Black MATTE paint?

[morgan-tec]

I will agree that the matte look is very cool but from what i have seen the finish is not as durable and a lot harder to maintain than a traditional one. It is much more prone to scratchs which actually show up shinny on the matte backround.

[MZ-N10]

i was thinkin something alone those lines, but more like a flat with a clear coat. i havent seen a car like that personally, but my friend says he saw an integra(i think) which looked good with paint like tat.

[Ldub]

I think it would be OK to go flat black, no more washing the car...just walk around it once in a while w/ a piece of cardboard for masking & a can of BBQ black to touch up the scratches, shiny & or dirty spots, bada-bing...yer done!

[transio]

Another option - you could just paint it black w/ clear coat and then leave it out in the sun for about 5 years and voila! Flat black!

[SilverBullet75]

Not sure how the application process works, but powder coat is very strong, and you can choose many different finishes, colors, etc... (probably VERY expensive).

[Jonnie]

Finger prints...

[morgan-tec]

Not sure how the application process works, but powder coat is very strong, and you can choose many different finishes, colors, etc... (probably VERY expensive).

Only problem with that is you need to bake the part you are powdercoating at 400 degrees for 10 to 20 min. So unless you want to strip the car of everything that will not withstand 400 degrees, including the epoxy they glue on the body pannels with this is not an option. But you are correct about the durability and strength of the process, far better than liquid paint in most applications.

[SGT.BATGUANO]

Try velvet paint. I think custom paint suppliers and por-15 carry it

[kobie]

Yesterday on "Pimp my Ride" they used a flat matte paint with a "flat" clear coat on top.

[WyrreJ]

Try velvet paint. I think custom paint suppliers and por-15 carry it

Interesting. Searching on google reveals that astronomers are super-interested in light-absorbing black treatments -- to reduce stray reflections in their telescopes. All the amatuer guys seem to swear by this "Nextel Black Velvet" paint which 3M used to make and now appears to be in the hands of this German company:

Company : Mackiewicz GmbH in Hamburg, Germany
Telefon : +49-40-751030; Fax:+49-40-75103375
Lack : 81121,Nextel Velvet, Schwarz (black),1kg 5kg 25kg
Thinner : 8061, Nextel Thinner

It also seems to be just as absorbant in the near-IR range as it is in the visible range while something like black-anodized aluminum is super-reflective in the near IR.

But, I have not been able to find out via google if this Nextel paint is good for exterior use or if it is interior only.

Now, I'm also wondering about carbon-fibre construction - can you mix weird stuff like paint or some kind of powder into the carbon fibre when it is molded? Or at least paint it afterwards without as much fuss as it takes to paint our regular cladding? I'm thinking that if those guys who are talking about CF replacement cladding can make the parts super-duper-permanent black, that would be a plus too, no more having to worry about treating the cladding to keep it looking black.