lol

and everything looks black if you close your eyes