[johns930]

finally got a stradale

[johns930]

[champagne612]

Congratulations - it's stunning!

Huge fan of the matte finish - make sure you use the correct products for the paint.

Tip - if you can't get out small imperfections in the matte - take a distilled ice cube wrapped in a towel - works wonders.

Enjoy!

[dfm]

That Maserati looks absolutely incredible. do want!

[masher44]

That is one cool ass Maser. WOW.

[StefVan]

Wow, absolutely stunning pictures!! I start liking the matte paint more and more but heard that such paint get scratched very easily and thus is difficult to keep perfect. I don't know if this is true?

[Pat]

OMG, that is called an outrageous sexy car. Congrats

[xraes]

Absolutely fantastic car - Congratulations!

Tip - if you can't get out small imperfections in the matte - take a distilled ice cube wrapped in a towel - works wonders.

Doug -
Can you elaborate? My wife's DD is S550 w/ matte which has a few very small surface scratches. Is this what your referring to?


Rodney

[barcheta]

The MC Stradale had got to be one of the best looking GTs made today. Love the blue.... love the carbon seats too. All that's missing is a clutch pedal and stickshift.

[David993s]

Congrats on two great cars. But sorry, I just don't get the appeal of matte finishes. It looks like unfinished primer.

[Killer58]

I love the look, but something tells me it will be a bear to keep clean.

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by xraes

Absolutely fantastic car - Congratulations!

Tip - if you can't get out small imperfections in the matte - take a distilled ice cube wrapped in a towel - works wonders.

Doug -
Can you elaborate? My wife's DD is S550 w/ matte which has a few very small surface scratches. Is this what your referring to?


Rodney

Matt finishes which really are satin are simple to maintain and IMO are far superior.

The washer / soap doesn't really matter - but the wax does.

My G55 has a metallic paint and it looks completely different after it's properly washed and waxed in the sunlight only.

I doubt the scratches are past the clear coat - try using some proper wax and they should come right out.

When you get small discoloration and nothing works - make sure your final wash is done with distilled water.

After that - if there are marks that seem odd - take the distilled ice cube in a soft cloth and they come right out.

The designo MAGNO paint offers benefits including a reduced susceptibility to minor scratches due to the light reflection properties of the finish ... recommend swissvax products.

At the end of the day - a metallic satin finish is the LED of new cars.

It's that cool

[StefVan]

Great info Doug! Thanks . It demystifies a bit all the bs I'm hearing about the matte paint

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by StefVan

Great info Doug! Thanks . It demystifies a bit all the bs I'm hearing about the matte paint

Guess I should add this ...

If you don't maintain the satin finish or use the wrong products you are screwed.

If you do - it's a far superior paint long term.

http://www.swissvax.us/merchant.mvc?...ode=MATT-PAINT

http://www.swissvax.us/usa/matt-paint.html

[Brian_Brice]

Beautiful Maser! Both the Matte finishes look stunning. And yes you want to avoid products which add oils and fillers which are designed to contribute to adding gloss.

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by Brian_Brice

Beautiful Maser! Both the Matte finishes look stunning. And yes you want to avoid products which add oils and fillers which are designed to contribute to adding gloss.

Brian - you know way more than me.

How about a thread on care for matt finish.

[xraes]

Thanks Doug and Brian. My wife's car is something like Allanite gray I believe. I understand why some may not care for the matte look, but I absolutely love it. In the 1 1/2 years we've owned it, all I've done is wash the car - no wax I was told by my MB salesperson.Nevertheless, it still looks pristine and also easily hides dirt better than any car I've ever seen. Any expert advice on care appreciated.



Rodney

[Brian_Brice]

Originally Posted by champagne612

Brian - you know way more than me.

How about a thread on care for matt finish.

I can do that, but truth be told you have already suggested the single best tip you can give a guy with a matte finish

[dfm]

Originally Posted by David993s

Congrats on two great cars. But sorry, I just don't get the appeal of matte finishes. It looks like unfinished primer.

It certainly isnt for everyone. I also believe that the look of a matte finish is much different in person than in a photograph.

[Brian_Brice]

Instead of a thread I will just add some information here. For starters, if you decide to own a car with a matte finish get in the habit of looking over the paintwork regularly as soon as you are to your destination. It doesn't have to be too elaborate just give a good once over to identify any potential predators which can lead to paint system catastrophe on a matte finish.

Carry a small detail kit with you in case you are bombarded with bird droppings, you want to address contaminants of an acidic nature immediately if not sooner! You can actually polish defects out of the paint but if someone is to do so they need to use a pad with no mechanical action whatsoever (a finishing pad if you're in the know) with very light polishing agents typically an all in one product like Jeff Werkstatt's prime or Zaino's all in one. These products have very little cut ability, and mild cleaning agents. This is the only polishing that should be done to that paint. Never allow someone to wetsand the surface for any reason as the whole point of matte is to be inconsistent, not level. When it is levelled it will reflect light much better and ruin the look of the finish. You can use polymers (and probably should) to protect the finish, but truth be told you're not depending on these polymers (Optimum opti seal, Zaino Clear Seal, both being wipe on walk away spray sealants. As well as a handful of others worth noting) to protect acid rains and airborne contaminants from etching into your surface, but moreso relying on them to aid in easy removal of foreign contamination.

You need to be very dedicated in keeping this paint clean, and very delicate. Avoid tunnel washes (I'd hope you all know that by now but I have seen a few Ferrari's driving out of one and I cringe every time) and any other form of hot wax. Swissvax does make a product for protecting the finish, I have no experience with it but we do have a sponsor on board who sells Swissvax, I'm sure he will chime in.

This is the description of the Swissvax product.

Swisswax Opaque Wax- a premium wax specially developed for all satin matt paintwork types. It offers your car's paintwork thorough long term protection against all kinds of negative contaminants without damaging its satin matte appearance (See also Swisswax Opaque range for matte finish paints).

I believe the entire Opaque line is designed for matte, as they have a wash and a few other supplies with the same name.

I would recommend a Lake Country cross cut sponge for washing, and very gentle motion as well. Wash in a straight line with as little pressure as it takes to glide your sponge across the panel.

Remember your paint isn't flat, so any aggression in a sanding or forceful motion can disturb the texture and leave you upset at yourself. So use common sense, avoid products that are not of the same genre described above, and remove unwanted foreign contaminants immediately if not sooner. And don't allow someone to polish it unless the detailer tells you he is using exactly what I described.