Black cars are a pain to clean!
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,636
From: 5280
Rep Power: 173
Here it is in a nutshell: the dealer's prep crew had done a horrible job cleaning the car, but I figured I'd get things under control. It turned into an uphill battle and I was reaching the point where I was seriously considering trading the car in for another color. I know that sounds ****, but at this stage of my life, I feel there isn't time for any unnecessary BS.
This is my first black car so I had to relearn many things about caring for the finish. I spent a lot of time and money over the last couple of months, and hopefully I can save my fellow forum members some grief:
I won't waste time with the products that didn't work, so I'll only list the winners:
These pads will work well with a Flex or Porter Cable orbital polisher. You'll need two of them:
Constant Pressure Hi-gloss Orange 6.5 Inch Flat Polishing Pad : Amazon.com : Automotive
One of these:
Optimum Polish II, 8 oz : Amazon.com : Automotive
These work great:
Griot's Garage 11231 Micro Fiber Speed Shine Cloth - Set of 3 : Amazon.com : Automotive
This product is one of the easiest to apply, yet gives the best results:
Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant : Amazon.com : Automotive
Now, here is the Holy Grail. This is the key to success!
DI-120 Cr Spotless Water System : Amazon.com : Automotive
I had no idea how badly the water at my home was screwing up the finish until I got a black car. Even after using a leaf blower to dry the car, I was getting white spots and swirl marks: the hard water was even eating into the glass. It's a nightmare.
The final job:
I washed the car with Dawn dish soap to remove all the previous products.
I used a clay bar and detailing spray to remove any foreign substances from the finish.
I removed the swirls with Optimum Polish and the orange pads.
I applied the Wolfgang sealer by hand: allow it to dry for an hour before removing; it goes on and off very easily.
Maintenance:
Once you got the car to where you like it, maintaining the finish shouldn't be all that difficult.
Wash the car with a good soap like this brand:
Chemical Guys CWS_301 Citrus Wash and Gloss Citrus Based Hyper-Concentrated Wash+Gloss - 1 Gallon : Amazon.com : Automotive
Blow dry with an electric leaf blower (I use a Toro), or gently dry with a good quality waffle-weave towel.
Griot's Garage 11117 Micro Fiber Drying Towel : Amazon.com : Automotive
Best of luck!
This is my first black car so I had to relearn many things about caring for the finish. I spent a lot of time and money over the last couple of months, and hopefully I can save my fellow forum members some grief:
I won't waste time with the products that didn't work, so I'll only list the winners:
These pads will work well with a Flex or Porter Cable orbital polisher. You'll need two of them:
Constant Pressure Hi-gloss Orange 6.5 Inch Flat Polishing Pad : Amazon.com : Automotive
One of these:
Optimum Polish II, 8 oz : Amazon.com : Automotive
These work great:
Griot's Garage 11231 Micro Fiber Speed Shine Cloth - Set of 3 : Amazon.com : Automotive
This product is one of the easiest to apply, yet gives the best results:
Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant : Amazon.com : Automotive
Now, here is the Holy Grail. This is the key to success!
DI-120 Cr Spotless Water System : Amazon.com : Automotive
I had no idea how badly the water at my home was screwing up the finish until I got a black car. Even after using a leaf blower to dry the car, I was getting white spots and swirl marks: the hard water was even eating into the glass. It's a nightmare.
The final job:
I washed the car with Dawn dish soap to remove all the previous products.
I used a clay bar and detailing spray to remove any foreign substances from the finish.
I removed the swirls with Optimum Polish and the orange pads.
I applied the Wolfgang sealer by hand: allow it to dry for an hour before removing; it goes on and off very easily.
Maintenance:
Once you got the car to where you like it, maintaining the finish shouldn't be all that difficult.
Wash the car with a good soap like this brand:
Chemical Guys CWS_301 Citrus Wash and Gloss Citrus Based Hyper-Concentrated Wash+Gloss - 1 Gallon : Amazon.com : Automotive
Blow dry with an electric leaf blower (I use a Toro), or gently dry with a good quality waffle-weave towel.
Griot's Garage 11117 Micro Fiber Drying Towel : Amazon.com : Automotive
Best of luck!
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 328
From: VA
Rep Power: 35
thanks for sharing - having just got my blk/blk C4S its going to be really interesting to see how long it will take to wash and how long it will stay clean. This is not my first black car and I knew what I was getting into.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 71
From: LA
Rep Power: 18
Thanks for the tips Pete!
+1 on the CR spotless deionizer. Works great! In fact, you don't even have to manually dry the car afterwards... Just let the water evaporate!
What is the last pic of, btw? Looks like you covered your car with some sort of white covering?
Also, no wax? Or does the sealant take the place of wax?
+1 on the CR spotless deionizer. Works great! In fact, you don't even have to manually dry the car afterwards... Just let the water evaporate!
What is the last pic of, btw? Looks like you covered your car with some sort of white covering?
Also, no wax? Or does the sealant take the place of wax?
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,636
From: 5280
Rep Power: 173
Sealant is a synthetic wax, I prefer sealant as well, the shine last longer with sealant. It also gives you more of a mirror like shine. Here is my car with Klasse Sealant glaze.
Thanks for the tips Pete!
+1 on the CR spotless deionizer. Works great! In fact, you don't even have to manually dry the car afterwards... Just let the water evaporate!
What is the last pic of, btw? Looks like you covered your car with some sort of white covering?
Also, no wax? Or does the sealant take the place of wax?
+1 on the CR spotless deionizer. Works great! In fact, you don't even have to manually dry the car afterwards... Just let the water evaporate!
What is the last pic of, btw? Looks like you covered your car with some sort of white covering?
Also, no wax? Or does the sealant take the place of wax?
Some people also choose to apply carnuba wax on top of the sealant. The sealant will last for months, but wax has a much shorter lifespan. Some feel that applying wax over the sealant gives the finish a "wetter" look.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,636
From: 5280
Rep Power: 173
Thanks, still learning.
I tried that a couple of weeks ago, applying carnuba wax on top of the sealant and couldn't tell the difference, just an extra step. I'll stick with just sealant and apply more coats of it.
I tried that a couple of weeks ago, applying carnuba wax on top of the sealant and couldn't tell the difference, just an extra step. I'll stick with just sealant and apply more coats of it.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 71
From: LA
Rep Power: 18
The last picture is a picture of the hood, you can see the wipers up top. It's so shiny, all you see is the reflection of his ceiling.
Sealant is a synthetic wax, I prefer sealant as well, the shine last longer with sealant. It also gives you more of a mirror like shine. Here is my car with Klasse Sealant glaze.
Sealant is a synthetic wax, I prefer sealant as well, the shine last longer with sealant. It also gives you more of a mirror like shine. Here is my car with Klasse Sealant glaze.
As Ynot stated, the last picture is the reflection on my hood.
Some people also choose to apply carnuba wax on top of the sealant. The sealant will last for months, but wax has a much shorter lifespan. Some feel that applying wax over the sealant gives the finish a "wetter" look.
Some people also choose to apply carnuba wax on top of the sealant. The sealant will last for months, but wax has a much shorter lifespan. Some feel that applying wax over the sealant gives the finish a "wetter" look.
So any synthetic wax is considered "sealant"? I got Meguiar's black car wax and it seemed to work pretty well... As far as I can tell, it's synthetic. Anyone try it before and knows how it compares to other waxes/sealants?