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Black AV Owners

Ger

Full Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2002
Messages
29
I hve a black Av and love the looks of it . My question/complaint is this , it scratches easy.. and I know everyone says thats black , shows everything.
Well I have had black before and half of the guys at work have black trucks and thiers is more resistant to scratching.
If someones just touches it I have a scratch.
Could GM have a problem with the paint , I think it should be a bit better than this.
 
Count me in on this one. After having Black Chevy's my whole life, this AV takes the cake with the poorest quality paint job I've seen. :8:

It almost appears to be paper thin. I know I can expect some normal daily driver scratches, but this is rediculous. The only panel on my vehicle not scratched is the one the body shop replaced & re-painted.

I had my 2000 Silverado for almost 2 years before I traded for my AV. It didn't have any of the scratches I can count on this one.

Also, most of these scratches go all the way down to the primer. Makes me sick. :D:
 
Some dealers will try to sell you a clear coat package when you buy your AV but we decided here that you can do much better on your own. We have a topic around here. Let me dig it up.

goo929
 
avalanche girl said:
I have a black Av. Is there a protective clear coat that can be added to prevent this from happening?

The body already has a clear coat finish. I believe the problem lies with the amount of black paint applied, or should I say lack of.

There is a "teflon protection package" the dealer has, but as GOO said, there is another post in here somewhere that nullifies it.

Also, my body shop manager indicated that it really is nothing more than a glorified wax job with a little teflon in it. No sense in wasting your money on it.
 
BUDMAN said:
There is a "teflon protection package" the dealer has, but as GOO said, there is another post in here somewhere that nullifies it.

Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot :rolleyes:

Here's the topic I was talking about ...

Paint sealant?
 
We have an Onyx Black Z66 built 12/01, and I've never noticed a problem with the paint. This is our second black vehicle, with our past 300M being Deep Slate, a sort of metallic charcoal black color. That was the first car we cleaned fully each week, but it was sort of an experiment. The paint on that car was thin, and the hood had quite a few micro chips after a year and a half. It had some swirls too, but that was mainly caused by me.

Now, with the Av, I know what I'm doing and use only the best, usually expensive stuff. I also have been operating a small detailing business this summer, so detailing is second nature. Currently, I have 13 coats of polish/sealant on our Av and always wash and QD weekly. In contrast to everyone else it seems, I've always had the impression that it has a high quality paint job, and even had someone comment on it saying "you can tell it has a very good paint job...looks like a show car without any orange peel or imperfections." I can also honestly say that there are virtually no swirls or scratches in the paint since purchase in March. No paint chips either.

A lot of cars have cheap, thin paint jobs anymore, a result of cost cutting. Your best bet is to take the best care you can, using only the best stuff that you can afford to protect & beautify your Av, especially black. Oh, by the way, I have 3 coats of Klasse All-in-One, 3 coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze, and 7 coats of Platinum Ultimate Paint Protection.
 
There is physics involved here...since black will show any mark that is lighter in color and also since black absorbs light you do not get scatter light rays back which hide the swirls.....

IE....Black and other dark colors will show more swirl marks...you must take care not to induce swirls...if you get swirls then you must remove them...light colors on the other hand reflect more light back to the eye from all directions which kinda cancels out the swirl marks.....

IF you really want to see the swirls drive your truck at night to a gas station that has those mercury vapor (blueish tint) lights and then look at your paint.....you will be shocked....In the sunlight you will see less since the light source is more scatter from surrounding objects and the sun......

Under direct lighting you can see more...get some halogens on a tripod and park your truck in the garage and shut the doors...black out the windows and turn them spots on.....Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk..... but then pull it back out into the sun and it will not look as bad.....

When I say swirls I mean any light mark in the clearcoat.
 
I agree with the physics....I have a black AV and it shows everything and takes a lot of time to keep looking sharp. I have noticed little scratches, more than usual... I live on the edge of town and despite all surface streets, our home is 200 yards down a dirt road. Fortunately taking care of the AV is a labor.
 
I have a black Av. This is the second black vehicle I've owned. I haven't noticed any problems with the paint job. I wash & detail just about every week and I've not noticed an unusual amount of scratches or swirls. Although I must say every time I clean the Av, I'm reminded of why I said I wouldn't buy another black vehicle (even though I did). But it's worth it once they're all clean and shiny. ;D
 
I got my black Av in March. It sits out, most week ends, in a dusty parking lot. It looks real bad by Monday morning. :mad:

I have no scratches or swirl marks in the paint yet. ;D

Be sure to rinse real good before washing. I usually run mine through a touchless pressure wash and then take it home to finish drying.
 
I try to wash mine at least once a week and add a coat of Zaino every 3rd wash. We are having our wettest summer on record so I have had a difficult time washing it and keeping from getting rained on. I have been very meticulous in my care of the Av and where it gets parked (see the "Where to Park" topic). Yet, it does have some interesting "character" now which I attribute to the color. When I clean her up and get her nice and shiny, it looks as good as new. I do have about 4 chips (3 small on the hood and one on passenger A-pillar). I knew going in on a black truck (this was a wife directed color choice) that it would be laborious to keep clean. But it is afterall a labor of ?:love:

Jamie
 
I do use good quality producs and was it probably 4 times a week . I am carefull where I drive and park. I do not have swirls just long scratches.
I know of one that my 3yr old did , she was inside and just put her fingers outside the window on the door and when I looked I had 4 small scratches. Her fingers were not dirty nor was the truck. If I put my finger on my truck anywhere and lightly drag my finger back I will scratch it .
I do not think this is right , I have had black befor and the Chrysler slate grey and nothing has been like this before.
I am waiting to try Zaino though
Ger :C:
 
Ger this maybe streaking from oils from the fingers and stuff....have you tried to wipe these using a Quick detailer and a soft towel...

If you have long swirls it could be from a car wash, your drying towels, Wax removal towels, etc etc...

Everytime you touch paint you have the chance of MARRing the clearcoat...they are not as hard as they use to be due to EPA regulations concerning VOC and other stuff to help the environment.....

All I can say is be careful...use high quality Micro fiber towels, Hand wash only, Apply wax/sealant in front to back motion on hood and roof & up and down motions on vertical panels.....this will help to hide the swirls since they will be orientated such that it is harder to see them.....

The Color Black as a friend of mine says is the true detailing test!
 
To all black Avalanche owners: GOOD LUCK

Trying to keep a black vehicle clean it to much like a full time job for me. I always wanted a black car for years. Now after having my 1995 Impala SS for 7 1/2 years I am glad to be rid of it. I loved this car but the black paint job was a joib to keep it looking good. My blue Avalanche is bad enough to keep clean but nothing compared to a black one. Sorry to here about easy scratching of the paint I hope I dont have this problem.


But ohhh how good that black Avalanche looks when shes clean,for the whole 5 minutes it stays that way. Ha Ha!
 
I own a Black 02' Z71 with all options and 12000 miles. ?Had my choice of all colors with all options including a North Face Edition. ?Black was the only choice for me and is the 3rd black truck I have owned.

In ?a nutshell - I would rather have a dirty black truck than an ugly truck and the Black AV rocks.
 
AVnorth said:
I own a Black 02' Z71 with all options and 12000 miles. ?Had my choice of all colors with all options including a North Face Edition. ?Black was the only choice for me and is the 3rd black truck I have owned.

In ?a nutshell - I would rather have a dirty black truck than an ugly truck and the Black AV rocks.

Well said AVnorth ?(y)

I would say the best color choice would be ANY of the colors that are used in Chevy Avalanche Commercials or magazine advertisements >:D
 
I have had black vehicles for the past 6 years, and yes, they are a pain to dry, scratch easily, and show dirt easily. BUT nothing shines like black, and nothing looks as bad a$$ as black >:D
When I was choosing my Av, I was telling myself not to get another black vehicle, but IMHO black is by far the best Av color. I either didn't like the other colors, or they didn't look right to me with the cladding.
However, this new yellow looks mighty fine. I'll have to se it in person before I can tell for sure though.


BTW - Here's a quick tip. Meguiars quick detailer, and a large pollishing cloth reside in one of my bins and are great for water streaks & spots after washing or for fingerprints and junk.
 
;D we also have a black AV, a black s-10 and a black motorcycle. Any light scratchs I find I take out with 3M imperial compound. There are no solids in the compound! This stuff is made for polishing base coat clear coat paints. I just put some on a soft rag and polish the scratch until its gone!
 
ygmn said:
Ger this maybe streaking from oils from the fingers and stuff....have you tried to wipe these using a Quick detailer and a soft towel...

quote]
Yes I have a quick detailer and a 100%cotton towel (made in USA)
I even find the stone chips are unbelievable, I don't hear them happen.
I really don't drive on the highway much.I would swear that the paint is not thick enough?

Ger
 
Yup - got the scratches - especially on the doors. Probably no more scratches than my red Grand Am, but they show up more on a black Av. Not much you can do about it, so I'm going to try not to get upset about it. Although with such an investment you'd hope to keep the truck perfect looking.

If only I had time to wash and detail the Av once a week....... :cry:
 
zimmsAV said:
BTW - Here's a quick tip. ?Meguiars quick detailer, and a large pollishing cloth reside in one of my bins and are great for water streaks & spots after washing or for fingerprints and junk.
It's kinda scary how we think alike. ;D
 
Ger said:
I even find the stone chips are unbelievable, I don't hear them happen.
I really don't drive on the highway much.I would swear that the paint is not thick enough?

again it is the new paints designed to comply with EPA regulations about VOC.....it is same thickness just has different stuff in it so it is not as durable as older paints.....

Try getting a LANGKA touch up kit...they will hide them after you get them...as for swirls and srcatches you will need abrasive products like swirl removers etc....

Good Luck
 
ygmn said:
Try getting a LANGKA touch up kit...they will hide them after you get them...as for swirls and srcatches you will need abrasive products like swirl removers etc....

Good Luck

What's involved with the LANGKA kit? I have minimal scratches on mine. These are outright chips in the paint, all the way to the primer. There has to be something better than what the General is applying. The paint on my last 2000 Silverado was much more durable.
 
I have had no problems with my paint (11,000 miles) no scratches. I use Zano Brothers on my vehicles. I have found that this wax is VERY hard and slick. It actually repels scratches. It also lasts a VERY long time between waxes.

Both my BMW 850 and my Chevy AV are scratch free. Finishes are like mirrors.
 
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