Tips & Tricks for black paint

I gotta agree black paint is a PIA!! for the not so anal i guess it's not a big deal, but im the opposite, 20 minutes after a wash i would see every speck of dust that landed on it. Needless to say no more black for me. I won't even get into how easily swirls show up. like the others, proper washing technique is your best friend then plan on polishing it out once every 3-4 months. If you have an air compressor with an air gun that will help a lot.



also, don't ignore your fender wells, the "grey" of an unkept fender well against your black paint will draw attention where you don't want it (see your pic). buy some cheapy (armor-all etc) to spray in there.



good luck.
 
Black cars are very hard to take care of. You have to keep it clean all the time.Watch what yiu wipe it with,wash it with and products used. I owned a black Cadillac Seville, and it was a Bear! I did not know what I do now. Nor did I know about Menzerna,you had better get some too!:getdown
 
Richardhaunter said:
So which shampoo you all would suggest me?



Which is the one that lubricates and protects the most?
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My vote is for Griot's Car Wash. While I hear that some others come *close* to it in lubricity, I've never heard of anybody finding one with *greater* lubricity. It cleans effectively and rinses off easily. Gentle on LSPs (Last Step Products, i.e., wax). Nice scent and is mild (in case you don't wear rubber gloves)...I've even shampooed the dogs with it :D



Only downside is the price and having to order it (unless you happen to live near Griot's in WA).



Used with a foamgun and good wash media it'll do the job if you do your part (heh heh, easier said than done, but having the right stuff is a big help).
 
Accumulator said:
My vote is for Griot's Car Wash. While I hear that some others come *close* to it in lubricity, I've never heard of anybody finding one with *greater* lubricity. It cleans effectively and rinses off easily. Gentle on LSPs (Last Step Products, i.e., wax). Nice scent and is mild (in case you don't wear rubber gloves)...I've even shampooed the dogs with it :D



Only downside is the price and having to order it (unless you happen to live near Griot's in WA).



Used with a foamgun and good wash media it'll do the job if you do your part (heh heh, easier said than done, but having the right stuff is a big help).
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Accum, if you ever order from Autopia, consider adding a bottles of Ultima's car wash. I was amazed at its lubricity from the samples I received. I just wish they would sell it in 64 or 128 ounce sizes for economical purposes. Untill then, I will probably give Duragloss's wash a try. I believe it is 901 or 905 or something like that.
 
Most of my scratches have come from washing, so as stated use the best methods and products, especially your drying towel, I make sure the wheel arches and sills are super clean before drying. Use a blower for those awkward spots. Have a spare weekend and remove all paint defects, watch out if your claying soft paint it will marr. Now add your choice of acrylic wax prep and sealant. Allow to harden then re apply top coat. I now wash and only use a quick detailer to bring out the gloss. 3m imperial hand glaze is good but soon washes out. If its plain gloss black like mine try not to rub against the paint, teach your kids not to touch the car, a good thrashing the first time this happens usually puts them good (only joking!). I Know its black but do not wash too often, especially in the sun, I live in the UK so this is not a problem!
 
Berty31- Thanks for the tip about Ultima wash. Too bad it doesn't come in gallons, that's one thing I pretty much insist on as I go through it pretty fast (I order a few gallons from Griot's each time).



Yeah, the DuraGloss is supposedly one of the washes that comes close to Griot's.
 
Shampoo of choice for me is "One Grand" - not the cheapest in small bottles, but a little goes a long way and it's available by the gallon! Lubricity is all I could ask for, it rinses with out residue in any air or water temperature, and never seems to run flat or out of foaming suds regardless of bucket contaminants.

Car Care Specialties, Lodi - NJ carries the line (among others). Car Care Specialties, Inc. - Your Source For Quality Car Care Products, How-To Articles and Product Evaluations.



Accumulator gave great advice regarding other areas of interest on this site. The Hall Of Fame is filled with good techniques. All 3 of my family cars are black or black metallic’s – once you get a routine you like, keeping them like new (or better than) won’t be such a chore.

OH - and welcome to Autopia!
 
Accumulator said:
Berty31- Thanks for the tip about Ultima wash. Too bad it doesn't come in gallons, that's one thing I pretty much insist on as I go through it pretty fast (I order a few gallons from Griot's each time).



Yeah, the DuraGloss is supposedly one of the washes that comes close to Griot's.
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You haven't tried the dg wash yet? I got some griots wash for christmas that i need to try out.
 
Accumulator said:
Berty31- Thanks for the tip about Ultima wash. Too bad it doesn't come in gallons, that's one thing I pretty much insist on as I go through it pretty fast (I order a few gallons from Griot's each time).



Yeah, the DuraGloss is supposedly one of the washes that comes close to Griot's.
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The best attribute is that it can be bought locally.:woot2:
 
Where can i buy a quality sheepskin that won't scratch black paint? I was going to order the Ulti-MITT/ShMITT, not sure. I dont' want to buy walmart sheepskin. Someone have any idea.
 
As the owner of a black car that is my daily driver, my biggest piece of advice to you is not to obsess over keeping it 100% perfect, because that's simply not possible. The only way to keep black 100% perfect is to never drive it and never touch the paint! When you daily drive a black car, it will get minor scratches and swirls on it, but as long as it looks 95% perfect that's good enough. From 5 feet away it'll look 100% perfect to everyone else.



I will say this though, no more black cars for me.
 
bert31 said:
The best attribute is that it can be bought locally..
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-and-



NickelPlated.45 said:
You haven't tried the dg wash yet? I got some griots wash for christmas that i need to try out.
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See how you like the Griot's.



Nah, I haven't tried the DG as I'm satisfied with the Griot's. Bill D. (who is MIA here but still has my respect and admiration- he managed to drive a black A4 daily without marring it) used them both and gave the nod to Griot's, though he said it was close. As I don't want to take any unnecessary chances, I just stick with the Griot's as a) I like it, b) the cost isn't (quite) killing me and c) ordering it over the phone/internet is actually *more* convenient than driving over to the nearest place that sells DG in my area.



patman- I felt the same way for a long, long time...thought I'd never own another black car. Then I detailed a black rent-a-Suburban and decided that clearcoat is clearcoat (i.e., the marring is really the same issue regardless of the basecoat color) and that I spend *so* much time inspecting silver that it's as much of a PIA as other colors, well, sorta :o Different, but not a free pass if you care about marring as much as some of us do. Admittedly if somebody is satisfied with the ~85% level it's a piece of cake to keep silver/white/etc. looking *that* good, but that last ~15% can be a killer...spending minutes on end looking for a flaw that you saw under some weird lighting conditions is a PIA; with black things are obvious- you see it, correct it, done. The good thing about the "easy" colors is that you can put off correction until it's convenient, nobody else will ever see the flaws; with black that "things are obvious" can bite you because everybody sees everything (heh heh, assuming anybody else really cares ;) ).
 
Accumulator said:
Nah, I haven't tried the DG as I'm satisfied with the Griot's. Bill D. (who is MIA here but still has my respect and admiration- he managed to drive a black A4 daily without marring it) used them both and gave the nod to Griot's, though he said it was close. As I don't want to take any unnecessary chances, I just stick with the Griot's as a) I like it, b) the cost isn't (quite) killing me and c) ordering it over the phone/internet is actually *more* convenient than driving over to the nearest place that sells DG in my area.
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That's pretty much how i feel but i'm going to give the griot's wash a try. I have a sample of ultima that i'm still hesitant to try it because no matter how much i like it, it's still too expensive for me to be buying on a regular basis. But you really should get a bottle of dg901 and give it a try just for kicks. Excellent car wash.
 
'Owning a black car isn\'t a part time job, it\'s a full time job! More like a collectors actually, you buy it, you love it, you\'ll do everything to keep it in mint conditions and possibly you want to store it to maintain its original condition...\r\n\r\nMy suggestion:\r\n1. Buy all the most expensive chemical there is in the market and do a full detail on it, don\'t worry about spending time on it, it\'s an investment\r\n2. Place it under a well kept garage and have a quick detailer handy at all time to wipe off dust\r\n3. Forget about driving it daily! Buy a 2nd silver car for your daily commute instead. It\'ll be nice to come home to your nicely preserved shiny black car in your own personal museum....\r\n\r\nLOL... http://autopia.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh1.gif'
 
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