Those with black cars...

[Scratch]

What are some tips for daily maintenance on black? I've been working on a black BMW, hoping to re-fine my skills for a black Viper. What a chore
I've had a few red cars, and I thought keeping those were somewhat tough...how do those with black paint do it.
I'm very meticulous about swirl marks, slight scratches, ect. These really show with black...so what is your secret?
I clay, buff, and then polish...looks great, then after a couple of washes, starts to look like it needs a buffing again. Looks great from 6 ft. or at night. But when your anal about the shine, what works?

 

[Chris(NJ)]

I think your best bet for maintaining black is in your wash technique.
I would suggest using a 2 bucket method for washing. One for your clean water and one for your dirty rinse water. A quality sheepskin wash mitt and a very good auto shampoo. I use poorboys super slick n suds personally, but the optimum car wash is good, as is the duragloss, p21s and 1z soap. Having 1 or 2 grit guards in your bucket will also decrease the chance of any wash induced marring. They've really been a life saver. Then, if you want to go an extra step, using a foam gun will also help w/ your washes. It creates a barrier between your wash mitt and vehicle surface making washing much safer (and faster too).
Use quality waffle weave drying towels as well for drying.
Then, maintain with either a quick wax like optimum car wax, or a quick detailer like spray n gloss, quickshine, victoria wax qd or fk425.

If you're patient and take the appropriate time to carefully wash your vehicle, there should be little polishing required each year. lemme know if you want me to elaborate on anything or answer some more questions

 

[Venomiss]

What are some tips for daily maintenance on black? I've been working on a black BMW, hoping to re-fine my skills for a black Viper. What a chore
I've had a few red cars, and I thought keeping those were somewhat tough...how do those with black paint do it.
I'm very meticulous about swirl marks, slight scratches, ect. These really show with black...so what is your secret?
I clay, buff, and then polish...looks great, then after a couple of washes, starts to look like it needs a buffing again. Looks great from 6 ft. or at night. But when your anal about the shine, what works?

Zaino
2 black vipers and now a yellow/black.

 

[black mamba1]

Black cars are a *****. Plain and simple. BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE ANOTHER COLOR! For those of us that dont have time to do all that great stuff Chris said..find a good detailer that wont make u wait, pay him a premium to detail and wax yer car and enjoy it!
Black cars get dirty very quickly and I am not one to spend 2 hours washing/waxing/spraying my car every week or so, my time is too valuable.
Find a professional. Take care of him/her...and let them handle your black beauty!

 

[Scratch]

I enjoy working on cars...I can get a great gloss, it's just the daily maintaining part. How do you maintain a great appearance without getting drastic swirls or scuffs. Seems like I do a spray wash, wipe with good towels then use micro-fiber towels and detail spray...that's when I start to see blems and swirls. I never seem to notice this with other colors as bad, but black (as you know) is like a mirror.

 

[Chris(NJ)]

what products are you using?

 

[kman]

I've always owned black trucks as daily drivers. I love my 2500 4x4 mega cab dsl burner, but I gave up trying to keep the swirls out. Went as far as having the paint touched up after owning it for a year, 6 months later you would never know it. I love black with tinted windows but my next one has me wondering about the color choice. I might have to bail on the black color choice.

 

[Scratch]

what products are you using?

I use 3M fine swirlmark remover for initial buff, then a wax. Use to use Pinnacle products, tried Maqueirs, NXT, recently picked up a product called Best Wax, in truth, they all seem the same to me, as long as the intial buff is good.
I have never tried Zaino, just seemed like to many steps and didn't want to always have to deal with mail order.

 

[Schulmann]

You can easily scratch any paint. On black paint scrathes are visible from 20 yards. So the challange is to wash the car such a way that you won't scratch the paint. The other challange is to dry it as quickly as you can so the paint will have a mirror finish.
My viper used to be very dirty. I often run it under rain in very dirty conditions.
This is my secret receipt ...

1. Clean the car with high pressure water before even touching any part with a sponge.
2. Clean the wheels with a "wheel only sponge". I start by cleaning the wheels because once the body is cleaned you have to dry it quickly.
3. Clean the engin if you need.
4. Wash the body again with high pressure water to remove all dust or sand particles.
5. Select a good quality sponge that soaks up a lot of water. Bigger is better. Clean the car with the sponge starting on the top.
6. Rinse the body with a lot of water
7. Dry the body with a good quality shammy. Clean the shammy very often.
8. Detail the engin so on...
9. Once the body is dryed you can use a speed detailer product to improve the shine.
(It is a good two hours job to clean a Black Viper to bring back it to show room shine)

When I have time I use a cleaner wax product to remove dirt that I couldn't wash out.
If you have a lot of scratches you have to use a very fine grind compound to buff out the swirls.
Only professional quality products like 3M will really "repair" the paint (Or sometimes just hide the paint defects).
I have tried all type of products from $5 to $50. They have the same effectiveness ... only professional buffing can repair paint defects.

The best is 3M but it is expensive. I am using Evercoat which is an amateur product. Same effectiveness as 3M but leaves more dust. For a pro the dust is a handicap and slows down the work.

So a year ago, I bought a professional buffer ... and started learning water buffing with 2000 grind paper (on my older race car). Anything else than prof buffing is pure magic and illusion no matter what product you use and how much you pay.

The secret in black paint is the way how you wash and dry your car.

Buttom line is that I know only buy white cars (when I can). My new Viper and BMWs are blue ....
Black is over for me ... until the next deal

 

[agentf1]

Black is a labor of love.

Washing
#1, learn how to wash properly, 2 large buckets with a grit guard. One for body and one for wheels. Start at top/least dirty and work your way down to sides. Rub in one direction, down so the dirt can fall and not get rubbed back up into the paint. On top surfaces go with the wind.

Drying
Take nozzle off and sheet water, then blow dry with leaf blower and get and remaining drops with a soft waffle weave.

Polishing
I recommend getting a good buffer, at the very least a Porter Cable but if you are more serious about detailing I would get a ROB with forced rotation with more power like the Makita BO6040 or the new Flex machine a lot of the vendors are selling. Go with a good polish like Menzerna (I love their ceramic line PO106ff) or some Zaino ZPC. You will also need some good polishing pads like Lake Country or Meguiars makes.

Wax or Sealant
I try them all and can honestly say I have not found anuthing that looks as good or last as long as Zaino. Do not believe all the myths you read about it on the internet about multiple steps or being confusing etc... All you need is one coat of Z2p or Z5p to blow away the competition. You can layer it and it does get better with every coat but it is not required. They also have a lot of different products for different needs that could get confusing to some but no more choices than Meguiars. There is Z-AIO which is a nice cleaner sealant which preps the surface nice and works great which you may use first if you like but not required. The two main polises are Z5p which some think looks nicer on dark colors and has better filling properties or Z2p which you can use on any color. Some people use both. Experiment and see which you like best or if you are a conneusor like me use both. They have a great QD Z6 or a spray sealant Z8 which is like Z6 on steroids which gives you a little extra bling after a wash and actually adds protection. I like to use Z8 as my final step and after washes but like I said it is not required.

Your bets bet is to try a few waxes or sealants to see which you like best but is suspect once you try Zaino you won't be looking any further.

If yo have any specific questions please fel free to ask either here or send me a PM.

 

[Scratch]

Well, maybe I'll give the Zaino a try
Thanks for all the responses.

 

[Ratical2]

I use Zaino on my Blue/white 96 GTS. I really love the shine. One of my friends uses only Mequires products on his 96 GTS. He didn't believe there was much difference until we parked them side by side. The shine is deeper with Zaino. Now he is thinking he is going to try Zaino for himself.

 

[finnsnake]

I clay, buff, and then polish...looks great, then after a couple of washes, starts to look like it needs a buffing again. Looks great from 6 ft. or at night. But when your anal about the shine, what works?

That's the problem, those couple of washes always leave more very fine scratches on the paint (swirlmarks) no matter what products you use. If there is a physical contact there will be a mark. What I usually do is, I wash and then apply 4-10 coats of Zaino products on it to bring out the shine again. It is very time consuming yet very rewarding.

I have a black old Disco vette and a Black daily driver 300c, both require tons of more atttention than the B/W Viper or my other Corvettes...

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[Scratch]

finnsnake, nice looking stuff

 

[mike & juli]

Scratch: We have never ever washed our BLACK Viper...we wipe it down all over with one of those handle/brushes (SOFT material)...wipe away the grit GENTLY all over...clay bar only when necessary...DETAIL spray (we use gliptone, people have their own preferences)...and polish...most lies in the detail spray; and using the dryer sheets (very wet) on the front fascia for bug removal...then detail spray the leftover residue away. We get MORE compliments on our SHINY BLACK color than we can tell ya. It's THE SHINIEST BLACK I've EVER EVER seen. GOOD luck with getting your BLACK VIPER, yessssss! ~juli

 

[Chris(NJ)]

You've seriously never washed it?

 

[mike & juli]

You've seriously never washed it?

SERIOUSLY...never ever...had it since Oct. 2004....best darned BLACK shine you'll ever find...we keep up with it daily when it's driven....but no soap...ever. ~juli

 

[Vipers9500]

What are some tips for daily maintenance on black? I've been working on a black BMW, hoping to re-fine my skills for a black Viper. What a chore
I've had a few red cars, and I thought keeping those were somewhat tough...how do those with black paint do it.
I'm very meticulous about swirl marks, slight scratches, ect. These really show with black...so what is your secret?
I clay, buff, and then polish...looks great, then after a couple of washes, starts to look like it needs a buffing again. Looks great from 6 ft. or at night. But when your anal about the shine, what works?

Scratch:

Shine is great until it highlights all the blemishes. Here's a BMW 330 that a friend brought over in order to learn how to use the Porter Cable last weekend:

Combination of swirl marks and fine scratches inflicted by using rubbing compound by hand:

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The restoration process:

tropi-care/BMW330_dec07 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Anything that you use on the surface such as wash mitts, towels or applicators need to be checked to see if they are capable of inflicting new scratches on the surface. You can check them on the back of an old CD. If it leaves fine lines, it will do the same on the paint.

The 2 bucket method is a great way to clean the surface while minimizing the chance of new scratches.

The Makita and Flex units are great for detail pros and enthusiasts with their speed and efficiency. The Porter Cable buffer is cost effective and user friendly for both beginners or novices. One can become used to its capabilities within a short period of time. With it, you can achieve at least 85-90% surface correction. It is important for the beginner not to become frustrated or impatient if they doesn't see results immediately. Seeing pictures such as these may make this process seem easy. Don't get discouraged if one don't see the same level of effectiveness right away. This all comes with experience.

Using the buffer is a trial and evaluation process. Removing the blemishes can be done effectively with use of specific task foam buffing pads used in combination with micro-abrasive polishes and/or rubbing compounds. It is best to start with the least aggressive combination and increase until the desired results has been achieved.

At this point, the swirl marks and holograms have been removed using a white polishing pad and micro-abrasive but some more stubborn scratches and micro-marring remain.

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An increase in foam pad/product aggressiveness may be needed to level the surface before refining can begin. After buffing and before last step protection products:

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Rear deck lid before:

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Rear deck lid after:

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Once the major surface restoration has been completed, it is hoped that this volume of buffing would not need to be done anytime soon. From this point, regular surface maintenance(washing/drying/detail spray use) can be accomplished easily. Occasional fine lines may appear over time but now one can address them relatively quickly.

 

[QUICK SILVER]

I Just Bought The Zaino Kit Very Nervous And Excited. I Am Also A Professional Detailer. I Come To Your Car.

 

[MoparMan]

You've seriously never washed it?

Well, it only has 53 miles on it...

 

[mike & juli]

Well, it only has 53 miles on it...

Who, us? 7700miles... ...and still as shiny as Day One. Probably the fact that we have to cover up our BEASTS and hibernate them 5 months out of the year helps the shine, but doesn't help with mileage we WANT on the car!! WE WANNA DRIVE IT!!!! ~juli
(3 1/2 feet of snow/salt...looks like a long winter...drat....)

 

[Canyon707]

Who, us? 7700miles... ...and still as shiny as Day One. Probably the fact that we have to cover up our BEASTS and hibernate them 5 months out of the year helps the shine, but doesn't help with mileage we WANT on the car!! WE WANNA DRIVE IT!!!! ~juli
(3 1/2 feet of snow/salt...looks like a long winter...drat....)

Hey Juli..... 6" of rain and 105 mph wind gusts here yesterday.... Kept the car and myself inside. winter at last here in Calif

 

[SylvanSRT]

black looks great in a car showroom where someone dusts it 3-4 times aday. in real life they area REALLY tough to keep shiney. They will show every swirl mark an scratch. A bird dropping left on the car, especially in the sun for even short periods of time will etch into the clearcoat. IMHO black is best for showcars and garage queens, and anal retentive masochists.

 

[mike & juli]

Hey Juli..... 6" of rain and 105 mph wind gusts here yesterday.... Kept the car and myself inside. winter at last here in Calif

Hey Chris~~Yeah, I saw that...that sounds like a hurricane!! Hope all was okay and no one injured...got your power? Yeah, you've got winter too, in its own way! Be safe~~juli

 

[RobZilla]

Vipers9500 I recently acquired a Porter & Cable buffer/polisher. I see in your photo gallery you have the different pads. Ive been having some trouble finding the different pads if you have a place you like you get them.

Any help would be appreciated, PM me if need be.

 

[MoparMan]

Who, us? 7700miles... ...and still as shiny as Day One. Probably the fact that we have to cover up our BEASTS and hibernate them 5 months out of the year helps the shine, but doesn't help with mileage we WANT on the car!! WE WANNA DRIVE IT!!!! ~juli
(3 1/2 feet of snow/salt...looks like a long winter...drat....)

C'mon - you know I'm messing with you. My black/silver GTS was my daily for a couple of years and has about 33k miles on it. It's probably not nearly as scratch and swirl free as your car, but it's been rained on many times and even snowed on. I washed and waxed it like I would any other car - I'm not skilled enough to maintain the finish the way you guys do.

 

[agentf1]

Vipers9500 I recently acquired a Porter & Cable buffer/polisher. I see in your photo gallery you have the different pads. Ive been having some trouble finding the different pads if you have a place you like you get them.

Any help would be appreciated, PM me if need be.

You can get Meguiars, Lake Country or Edge pads at...

Classic Motoring Accessories - Car Buffers, Car Waxes, Car Polishes, Car Covers, Car Accessories
We Are Car Care -- Car Wax, Car Polish, Auto Detailing Supplies, Car Buffers & Car Accessories Store
Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories


For a PC ROB I would go with either Meguiars Tan and Yellow 6.5" or LC White or Gray 6.5" CCS pads. Be very careful with any foam cutting pads as they will introduce micro marring that will be very hard if not impossible to remove with a ROB. Those pads should be reserved for a more powerful machine.

Here is a pic of my old black Stingray.

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And my black Z06.

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And a Caddy I buffed out for a guy.

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[RobZilla]

Thanks for those links agentf1. Very helpful, I will be ordering from them soon. Very nice cars you've got pictured, I hope to get my black viper to that quality of shine.

 

[GBS]

Swirl Prevention - Wash you can with the 2 bucket method. One with rise water and one with soap water. Use lots of a good premium car soap. A sheep skin mit or some of the new foam mits on the market work good. A leaf blower works great a long with a microfiber towel to dry your car. Blow most of the water off your car with the leaf blower. It's fast and also great for drying the wheels and blowing water out of the cracks. You can get you car amost dry without touching your paint. Wipe the remaining water off with a microfiber towel.

 

[HI-NOS-Viper]

SERIOUSLY...never ever...had it since Oct. 2004....best darned BLACK shine you'll ever find...we keep up with it daily when it's driven....but no soap...ever. ~juli

There is a first for everything as your car got washed recently when it got dyno tuned. So does it look better than before without washing it?