So for all those owners of Nighthawk Black Pearl TL-S's out there, how do you manage to keep it nice and shiny?

Is it really as bad as everyone seems to think? I want to get a black TL-S, but I'm shying away from it because of the difficult upkeep.

 

Yes the black color is very hard to clean. I probably wash my car at least twice a week to keep clean. But when it is clean, it is the most beautiful thing you will ever see in your life. haha!! Get the black dude, since 80% of the TLS I see is silver.

 

Get the black! I wash it 3-4 times a week, it is worth it. At night, even if it is dirty, it still looks great! During the day... that's another story.

 

If you're obsessive about keeping your car clean, you will be unhappy.

I find that the further away it gets from the last wax, the worse it looks. I last waxed it in mid, June, and despite a lot of rain, it still looks acceptably shiny. Even my mother-in-law said so! But I'm going to try to get another coat of wax on soon, just to keep it looking a little better.

We had a exceptionally pollen-soaked spring, and the NBP not only showed every grain of pollen, but the pollen stuck to the finish much more than 'normal' dust. The pollen made the car look ten years old...

In comparison, my silver company car is parked next to a construction site every day, and it looks clean from 50 feet, even with a quarter inch of dust covering it.

However, if I were buying today, I'd either be getting a TL in Anthracite, or a TL-S in Black (with the Tan interior).

 

BLACK!!! Wash it a couple of times a week, keep it garaged at night, looks great. Nothing like that NBP in the indirect sunlight, the blue pearl really shines.

 

Get silver...........I want black.

I have a black GS-R now, was it once a week, use zymol wax once a month, keep a bottle of quick detailer in the car and your set. Its not that hard to do.

 

How about using the fabled California Car Duster? Can I go with washing it once every two weeks and dusting it every other day?

 

Heard of too many people scratching their car, even the smallest scratches are much more visable on a dark colored car. I know some have used it and say it works fine, but I will play it safe. It came off the truck with swirls in the paint, took some elbow grease and P21S Gloss-enhancing Paintwork Cleanser to get them out, not going to risk it.

 

Black is great! Just clean it when you want it to look good!

:-jon

 

Great advice, Jon. Maybe I'll just wash it when I need it to look sweet!

 

Zaino, Zaino, Zaino. The dirt and swirls just stay away with this stuff.

www.zainobros.com

 

someone posted this site before it probably will come in handy for you Detailing

 

Even when I get my TLS waxed it does not shimmer like my Lexus does. The paint process is just sub-standard.

 

I wash mine at least once a week. I also polish with Zaino ALOT and I clean the bugs off every day. I find the biggest problem is water marks. If it rains just a little bit the darn water marks get on there and I have to wash again. Even so I am happy with the black. I think it stands out much better than the silver or white.

 

Definitely get the black. Nothing compares to a shiny new black car and/or just cleaned. If you can afford the car, at least have the heart to keep it clean or wash it when it gets dirty.

Like Jon said before, clean it when you need it looking good.

 

I was thinking about the white or blue, but got the black because they didn't have white and my girls X5 is Topaz blue that looks exactly the same. If you're a car freak like me and you wash and wax very often, the black is just spectacular! I have some pics! But I'm new to the boards and don't know how to do it like all you pros out there!
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...p=50481651&f=0
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...p=50481653&f=0
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...p=50441053&f=0

 

IF YOU DONT WASH YOUR CAR PROPERLY WITH CAR WASHING DETERGENT [FOAM], yes FOAM, you can scratch your car very easily. On black, the scratch will appear more than on silver and white, so when washing your black car, always use 2 buckets of soap detergent once. Like, make one bucket of detergent for the left side of the car, dump the 1st bucket and make a 2nd bucket for the right side of the car. This way, there will be less particles on the wash mitt. Also, clean your wash mitt as frequent as possible to avoid scratch.

 

evolaerok-

Pic 3 of 8... ahhhh very nice!

 

evolaerok - what kind of bulbs do you have in your fogs?

 

I wash it every week. Use Pinnacle spray wax once a week. And use the California duster to dust the car copule times a week. Even my neighbor jokes my car is still shine like just come out from the showroom. I admit black car needs a lot more attention to keep it clean and shiny.

 

"evolaerok - what kind of bulbs do you have in your fogs?""evolaerok - what kind of bulbs do you have in your fogs?"

Like I said before, it's just stock! I'm sure mine just looks different because I used a effect on my Digicam!

Oh let me recommend to you guys alternative wash/wax/products. I feel Zymol is too much for little or less results. Try out Griots.....www.griotsgarage.com/catalog

 

Thats weird, I have yet to see a silver TL-S. I've seen many a black, blue and even a green but no white or silver...