107 SL Black Pearl
 

It's time to enter into a specific and pointed detail question about this paint.

First, lets acknowledge that the paint is 19 years old on my '88. I understand that the luster will never be as new.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me say that virtually everything I have used (including my beloved Zaino) has disappointed me.

The phenomena is, that after cleaning, polishing, claying, etc. after a few hours the shine appears cloudy. When you examine the car closely it has a super glossiness, rejects water, lasts for a long, long time and all of that good news, but at a distance and in photos the appearance looks cloudy.
I have looked at 100's of this color car on the internet and in person and the same phenomena exists. For example, depending on the way a photograph is taken the cloudiness is more dominant. (Take a look and you will see what I mean on EBay or any other site.)

All the steps within a Detail direction have always been followed explicitly, when I have worked on the paint on this car. Zaino gives a reflective shine, the best I have found, but it stills gives off the cloudiness when observed less than 24 hours after complete detailing. I had pretty much given up on resolving this problem until Zaino introduced the NEW Z-5. I used it yesterday and NO appreciable improvement in this cloudiness issue. So now that I have more time I am beginning to obsess over this problem again.

My question to all of you Black Pearl owners: Have you experienced the same thing, and what have you done about it, and better yet have you had any success?

This Post is after 7 years of ownership and the frustration has returned after a couple of years of ignoring the problem.

Goes to show that ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away!

As always, all help more than appreciated. :wacko:

Oh! to all of you comedians out there, I don't want a new paint job with another color. That's the easy solution! Obsessive people like to obsess not take the path of least resistance.

Mine is pearl black, but I never had that problem. I thought the original MB paint was very good quality.

Just the usual fight against bird droppings, dust, pollen, stone chips, and sadly, vandalism.

Mine isn't a trailer queen, I drive it to enjoy it, and to pick up the groceries!!:) Yeah, just what you need for that, a 149 mph grocery getter.

Tom

Take a close look at the photos of my car in the gallery. I should be on the last page or second to last page of the gallery list. The title is "Sadie Sadie Sexy Lady". Or try the link below

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=19

Im not sure if this car is Black Pearl or just plain Black. But you will notice two pictures one taken as I was driving into a car show and one taken after the car show with a trophy. These two pictures were taken the day after polishing and waxing with Meguires Gold Class past wax. You will notice the one driving into the car show has a haze on the paint. When I got out of the car I noticed this I was shocked and imidiately went over it with Mothers Instant Detailer. After that treatment it looked like the one with the trophy.

I have no idea why, maybe I just dident rub it out enough the previous day or maybe it was too hot to be waxing in August. I did do all my waxing and polishing in the garage. The next time I waxed it, again with Meguires in November, I did not have this problem.

John Roncallo

OK

It happened again. This time I had a proffesional detailer do my car because I just hurt my back in a skydiving hard landing. When I went to pick up my car it was all hazed and he had to buff it out. He did not know why but the car ended up excellent.

The one thing I can say that was true about both times this happened was that the job was done on a very hot and humid day. When I did this job on a cool November day last year no problem.

John Roncallo

Cloudy Black Pearl
 

I am not disagreeing with you on the temperature of the day when the detail takes place, but to me on my car it doesn't matter. Anytime of the year the cloudy appearance appears after less than 24 hours.

It is a shame we didn't get more Black Pearl Owners to comment because I think it may be the nature of the metallic paint on the car.

You are correct that Detailer sprayed on the car and/or buffing brings the shine back, but it doesn't last long. Still less than 24 hours.

I'm glad that someone else has experienced the phenomenon. I was beginning to think I was losing it!

I need to correct my post due to the comment of another subscriber. I mis-quoted my ownership as I confused the 560 with my BMW. I have only owned the 560 for going on 4 years. Just to set the record straight and correct my error. (Hope no one was offended!)

At any rate, the problem is REAL. I would like to hear from someone who can explain it, but alas it's apparant, not enough interest in this problem!

By the way, I secured the carpet for the shelf in the rear at an exhorbitant price and damn near cut my finger off installing it. Matters not, as the appearance is improved substantially.

Thanks for responding and continue to enjoy your fine auto!

Unique to Pearl Black?
 

Tom, do you think that this problem is unique to pearl black? The only colors I have ever heard were serious problems for fading and hazing were red and light blue. Those pigments seem to be the most succeptable to UV damage.

Hazing/UV Damage
 

Thanks for the response.

Are you saying that the phenomena I am experiencing is due to UV damage to the paint?

If so that at least tells me why the gloss fades after wax!

Thanks!

Not sure about black
 

Don't know for sure, but as black does absorb the most heat from the sun, it could be a factor. I'm not much of a paint expert, but I do know that colors vary in their reaction to UV.

The photographic industry has a source for information on the archival-keeping qualities of most products used within the industry. Maybe there is an equivalent to this for the paint industry.

My signal red car was also recently done with out any problems. My black car seems to have this problem but it never comes back after its re buffed out the second time. It just becomes a PIA when it shows up right at the car show.

John Roncallo

Did Mercedes use Base coat/Clear coat paints in the 80's?

you can buff a non metallic to look like glass, but a metallic paint that's not clear coat will dull like that...