Anyone have any experience with Cadillac Black Diamond Tri-Coat paint...?

[audiguy69]

Hello:



I am looking at a new Cadillac CTS in black - but not sure if I should get it in Raven Black or Black Diamond Tri-Coat...



Does anyone have any experience with the Cadillac Black Diamond Tri-Coat paint?



I don't want something that looks like the old '70's metal flake paint.



Would I get a better deep, dark, wet, black mirror look with the regular Raven Black paint of the Black Diamond Tri-Coat...?



Thanks as always!

 

[CTSV]

Go for the black diamond, it honestly hides swirls like nothing I've ever seen, so it's probably just as horrible to detail as black paint, but it's worth it, and as for being reflective as a mirror, yeah, it's got that.

when the sun comes out though, you're in for a treat

Is it better than a flat black? No, nothing is. In cloudy weather a lot of times it will look slightly dirty.

 

[audiguy69]

Go for the black diamond, it honestly hides swirls like nothing I've ever seen, so it's probably just as horrible to detail as black paint, but it's worth it, and as for being reflective as a mirror, yeah, it's got that.

when the sun comes out though, you're in for a treat

Is it better than a flat black? No, nothing is. In cloudy weather a lot of times it will look slightly dirty.

Hey, thanks for the pics!



I am, however, confused, lol



Your first sentence says, yeah, get the black diamond...



Then you last sentence says, it's not better than the regular black... ?



Your pictures show what I was afraid of - that it might tend to look dark grey in certain situations...



Do you think the regular black (what Cadillac calls Raven Black) would look darker, wetter, and more mirror like?



Thanks again for the pics - nice CTS!

 

[CTSV]

my first sentence is my personal opinion based on a choice between the two.

that it might tend to look dark grey in certain situations...

it does, grey might be too harsh, maybe charcoal. It's really not that bad, you only notice it 1-2' away. My opinion is that the metallic is good enough that the times it looks a little filthy are a good compromise with the times it looks like my second picture.

Do you think the regular black (what Cadillac calls Raven Black) would look darker, wetter, and more mirror like?

It can look more mirror like, yes, but only slightly. There's a guy that did a full-sand orange peel correction on a Black Raven coupe in click-in brag recently. I'd suggest taking a look at those.

 

[Grimm]

It's probably the same type of paint as the Red Jewel tintcoat we have on our Buick. It's a red flake, and has the red in the clear coat as well. It has a nice shine, and with the flake swirls scratches aren't nearly as noticeable. But to me, the downside is the paint won't look as deep and wet as a basic color without the flake and tinted clear. But I still really like it.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

It's probably the same type of paint as the Red Jewel tintcoat we have on our Buick. It's a red flake, and has the red in the clear coat as well. It has a nice shine, and with the flake swirls scratches aren't nearly as noticeable. But to me, the downside is the paint won't look as deep and wet as a basic color without the flake and tinted clear. But I still really like it.

I've detailed plenty of the Red Jewel Tintcoat; I really disagree that it isn't as deep/wet as a standard color. To me it has plenty when finished down properly and topped with a quality LSP.

 

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

I've detailed plenty of the Red Jewel Tintcoat; I really disagree that it isn't as deep/wet as a standard color. To me it has plenty when finished down properly and topped with a quality LSP.

My experience with this paint is the same as yours.





Jason

 

[CTSV]

I've detailed plenty of the Red Jewel Tintcoat; I really disagree that it isn't as deep/wet as a standard color. To me it has plenty when finished down properly and topped with a quality LSP.

This is nothing like tintcoat. This has a metallic basecoat and then another layer of aluminum flake on top of that. There's so much flake in it that it can look like 3 different colors some times. When it's not in direct sunlight or it's not catching it good enough to be highly reflective, it looks like a charcoal.

 

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

This is nothing like tintcoat. This has a metallic basecoat and then another layer of aluminum flake on top of that. There's so much flake in it that it can look like 3 different colors some times. When it's not in direct sunlight or it's not catching it good enough to be highly reflective, it looks like a charcoal.

That was the paint on the ctsv wagon at the NAIAS.... In my opinion it looked a little gawdy... A little too bling for me.





Jason

 

[audiguy69]

Yeah... that is what I was thinking...



Good thing I made this post...



I think I just prevented myself from making a big mistake...



Looks like the Raven Black for me...



Thanks as always!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

This is nothing like tintcoat. This has a metallic basecoat and then another layer of aluminum flake on top of that.

:werd:

That was the paint on the ctsv wagon at the NAIAS.... In my opinion it looked a little gawdy... A little too bling for me.





Jason

I kinda liked it, actually.... Reminds me more of an old-school perl flake custom paint job straight out of the 60s.

 

[Grimm]

I've detailed plenty of the Red Jewel Tintcoat; I really disagree that it isn't as deep/wet as a standard color. To me it has plenty when finished down properly and topped with a quality LSP.

That's just my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love the color and the flake, it just has a different look to me compared to a basic red. But then I'm not a professional detailer and don't see red cars that have great paint for comparison either. And maybe I'm not using the proper wax for it either. I think Collinite is all it's seen so far (owned it for a year).

 

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

I kinda liked it, actually.... Reminds me more of an old-school perl flake custom paint job straight out of the 60s.

It was fun to look at during the show but for something that I owned I would get real tired real quick of that color.....