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Why Would You Paint Your Car Matte Black?

Last updated: Sep 19, 2019 at 3:40PM
Published on: Nov 4, 2011 by jgoods

The SEMA show is chock-full of cars painted in matte finishes of all colors. There is no accounting for bad taste. Although some people think these cars look keen, there is of course the maintenance problem.

When asked about the pros and cons of matte black, one forum member (niky) responded: “Matte black paint looks awesome when it’s new and kept clean… but give it a few weeks, let it get dirty, and no matter how you clean it, it looks old and crappy.”

I think such owners want to make their cars look stealthy, like the B-2 Bomber with its radar-absorbing paint. They don’t realize their cars may become just as obsolete.

You can’t use wax on it, scratches are impossible to get rid of, special detergents and frequent washing are required, and a matte paint sealant is a good idea. Every defect will show (primer paint is flat—remember?—to show defects).

If you want to make a statement with your car, vinyl wraps (see the camo TT above) are a much better idea.

Buick Verano Meets Its Competition

Last updated: Sep 27, 2019 at 4:14PM
Published on: Sep 12, 2011 by jgoods

Buick’s new Verano is a stylish compact sedan striving for a niche in what some call the “lower-end luxury brand” segment. Buick hasn’t made a small car like this in 20 years, and from what we read, it should pull in its share of American buyers who want something smaller than but just as nice as the Regal.

Last year, Buick grew 52 percent, the most of any volume brand in the U.S. The company has gotten good at finding and exploiting niche markets for its products, as it did with the beast-like Enclave.

MSRPs of cars like the Lexus IS 250, the Audi A3 and the Acura TSX start a good deal higher than the Verano’s $23,470. The top trim is $29,490—$1,000 less than the Acura TSX and nearly $5,000 less than the IS 250.

Price is only one factor, of course. Built on the Chevrolet Cruze platform, the car is supposed to be super-quiet, as the engineers paid attention to everything from tires to the acoustic-laminated windshield.

Finally, a Jeep Wrangler Pickup—in Kit Form

Last updated: Nov 11, 2019 at 3:07PM
Published on: Jul 22, 2011 by jgoods

The Mopar Division of Chrysler has come up with a kit called the JK-8 that converts the four-door Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup. Jeep owners have been seeking a pickup model for a long time.

After all, who uses the back seat of a Jeep for anything but hauling dogs, jerry cans and trash?

Jeep finally got the message that such a kit could help fill the small-pickup hole in the market, with off-road capability to boot. Mopar’s kit ($5,499) transforms your Wrangler Unlimited (base price, $25,545) into a very cool machine for transporting Honda generators, La-Z-Boy recliners, beer kegs and other necessaries.

The problem is you’re looking at $32,000 big bucks, plus installation, which can be done by a “motivated do-it-yourselfer” or, better, by a Jeep dealer. “The kit consists of new body panels that make up the pickup bed, a new bulkhead behind the front seats, new B-pillars, roll bar extensions, and a removable fiberglass roof.” Welding and painting are required.

2012 Audi TT RS: Nice Car, Too Much Money

Last updated: Sep 27, 2019 at 4:20PM
Published on: Jul 11, 2011 by jgoods

USA Today called the new TT RS “the poor man’s R8.” The latter car costs “$115,450 to $154,350 to start,” whereas the TT RS will come in at $57,725, including shipping.

Both are overpriced. For that kind of money, you can buy a Porsche Boxster or Cayman with real handling and sports-car performance. Audis like this have always struck me as just a little too frou-frou, a little too Teutonic slick. These are cars for the sports-car poseur, not the real enthusiast.

That said, the new TT RS, going on sale this summer, will please those who like 5-cylinder power, Quattro all-wheel-drive, a 6-speed manual, “magnetic ride control” and of course all the goodies—electro- and otherwise—like 10-way power seats.

Hot Rods Are Cool, Still and Forever

Last updated: Nov 11, 2019 at 2:59PM
Published on: Jun 24, 2011 by jgoods

In the car world the really creative hot-rod nuts who toil in crummy backyard garages or expensive custom workshops are the ones the car media ought to celebrate. But mostly, they don’t get no respect.

Hemmings compared the gorgeous Chip Foose creation above, a 1935 Ford Custom Coupe, to cars of the past created by custom coachbuilders. Or, as one commenter (Rick Block) put it:

Nowadays, folks like Chip Foose create a completely different chassis and mate an engine unrelated to the chassis. I think it would be more fitting to say Foose etal would be called constructors, much like the english and/or american sports car companies such as Shelby, Caterham and Lotus [sic].

Hot rods are really a combination of both approaches, and we’ll show you a few we like. The U.S. Senate, which can’t do anything much else these days, has designated July 8 as “National Collector Car Appreciation Day.” Collectors and restorers of old cars deserve to be celebrated.

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