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

17K views 46 replies 27 participants last post by  Detailed Image 
#1 ·
cuz scratches are all over my car
 
#27 ·
Secret is in the process and products!!

Invest in some really good terry cloth towels from Fieldcrest. The Charisma is the best you can get! They are about $20 a piece for a bath towel. Also get a bunch of micro fiber towels to use for quick detailing, drying, etc. Wal Mart carries the Nicsand brand and you can get 2 for about $4. Always use a quality car wash soap and a terry cloth wash mit. NO SPONGES!!!! They just trap the dirt and scratch. Rinse the mit frequently!

I use to use a CA water blade, but have lately noticed some small hair line scratches that I think were caused by it, so it's temporarily retired. I've got 2 black BMWs and work VERY hard to keep them perfect. Mine is driven 25k a year and is a '98, but you would never know. i learned everything that I know about pampering paint on http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ A ton of good info and some real fanatics. Here's a shot of my daily driver.

 
#29 ·
big bad jon said:

i noticed some hairline scratches too, but i dunno whether or not they came from the water blade...
btw, does anyone know a good place to get the p21s? thanks.
I just did a Google search to find a place. Don't remember exactly where I got it.

And the CA Water Blade will not scratch your car if you're not dragging dirt around with it. Gotta make sure it's really clean before using the blade.
 
#33 ·
I hear it's a good idea to use a good washing solution with a wax in it. But at the end of the day, Black is a nitemare to maintain. Oh well................
 
#34 ·
So true...

BMWintoxication said:
"it looks the cleanest when it's clean and the dirtiest when it's dirty"
I'm sure someone will disagree with me, but no color gives a deeper, glossier, more "liquid look" than black when it is clean and polished.

We have a friend of the family who used to show his '55 Chevy sedan (took 1st place national more than once). It was painted with 7 coats of tuxedo black laquer, and then 5 coat of clear. The paint job alone was $15,000, but you would swear you were looking in a mirror - you could lean over the hood and spot food caught in your teeth.
 
#35 ·
Re: So true...

.Gravedgr. said:


I'm sure someone will disagree with me, but no color gives a deeper, glossier, more "liquid look" than black when it is clean and polished.

We have a friend of the family who used to show his '55 Chevy sedan (took 1st place national more than once). It was painted with 7 coats of tuxedo black laquer, and then 5 coat of clear. The paint job alone was $15,000, but you would swear you were looking in a mirror - you could lean over the hood and spot food caught in your teeth.
Not gonna hear me disagree. If you checkout the "hood shot" thread in the showroom, you can see the reflection of my ceiling in the hood of the car. If it weren't for the vents being in the picture, you'd swear it was just a pic of my ceiling!
 
#36 ·
water blade

I use to use a CA water blade, but have lately noticed some small hair line scratches that I think were caused by it, so it's temporarily retired. I've got 2 black BMWs and work VERY hard to keep them perfect. Mine is driven 25k a year and is a '98, but you would never know. i learned everything that I know about pampering paint on http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ A ton of good info and some real fanatics. Here's a shot of my daily driver.

I used the water blade once and noticed long horizontal scratches on the hood, roof, and trunk. Just like swirl marks, they are more noticeable depending on the lighting. I'm never using the blade again.
 
#37 ·
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 :eeps:
Black really looks good though during overcast or when its all wet and shiny. Still my #1 color of choice for cars.
 
#38 ·
Black is not for everyone

e46 Supra and SteveL are closest to having it right.

Having swirls on black paint is "not just the way it goes." Black will simply show more vividly whether you have good washing/waxing techniques.

Products have little to do with getting scratches or swirls -- with some notabile exceptions.

Most wash mitts you buy at auto parts stores are not truly all-cotton even though they say they are (I have called the mgfrs., and they admitted there was poly binding in the frabric. Poly WILL scratch the paint.

Other than that, scratches are caused by rubbing the dirt across the paint (most dust is microscopic rocks!). Wash with two buckets -- one with clean, soapy water, the other filled with clean water. Using a nozzle-less hose, always run water over the area you are washing. When you have done a panel, shake/rinse the mitt in the clear water and then recharge it in the soapy water to start the next panel. Wash in a protected area (I wash my car IN the garage) and dry using either truly all-cotton towels (with the poly binding cut off) or the new mirofiber towels.

Water blades DO NOT scratch you car -- what scratches your car is any left-over or new dirt/dust on your car as you are drying. If you are not confident you can get your car that clean, then use a towel instead.

I also always wash/dry/wax in a single direction so if I do get a swirl, it is less likely the sunlight will catch a reflective edge.

Zaino is a HIGHLY reflective polymer coating that tends to fill some of the scratches. Personally, I think it is the wrong product to use over black since you want the deep, wet look that black best shows, not a mirror-like finish, but to each their own.

Hope that helps.
 
#39 ·
.Gravedgr. said:
Have you guys had any experience with the metallic paints? I'm wondering if the Carbon Black Metallic will be HARDER or EASIER to maintain than the glossy Jet Black. After hearing testimonials and reading the Zaino Bros. site, I'm impressed enough to go with their full like of products I think.
carbon black will be about the same, maybe a little easier. white always the easiest.
 
#42 ·
HOSTYL said:
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 :eeps:
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 :str8pimpi
 
#47 ·
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
 
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