allykahn

iTrader: (1)

I have never had a black car and I am going to order a NBP/Ebony 6spd TL. My question is related to the care/cleaning of black cars. I'm concerned with swirl marks etc., and I want to know the best products (wax, cleaners etc.) to use in order to keep it looking good. Thanks for your help.

EMF213

I'm interested too...I have your color combo (3 weeks old) and I have washed it twice by hand. I already have light scratching and swirls!!! I have benn extremely careful; rising all dirt from car first, using a soft t-shirt instead of a sponge and only drying with a shammy! I still have freakin' sratches!!

Please help!

TBone2004

I would really, really recommend you do not continue to use a t-shirt to wash your car. You are trapping the dirt and grinding into the paint - thus the swirls etc. I have recently switched to a Sheepskin wash Mitt - love it and no swirls or scratches so far. Drying and wax removal - use Micro Fiber towels.

1995hoo

I have NBP with camel and washed the car Sunday using a sheepskin wash mitt from Griot's. Worked very well. Before using any sort of towel to dry the car I blew off as much of the water as I could using my Black & Decker Leaf Hog leaf blower. This worked splendidly, especially when it came to getting the water out of the sideview mirror hinges, door jambs, etc., places where it's hard to use a towel. There were NO water spots after I dried the car this way.

I would avoid a t-shirt if I were you because, if you use an old undershirt or something, if you're like many guys the armpits get crusty after a few years and you don't want to be using the crusty part on your paint, and also the seams may be stitched using abrasive threads that will introduce scratches.

joeyg

What do you think about using a chamois cloth for drying?

TBone2004

Before I tried Micro-Fiber that is what I used on previous cars. I'll never go back though.

anth32

What's up guy's. Same color have about 1600 miles. I take it to a hand car wash. The owner is pretty knowledgable. He washes it with a cheese cloth. Before he dry's it he sprays with an actual compressor and sparay gun a coat of Blue Coral then drys the car. It looks great. Apparently it coats the fine scratches for about a month. I've been going to him for about 3 years so he is not trying to sell the product he actually gives it to me for free. If you basically do it every month it prevents most of the swirls.

Xpditor

You can find the anwers to all your questions in great detail in the Wash & Wax section of our forum. CLICK HERE TO GO THERE

This thread will be moved there shortly where it is more appropriate and where people looking for this topic will see it.

XP

allykahn

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the replies.

XP, I'll check it out.

EMF213

Thanks...I was using a sponge, but this past wash I figured I'd try the t-shirt (only used it once). I got swirls from the so called "scratch-free" sponge...

I'll try the mit....

ITL

sponges and t-shirts are terrible.....spend $6 and get a chenille or other mitt that will pull dirt away from the car....not spread it around and grind it into the paint...

I, too, am a huge fan of the microfiber towels....I dry quick with an Absorber and then get the small water spots w/ microfiber....sometimes quick detailer w/ microfiber after the Absorber

Keep your NBP clean! I DO

EMF213

What's an Absorber?

coop1018

Good color combo choice!! I use a sponge washing with Meguiars NXT, dry with a 100% cotton t-shirt (that is not old) then wax with Meguiars NXT product, then Meguiars Scratch X Swirl removal. I do not have hardly any lines or swirls using these methods. But I may try this micro fiber theory.

JoganJani

Please follow these rules / directions and you'll keep your NBP crystal clean.

1. Always wash in shade with 100% cotton towel. No sponge, mits, t-shirts.
2. Always wipe up-down on sides and back-forth on top, hood, trunk.
3. NO rotations while washing, drying or polishing
4. Always dry immediately with MicroFiber towels or 100% cotton towels or with leaf blower if it's blower only. If it's vacume too it'll spit out dirt on your car. DO NOT use it.
5. Use CA WaterBlade before drying if you want, thoug wipe the blade with 100% cotton towel after every wipe/stroke.
6. Use good wax and polishing products. Go to wax / wash sub-forum here. Also visit autopia.org very nice detailing forum.

and last but not least,

7. Zaino is GOD. (See my Zaino result in signature. )

xristos

Why are you applying the Meguiars NXT wax before the Scratch X Swirl Remover?

You are doing it ass-backwards. Apply the Scratch X before the NXT wax. I hope you have not been doing this very long because the Scratch X removes your NXT wax & leaves you w/ no protection.

coop1018

xris, i just put it in backwards when I was writing this...thanks!

alextclam

wow!

xristos

ITL

It's like a chamois, but not leather....works better, lasts longer, holds more water, and comes in a plastic tube that is meant to keep it damp whereas your chamois will dry out and get hard.

I've always picked them up at Auto Zone.....never seen one at Pep Boys, not sure about Advance....try your local auto parts store. Oh yeah, it's machine washable, too. I wash it every other time I wash my car to keep it clean.



I use this to get most of the water off. It's quick, then I finish drying with microfiber towels- usually takes two to dry everything.

Xpditor

Moving this interesting thread to Wash & Wax section.

joeyg

All I can say is THANKS!!! Great advice. Dries the NBP today using an absorber followed by microfiber, and there wasn't one waterspot when I was finished. God it looks good!

Joey

exceldetail

Joey, your a big boy now, graduate up to a waffle weave drying towel......If theres anyone else out there using t-shirts on your vehicle, shame on you !

carcar

I use a Chenille Wash Mitt by Viking for washing. Then I use the hose without a pressure nozzle to sheet water off of the vehicle, followed by a Microfiber polishing cloth (16x16) (Viking brand) and I don't have any water spots on my paint. However, the cloth is usually pretty soaked when I'm done drying with it, and the windows get water spots.

For buffing/polishing I use 100% Cotton Made in the USA Cannon Fieldcrest towels, they're not very durable and they're kinda thin, but they're soft. They were $6 a piece on sale.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? The Z-7 wash that I use produces TONS of suds, so the Chenille will not scratch my paint even if it wanted to, right?

How do I get the water spots off the windows with the towels i already have?
( I don't feel like going out and buying MORE cloths and towels, it's getting expensive and I've made like 5 trips to AutoZone already!)

Thanks,
carcar

p.s. I wish the WASH and WAX forum got as much attention as the 3rd Gen TL forum does...my posts already ever get answered...

joeyg

Ok, enlighten me on this. I am all ears (as usual). I love the info I get from you guys on here.

Joey

OrangeCream

Don't buy skimp on towels and buy the cheap stuff... Buy quality products... www.showshine.ca has a good waffle weave to dry the car and www.detailingdynamics.com has a good microfiber towel for buffing. (Dyna Concours MicroTerry) ... Just because it says microfiber does not mean it wont scratch your car!

NEVERaDuLLmoment

I use 100% made in America, cotton towels to wash my car. I was skeptical to use a towel at first, but it worked like a charm. Just make sure that you cut off all of the trim around the towel, as the edges could scratch the car. No scratches, no swirls, I love it.