how do u guys take care of black paint ???

i hate and love black

i can never prevent them from getting swirls....

Originally Posted by HOSTYL

Black shows all clear coat scratches. I have a million of them. Thats just the price you pay for getting black. My car is garaged so I dont wash it as much as some of you guys. Hell, I only wash it if it gets rained on and there are water spots. I just use the California duster and then Mothers Showtime to clean it up. Oh yeah and Meguires Quik Detail cuz I'm sponsored by them
Black really looks good though during overcast or when its all wet and shiny. Still my #1 color of choice for cars.

Love your location! That's Fritz's II right

has anyone ever used this Liquid Glass product??? I have on my other cars and it seems to last longer between applications.

how often do you wash and wax your car. cuz that is super clean

paint

Good thread, cause I have alot swirl marks I need to get out.

To really tackle scratches and swirls in any color paint, I feel that a Porter Cable 7424 Buffer is a must. Reasons why: a) You can only apply so much constant pressure by hand, b) You can generate more heat to correct the paint with the buffer, c) the job gets done faster with better results and d) You can easily switch to the proper pad, whether it is cutting, finishing, or polishing to tackle your detail. Once you have the proper tools, and don't get me wrong, you can do this by hand but you will wish you hadn't afterwards.

Products needed:
To tackle scratches and swirls, you will need an abrasive polish. Now depending on how bad the condition of the paint is will determine what level of aggressiveness you will need for the polishes. The most common two step applications are: Poorboys Super Swirl Remover 2.5 followed by Poorboys Super Swirl Remover 1. This would be my suggestion if you are planning to tackle the job by hand or with a PC 7424. Another great option would be Menzerna Intensive Polish followed by Menzerna Final Polish II. I would suggest only using the Menzerna if you are going to use a buffer.

Why do you need an abrasive polish?
Many people cringe when they hear the word abrasive, or think they will have no clear coat left or something of that nature. To actually remove the swirls, you have to understand that your clear coat has many imperfections and the dips and valleys in the clear coat are what you are seeing when you are in direct sunlight or under florescent light. What you are doing with the abrasive polishes is evening out those dips and valleys so your clear coat is one continuous surface, hence eliminating the swirls.

After polishing, you may opt to use a glaze next. A glaze, like Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze, will help fill in the dips and valleys of your clear so that optically your paint looks like it doesn't have swirls in those areas.

After the glaze, you will want to seal in the paint and glaze with an acrylic or polymer sealant. This will ensure you get durable protection on your paint. Our favorites are Menzerna Full Mollecular Jacket and Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. The difference between the two is that the Menzerna will apply and remove much easier than the Klasse. Both will provide excellent durability, and initially the Menzerna leaves you with a slicker surface.

To top things off, you may consider putting a wax on top of everything after that. This will give you the maximum depth and gloss for your paint. Our two favorites are P21s Concours Carnauba and Natty's Blue Paste Wax.

Those are the main steps in a detail other than possibly clay baring your paint prior to polishing.

The most important thing to minimize more scratches and swirls from coming onto your paint is to ensure you are using proper wash and dry techniques. 80% or more of swirls come from the wash / dry phase.

First thing you want to do is get a good lubricating shampoo such as P21s Bodywork Conditioning Shampoo or Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds.

Next will be to have the proper wash mitt that touchs your paint. We suggest either the Sheepskin Wash Mitt as an ideal choice or a Microfiber Wash Mitt as a slightly more durable choice. Both are paint safe, but the Sheepskin Mitt has a thicker pile which pulls contamination away from the surface more so than the microfiber mitt. The microfiber mitt will last longer though.

Last item needed is the proper drying towel. We suggest using a Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towel. The one we selected is about 2' x 3' in size and is thirsty enough to dry a whole vehicle.

Two last tips when washing and drying. 1) Use the two bucket wash system. Set up 1 bucket full of suds and another half full of water. After you wash a panel, dunk the wash mitt into the bucket half full of water and rinse out any loose debris. This way when you redunk into the suds, you will not be bringing any contamination back onto the surface. 2) Right after hosing down the car prior to drying, remove the spray nozzle and let the water sheet itself off. You can self dry the car with water almost 70-80%. This makes drying a lot easier and you will not need multiple towels.

Hope this helps, here are few e46 members that had great success with our packages:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=281767

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=298937

Sincerely,

George @ Detailed Image