I'm still confused about cut/buff/polish on white paint...

[Paul A.]

I have always been and remain somewhat confused about how we sometimes say we can get away with not correcting white paint as fully as we do darker colors. There are even some product descriptions that suggest refinement may not be needed for white.

My goal on every job is to flatten the paint as much as possible to maximize reflectivity of light. Sure, I understand white hides so much but aren't we always after the flattest and most reflective paint possible?

Why do we give white vehicles a mulligan?

[Setec Astronomy]

Why do we give white vehicles a mulligan?

Because we're lazy? Because we want to remove the minimum paint possible? Because if you're working on a car that's not yours and isn't going to get treated like yours you're just shoveling swirls against the tide? Because we're trying to service the customer by giving them the best value and it's easier to get a white vehicle to look good than a black one so we can charge less for a white one?

Take your pick. I'm not saying I fall into one of those camps but I'm just trying to give some answers to your question.

[boosteddub69]

I think when you're doing a customer's car, you work to the correct level of diminishing returns while making sure to do the job that you quoted.

As an owner of a white car, when I work on it, my goal is to correct all of the major defects, bring the level of shine up to my standards and then feel good about the job I've done.

[WillSports3]

I think it's because white is harder to get right than black, harder to see everything so the time you would spend on fully correcting white paint will be longer than black so it comes down to business. If you're ok with spending an extra hour compounding out a car and polishing it to refine it and checking with a swirl finder every five minutes for the same price, then do it but I think for a lot of people it comes down to business sense for them.

[Paul A.]

Great answers guys and got me thinking. Thanks for your perspectives.

[FUNX650]

IMO:
It's kind of like some people giving
a mulligan to the roofs of p/u trucks,
(regardless their color), and other
"taller"...[ie: difficult for Customers
to see]...areas/surfaces of similar
vehicles: SUVs, Crossovers, etc.


Bob

[LSNAutoDetailing]

No confusion here Paul A! I treat a customers white vehicle no different than any other color. The process remains the same.

Before:






After:

[Just02896]

Vehicle color makes no difference to me. The biggest deciding factors when it comes to level of correction are my clients budget and expectations.

[2black1s]

I think it's because white is harder to get right than black, harder to see everything so the time you would spend on fully correcting white paint will be longer than black so it comes down to business. If you're ok with spending an extra hour compounding out a car and polishing it to refine it and checking with a swirl finder every five minutes for the same price, then do it but I think for a lot of people it comes down to business sense for them.

I agree completely with your first sentence. I'm an old car painter and I always found white to be the hardest color to wet sand and buff because you simply cannot see what you are doing as easily as other colors.

I'm also in the camp that the color does not dictate the results I strive to achieve... Regardless of color, near-perfection is always the goal.

[RaskyR1]

I have always been and remain somewhat confused about how we sometimes say we can get away with not correcting white paint as fully as we do darker colors. There are even some product descriptions that suggest refinement may not be needed for white.

My goal on every job is to flatten the paint as much as possible to maximize reflectivity of light. Sure, I understand white hides so much but aren't we always after the flattest and most reflective paint possible?

Why do we give white vehicles a mulligan?

For me the only time this comes into play is when the owner is on a budget and only wants a 1-step correction, even when it needs more. 1-steps are always a give and take and I explain that to the client and let them decide if they want more gloss or more correction. Since light colors make it harder to see things light faint DA haze you can usually get away with more correction while leaving that paint looking good, even though it's not as refined as it should be. FWIW, I really don't like doing this and it's only come up a few times.