NHBP04

Im sure we all love black cars to some point but theres times where i wish i had a different color.I hate how everything shows up but when its clean its damn clean.Who knows the secret or secrets to keeping this color in excellent conditon

bo0sty

proper wash method and a ritual use of ONRW

SupaRookie

Ask SweetJazz, his car is

Jesstzn

I have had black and its not that bad .. yes it showes everthing but keeping it pristine isn't rocket science.

One of the keys is wash it often and don't let it get really dirty. The dirtier it is the more grit is available to rub into the surface.

Next is washing/drying practices and media used. 2 buckets ( I never used 2 ) sheepskin mitt, good car wash soap like Megs Gold Class or thier pink one ( and I add 1/4 cap of Opt. no rinse, and dry with good quality ww M/F towels.

exceldetail

And a thorough pre rinse before even touching it.

mrclrider

i'm with you on keeping the black looking good...its tuff

SweetJazz

Thanks for the kind words SupaRookie!!!

NHBP04:
IMO, the best way to keep a black car looking great is to first start by having the car properly detailed. This will give you a platform to easily keep the car looking good most of the time. It also takes consistent and persistent maintenance of the paint. It is kind of like brushing your teeth. After a while you do not think about it you just do it out of habit.

I rarely wash my car with soap and water (once every 1-2 months) and I park in the garage when I am at home. I live out here in CA so the weather is great 90% of the year. This means that I have to have a good solid maintenance care program in between washes. Once your car is detailed check out this thread I put together: Daily Maintenance Program

Note: Since my car is NBP it shows dust very easily. I have been researching anti-static products such as anti-static quick detailers. I am currently using Finish Kare 425 quick detailer and this stuff is fantastic for leaving a super slick paint surface and reducing dust accumulation. I place my forearm next to the paint and if I can feel the hairs raise then I know my car is a dust magnet! Note that there is no product that will completely repel dust from your paint but the FK425 does a great job of not allowing the dust to stick to the paint. A drive on the freeway blows about 80% of the dust off my car. Optimum's Quick Detail Spray seems to also perform the same as the FK425 but I have not been able to prevent streaking so I use it on my wheels. It works great at reducing break dust.

exceldetail

Cool surface, light mist, wipe & buff? Also, make sure you shake before each spritz. There are some Nuba componants in IDGE. Thats probably whats streaking on you.
I love that stuff!
Optimum actually used the benefits of FK425, and then built there product.

bo0sty

do you ever wash the duster in you daily detail, or do you just shake it out before each use. also when you do your method daily, do you go through alot of quick detailer...

SweetJazz

Thanks Patrick. I will try it out.

SweetJazz

I NEVER wash the duster. I simply shake it out really well after two to three swipes. The duster has some parafin wax and that will wash out if you wash it in the machine. This will render the duster useless in my opinion. I will replace the duster every few months or when the duster is no longer effective. I only use the QD a couple of times per week. In between QD applications I only use the duster on the paint. The duster will not remove 100% of the dust but 90-95% is good enough until the next wipedown with the QD.

bo0sty

just out of curiosity how many days does it usually take till you need a qd to remove the dust.

SweetJazz

It depends on the situation (weather, location, etc.) or my mood. Most of the time I can get away with 2-3 days before applications. Note that I do not drive my TL everyday. I split time between my TL and Civic during the week.

bo0sty

since its not a daily driver do you usually preform your maintenance only after you drive it.

exceldetail

Oh man I hope hes not maintaing it while driving it! Otherwise watch out for a stunning TL NBP in the Bay area!!

SweetJazz

Not necessarily. There have been times where the car has sat in the garage for several days but some dust has accumulated so I will simply use the duster to clean it up.

SweetJazz

Well..............I always have a tough time doing the hood area while maintaining the speed limit.