I just had this article published in Total 911 - an excellent UK 911 magazine that I get shipped to the US. I thought those with black 911's might sympathize with me.

When you are first looking for what car you should invest those hard earned dollars in, you are thinking about how it will feel to sit in the driver’s seat and depress the accelerator, how it corners at high speed, the sound of the engine at high RPM.

What you are not thinking about is how much effort you are going to need to invest in keeping it looking like the day you bought it.

When I entered the showroom to buy my first P-Car it took me all of 10 seconds to zero in on the car of my dreams. A shiny new 2007 Carrera S, Black-on-Black, Turbo Wheels, Brakes and Wing Mirrors. It looked so fast just sat there on the showroom floor but I could only imagine what it would be like to drive.

Whilst I know there is a perceived undercurrent around Porsche drivers, specifically in this current financial climate, I have to tell you that driving the car away from the dealer a few days later I felt like an invincible god – pathetic I know!

Driving home there were a lot of “thumbs up” and “great ride” comments which only added to my perceived magnificence LOL!

I even managed to get a fitted Porsche car cover as part of the package which put my new baby snuggly to sleep that evening.

But – to my shock and horror – within 1 day of driving and parking it, it had a layer of pollen on it that made it look like it had been sat in a car lot for a year untouched.

And this, dear reader, leads me to the purpose of my missive. Whilst a black Porsche I believe is one of the best colors available for making your car look like what it is – a thoroughbred racehorse disguised as a car with grace, elegance, beauty and power- it soon turns into a labor of love to keep it to that level.

On a week to week basis I will look at the weather forecast to see the short to medium range forecast to see how much time I should invest in washing and polishing the car (which takes from 2 to 7 hours depending on how meticulous you are). It is all around return on investment – how long can I possibly keep it looking clean given the time I have to commit to it.

I am not a person interested in entering my car for Concors event or even as a garage showpiece, I have driven this car hard (30K miles in 2 years), but with a black car you have to take that mentality because EVERYTHING shows up on a black car.

It shows everything from water spots and pollen to the dreaded “Swirl Marks”. I think Swirl marks are likely the biggest cause of angst for black car owners because it does not matter how careful you are in cleaning your car (it goes without saying NEVER take a black car through an automatic car wash), swirl marks appear and will drive you to madness in how much they get to your psyche.

And this is when the madness begins….

You start by reviewing forums such as 6Speedonline and Rennlist where there are huge discussion tracks on techniques, equipment and an endless list of waxes/polishes etc. You also look at specialist sources such as Griots Garage that provide not just the equipment but detailed handbooks on looking after your car from inside to out.

Then you start buying special cloths and waxes/polishes, paint cleaning clay and then the master of them all – a random orbital polisher (which I persuaded my wife to buy be as an Xmas present – much to her mirth).

Then you have to buy racking for everything you bought to keep the kids from running over it and using your “specialist” cloths for cleaning bikes etc.

The final nail in the madness coffin is the following: Having 3 young children means I spend a lot of time ferrying them to soccer, softball, lacrosse etc across the Boston Area. As a result I have found myself looking at the locations of these events on Google Maps and zooming in to the highest level I can to identify whether the car park is concrete or loose gravel, If I have a choice this will sway the location I will prefer to drive to. I have almost wept, after cleaning my car, driving to a soccer field where the car park is loose concrete gravel and having grey dust kick up around me and cover the car.

Am I insane? Who knows… all I know is that when I put the final touch to my car after spending hours washing, polishing and waxing it, I get that very same feeling I had the day I bought it. And all of the time it took is worth it – just please don’t rain for a couple of weeks!

Owning a Black Porsche – A Beauty or a Curse? – Try it yourself and you decide – but buyer beware!.

 

Yep, I owned once a black car - never again. Every spec of dust and dirt was clearly visible immediately. Plus fingerprints. Pretty annoying.

 

Having had black cars for many years and having spent many hours trying to keep them black, I decided to switch to the dark side and get a white car. Luckily, it looks amazing to my naked eyes and shows all lines, curves and openings with poise. And I gotta tell ya... one month and 350 miles later... I haven't washed it yet and it looks amazing. It rained twice last month as well...

Cheers! Black 911 is like a child with special needs. You have to love it extra much!

 

Agree, white car with black rims and black details here and there usually looks pretty stunning, if everything is kept in proper balance.

 

Very funny article. Of course I can smile because I only own white cars (OK, I made one mistake...).

 

Black car always look great.....but lots of work!

 

I've had a lot of black cars and I'm on my third blk/blk 911. Any other color just isn't right for me. My next 911 will be blk/blk as well, the only problem is that they come with those silly orange wheels and mirrors.

 

My 997 is the first black car I have ever owned, and it is by far the car that I have washed the most. I have had it for about three months and have washed it at least three times every week. It's black with black wheels/chrome lip, and when clean it's stunning. The only drawback so far is how often it needs to be washed. It positively requires attention like a high maintenance girlfriend.

 

IMHO, black is the best color for a modern 911, although I like the 997TT in silver. In terms of 70's era 911's, I love some of their candy-colored choices: interesting light blues, yellows, oranges, etc.

I am a detailing fanatic, and I've about had it, and even threaten that my next 911 will be silver. While nothing looks better than a perfect black 911, the reality is, for me, it's a daily driver, and it only looks perfect a few times per year. Silver is a breeze, it can be trashed and still look clean.
CATTMAN

 

My first black car (Basalt) and I also look at the forecast. Where we live is prone to showers in the am/pm especially in our "winter". I chuckled over the gravel comments, there is a big water main project ongoing on the street that I have to take to get to our street, at night when I am behind another car, and I stay very far in back on them because of the loose gravel on the road, I can see the dust they kick up.

If my car stays clean for 72 hours after I wash it I am content. I am thinking of the leaf blower or CR spotless route. I often plan my weekend day around washing the car because I want the car to be cool and I know when the driveway has enough shade for me to wash.

 

I don't mind cleaning my black car one bit .
In fact having black cars even helps condition the same cleaning practices on light color cars . Just because a white or silver car looks clean does not mean that it is clean . Black simply raises the awareness .

 

On my 6th Black car, 2 Reds, a White and a Silver sprinkled in along the way. You know if you are a black car guy - that guy in the article sounds like a "black newbie" - he may or may not make it.

 

hey Stevepow - I am a "newbie" but I am committed enough to post an article outlining it - although my brother said it made me sound like a "mentalist with OCD problems" - he is probably right - at least my wife knows where I am when I am cleaning it

 

I seem to alternate between black and silver cars. Black definitely is the most brilliant color, however, it sure does gets dirty so fast. My current '06 997 is black and I need a break from black, so I am awaiting my new GT silver baby. Can't wait!!!

 

Yeah I really hate how you can see even the smallest scratches Like this... so much waxing ...ugh.