Is black always the same color?

[RedBarchetta]

Dean, there are definitely different shades of black. For example, the Honda black is VERY black while the Chevrolet black isn't as dark/deep. Do your research and you'll learn just how deep a color you desire. On a two stage process (color coat/clear coat), the gloss will come from the clear. The color actually dries a little dull without the clear coat over it.

On my daily driver '02 Z06 (black), we actually painted the bumper in single stage paint meant more for commercial applications. The gloss is identical to the rest of the car but it's more resistant to chipping. In hindsight it would have been better to just paint the entire car with that material (I had a re-paint about one year ago when poor construction clean-up on a local freeway left debris and rocks all over the place. I was doing 75mph on the way to work and a crowd of us hit the debris field at the same time. My whole car got chipped and the windshield was a wreck. That little episode cost the road paving company a $5,500 insurance claim for a full repaint and glass).

-Dean