[LilBrat]

[?]Question, guys![?]
After I bought my 1st black car and whenever my friends see my car, everyone tells me... "Black car looks great, but it is had to clean up." "After 3 years, your car will look ugly if you don't take care of the car well."

I know I need to clean up the car occasionally to look clean. (awwwaaa.. troulesome...)
But what happens after several years if I don't take care of it correctly?
Also, how should I keep it clean like new? How do you take care of your black car?

 

[ttaleric]

I claybar once a month. And wax it once every month. Might be over kill. But it keeps it looking great!!!

 

[ajm0623]

zymol two step treatment is what i use. it's brilliant (so is the resulting shine!!!)

first apply the 'hd cleanse' then get the carbon based paste wax (formulated for dark cars) and you won't be disappointed. just make sure you follow the application instructions for use or you will have a real work out on your hands!! cheers. ///ajm

 

[ttaleric]

ajm0623 - 3/1/2005 2:01 PM

zymol two step treatment is what i use. it's brilliant (so is the resulting shine!!!)

first apply the 'hd cleanse' then get the carbon based paste wax (formulated for dark cars) and you won't be disappointed. just make sure you follow the application instructions for use or you will have a real work out on your hands!! cheers. ///ajm

I also use Zymol. Great product. If you want to keep your black auto in great shape, i wouldn’t use anything but zymol or mothers. Personal preference.

Well so far i've had two black cars and my ex wife ruined both of them by washing them with a gritty sponge and a dirty bucket.You will probably find some specific stuff in the detailing section,but my basic advice:-

Make sure you loosen any grime with lots of water before you start to wash.
If you use a bucket,wash it out well first.
Don't scrub,rub very gently cleaning your cloth or sponge as you go.
If you drop your sponge on the ground rinse it very carefully or bin it.
Get a build up of a good wax to protect the paint and to inhibit dirt adhering in the first place.

And my favourite tip of all....
...Don't wash it too often,to avoid the possibility of micro scratches.I wash mine once a year!

(stands back and waits for the arrival of the Polish Police,Washer Women and the Mop Mafia)

Scary.. once a year. Wow... I know i wash my car excessively but damn. Once a year is kind of harsh. I would at least do it once every month/2months. But more than once a year. But if it works for you, more power to you.



Also, it matters where you are from... If you are close to the coast you might have to take extra precautions to take care of your black car. Just matters.

 

[LilBrat]

Thank you for the great info!

I am tooooo lazy to clean my car (AHHH I broke my nails!! lol). Do you guys recommend to use a car wash place (I will say pay HAND car wash people to clean)? Or just wash/clean it by yourself?!

 

[BackRoll23]

Don't go to a car wash place. Most of them recycle thier water, so you end up cleaning your car with dirty water. If you are too lazy, you could pay to have it detailed every month or two.

 

[MLOffRoad]

Black cars should be washed an polished often to keep the paint looking good for many years, SPECIALY if you are keeping it in the sun (no garage). Since I got my car brand new in 1998, I wash it utleast once a week and polish once a week as well. The layering of the polish really protects the paint. If you are too lazy, just get a mobile detailer to come by everyother week and clean it for you.

 

[MBeige]

Be really meticulous about it... the rest will follow.

When done right it will stand out. I once saw an Audi (black, REALLY shiny) zipping about on the freeway and it was just stunning.

You might also want to check out the Detailing forum on black paint care.

Here's one: http://www.mbnz.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1185913&posts=10&fid=37#M1424271

 

[aristotled]

a car's appearance is a direct result of the amount of time one spends cleaning it. my black v12, affectionately named "Sebastian" , is washed meticulously quite often. when the water doesn't bead up on the surface i will wax it. i use turtle wax's black colored liquid kit available at walmart for less than $10. this gives it the best shine and protection i've found. when Sebastian is all waxed up it looks like you can stick your arm in the finish up to your elbow! the kit also comes with a black pen to fill in tiny chips and works great. when this 9 year old benz is cleaned and waxed properly it turns tons of heads. when it is a bit dirty not many take notice, just another dirty ol' benz. however, i don't wash it to turn heads, i love Sebastian and really enjoy taking great care, being fastidious and fussy about how he looks. I've had parties at my home and guests often ask me how i get the car looking so fine...so i give them a demonstration on Sebastian's hood! they just marvel because with each new coat the surface just gets deeper and deeper. now the ones that own black cars have all gone out and purchased this simple kit and love it. good luck! [8D]

 

[Kirill]

Check out my SLK on NXT:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1179203&posts=28&

 

[MLOffRoad]

Kirill - 3/2/2005 11:28 AM

Check out my SLK on NXT:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1179203&posts=28&

That looks nice ... I think my new recipe is going to be NXT wash, Meguirs Scratch-X, NXT wax, and NXT spray wax. Thxs for your formula !! [^]

 

[Kirill]

MLOffRoad - 3/2/2005 2:42 PM

That looks nice ... I think my new recipe is going to be NXT wash, Meguirs Scratch-X, NXT wax, and NXT spray wax. Thxs for your formula !! [^]

Glad to hear this ! I only suggest you go with at least two coats of NXT wax - it add to the shine.

 

[MLOffRoad]

Roger that !! How long would you say this shine lasts ?? I know on black cars like ours, dust is almost immediately apparent. But the shine is still sort of there. LOL

 

[coaxtdk]

Los Flores Car Wash. you said you lived in OC right LilBrat?

 

[Kirill]

MLOffRoad - 3/2/2005 9:12 PM

Roger that !! How long would you say this shine lasts ?? I know on black cars like ours, dust is almost immediately apparent. But the shine is still sort of there. LOL

Actually wax lasts. You absolutely right about dust - it shows like crazy.

Pics after two months, no re-wax, no spray wax, just washed. I think it looks satisfactory.

more pics: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1180997&posts=1

Now i plan to use spay wax after washes to keep it more shiny.


I heard that NXT doesn't last well in snow\salt, but SLK is parked in a winter.

 

[StuttgartStud]

Not available in stores...you can find this stuff called Midnight Express. It has to be applied with a buffer. Aside from that...Zymol products are great! I also use a car wash soap made by Malco. It is called Ultra Violet.
We've had a lot of black cars in our garage. A black SC400, LS400, SLK320, and 328i.
The Lexus' are gone now. I wasn't planning on buying another black car. They look so damn good! But...I'd gladly trade for a Magma Red one!

 

[LilBrat]

coaxtdk - 3/2/2005 1:42 AM

Los Flores Car Wash. you said you lived in OC right LilBrat?

Yes I do live in OC! Is that a detailed car wash by hand? Where is that?

Kirill... Your car looks beautiful! Damn... You are in IL.

Does someone clean my car? I will pay!! []

 

[Durocdog]

I've read all of these posts about how to take care of black cars and I believe everyone to be accurate. Keep any colr car clean, consistently, and the paint will last forever, nearly.

I recently switched from Zymol to Klasse All In One for my black car. It is much much easier to use and the results are better IMHO. Since I started using Klasse, I have had 4 other people ask about the finish and consequently, they bought Klasse as well.

Klasse works well if applied by hand but is even better when using an orbital buffer. Fortunately, my kids gave me an inexpensive Ryobi buffer recently and it virtually eliminates all hailins scratches in the finish when I use the buffer to apply and to remove the polish.

I can now wash and wax my car in about 1 1/2 hours total.

Another product I recently started using is the Mr. Clean car wash system (another gift from my kids). However, I use the Mr. Clean soap in a bucket rather than spray it on with the applicator. This system does work, believe it or not. however, I do not like the film that it leaves on the windshield, therefore, I buff the windshield and all of my glass with Klasse. By the way, Klasse will not leave a white film on plastic or rubber. This stuff is great! I use it on all of the cars hard surfaces and rubber - chrome, glass, mirrors, interior wood, etc.

 

[MLOffRoad]

Kirill - 3/3/2005 9:56 AM

MLOffRoad - 3/2/2005 9:12 PM

Roger that !! How long would you say this shine lasts ?? I know on black cars like ours, dust is almost immediately apparent. But the shine is still sort of there. LOL

Actually wax lasts. You absolutely right about dust - it shows like crazy.

Pics after two months, no re-wax, no spray wax, just washed. I think it looks satisfactory.

more pics: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1180997&posts=1

Now i plan to use spay wax after washes to keep it more shiny.


I heard that NXT doesn't last well in snow\salt, but SLK is parked in a winter.

Very nice ... that's good to know.

 

[StuttgartStud]

I've never heard of Klasse. Where can I get it?