Hi all
I took delivery of a new black GTS and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on how to keep the black paint looking fresh? I had a '04 "S" and it looked great until the sun came out and all the swirl marks appeared.

I have seen some older black model Cayennes that look like they just came off the show room floor and I'm wondering if there are any suggestions that can be given?

Thanks
Paul

 

You can't avoid the swirl marks as they are the part of a daily driver's life, however, you can use zymol wax to reduce the swirl marks after they appear, and have your car waxed, polished etc. at a detailer. Ask this question to detailing forum, those guys will help you

 

My relatively uneducated opinion:

A lot of it has to do with your regular (week in, week out) care of the vehicle. Avoid two things, standard car washes and courtesy washes at the dealership. At dealerships, the wash bay guys are the workhorses of the dealership. Their job is to get through as many cars as possible, and they have no idea (or interest) in proper washing techniques. The soap and mitts are filthy, and they don't wash the car in the proper order. Same can be said for car washes that aren't touch less.

When you wash your car, use a clean mitt, start from the top of the car, and work your way down. Wash the mitt off often (every panel), and don't rub over the same spot twice (you're just dragging the dirt you took off the paint back over it). If you're going to use a car wash, make sure it's touch less. As for waxing, I'd stick to just use light paint protectors and sealants. If you're working by hand, rub laterally, throw out the notion of circular motions as it can induce swirls. Make sure your applicator and towels are staying clean as well.

Take the car to a reputable detailer (not the dealership) at least twice a year to have them work out unavoidable swirls and clean the paint.

And finally, relax, enjoy the car, and don't worry about a few paint imperfections. Hope some of that helped.

 

avoid using anything dirty (make sure everything u use to wash the car is clean)... or u can have a detail shop wash ur car every time it is dirty...that's my advice...

 

Go to:
http://www.adamspolishes.com
and get the Instructional DVD. I think it's about $5, or maybe free with an order. It goes through everything step by step. I have had great luck with many of Adam's products.

 

I would also contact Phil at www.detailersdomain.com (he's close to you in east coast) to see what he has to offer.

John

 

Always use a suede towel and make sure you clean the car first well to remove sand and other dirt particles. The next step is to cover it with the supplied car soap and try to cover every panel, go over the car and spray water for the soap to come down and now dry with the suede towel.

This is the step that I use and I've never gotten swirl marks since my last polish.

 

where in md are you? i am not too far.
blk car requires part time job to keep it clean and smooth.

 

true true... black cars are a labor of love. Check out Phil at detailer's domain, he has '6speed' deals in the Group Buy forum regularly.

I use microfiber towels and wash mit, good soap, etc. I have my black 996 professionally buffed / waxed / polished once per year.

 

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I think the first thing I need to do is to get a few coats of good wax on the auto to help protect the paint. Black is really hard to keep up with, but when its clean and detailed it looks great. My wife has a silver Mercedes E550 with AMG sport package and it is almost maintenance free. Even dirty the thing always looks good, but will never look as good as a black car.

So hopefully with all the great advice, it'll continue to look like this.....

Thanks again,
Paul

 

LIL RAJA
I live in Montgomery County in the Germantown/Rockville area.

Do you know if anyone has ever had a Porsche gathering in the greater Washington, DC /Metro area?

Paul

 

All great advice from everyone, owning all black cars, my advice is buy a California car duster. Every morning before I take off I wipe it down, takes about 2 minutes. The least amount of times you can wash the car the better off you are. If you go more then 2 days without wiping it down, the dust gets a little thick to wipe off. Also pick up meguires spray way mist, and microfiber towels, use these to wipe off fingerprints and water marks, and bugs. I can go 2 months if the car hasn't seen rain, before I wash it each day it sill looks as if it was washed that day. Also get the small duster and use that for the wheels.
Congrats on your new GTS, its a beauty!!

 

+1 on the meguires, I use the nextgen spray detailer between washes.
Where I live, the cali duster does not work so well. The dust here is actually exhaust soot, so wiping it just makes a smeary mess

 

Unfortunately, you live in Maryland. If you lived in Southern California, I'd recommend you attend a free Detailing Clinic at Meguiar's HQ in Irvine. You'll learn basic and advanced car detailing techniques at this clinic.

Go to www.meguiarsonline.com and join the forum. Even if you don't use (or care to use) Meguiar's products (which I do) you'll find a treasure of information on detailing tools and techniques (and tricks).

For what it's worth, the purpose of wax is to protect ... polishing takes out swirl marks.

 

kevin hit it on the nose. get a california duster. i've owned one for over 15 years and it has paid for itself over and over. used it all the time on my black h2. don't buy the knock-off ones that you need to treat with a spray, only buy the original.