Does Red Fade With Age ?

[Seight_Returns]

Thinking about changing my Westfield for an S1 Elise. I fancy a red one, coz everyone knows that red ones are fastest.

Experience with Westfields and also fibreglass boats suggests that red pigmented fibreglass tends to fade to pink over the years.

Do red Elise's suffer this way ?

[21TonyK]

The cars are painted same as any other, as opposed to a coloured gel coat. So, in theory, they fade no more or less than any other car. Oxidisation is the most like discolouration and a good scrub-up sorts that out

[Seight_Returns]

Thanks, I assumed incorrectly that the colour came from a gelcoat pigment rather than paint. That concerns me much less.

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

The only problem being, that when red fades it tends to go pink, so you notice it more.

[clemo]

did on the early elan m100's
so maybe time will tell on the calypso reds .

[lincoln lad]

It did on my M100 - all pink / blotchy and a bit of a mess. I'm sure technology has moved on (I hope..)

[Anatol]

Hethel's been using clear-over-base for quite a while. While no clearcoat's UV inhibitors are 100% effective, it'll take a good long while before a modern COB paintjob fades noticeably, unless unusual circumstances (such as removing vinyl stripes after a long period) mean that the paint is exposed unequally to UV.

Tol

[DamienCBR]

I think the Calypso Red might after a long time and not being looked after, i would suggest that owners would give there car the odd polish, well more than an Astra owner might. I have Inferno Red and it is still perfect. I do make sure it is well polished. Used a clay bar last weekend and the paint work is now like glass,

D

[Snapper7]

Yes red does still fade quicker than a lot of other cars do. It has something to do with what makes the red red if that makes sense. but it must be said that red in modern paints fairs much better than it did in the past.

[Gooby]

Older red paints contaied lead. with time and neglect this rises to the surface and makes the paint look "pink". Modern paints does not contain lead.

[Grinnders]

Gooby said:

Older red paints contaied lead. with time and neglect this rises to the surface and makes the paint look "pink". Modern paints does not contain lead.

... although red allegedly contained the least amount of lead..... hence the quote about it being the fastest colour having fractional credibility.

Edited by Grinnders on Wednesday 21st May 10:49

[mahju]

<Start Geekiness>

Red items will always fade quicker than say blue items (assuming similar types of paint).

Blue light has more energy than say the longer wavelength red. A blue car reflects blue light, and a red reflects red light.

Therefore a blue car absorbs all visable light except for the blue, and red car absorbs all visable light except for the red.

The higher frequency blue light has more energy than the red, so the red car absorbs more energy from the light, and is therefore more likely to cause a break down the chemical pigments in the paint and therefore fade to a lighter colour.

Purple would be your best bet http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for...

<End Geekiness>

I personally never liked red on an elise, and certainly not pink...

[clemo]

i think the lotus ici paint was the worse than the dupont later lotus paint..

now thats geeky..

[subaqua]

Purple would be your best bet assuming your a metrosexual Man looking for an S2

Edited by subaqua on Wednesday 21st May 20:36

[Scarygore]

My R reg red S1 is OK, no fading at all.