Who here has a black paint job? How do you avoid swirls and every other imperfect things that happen just by looking at the paint job? I live in the Northwest and to be honest I am afraid to drive the damn thing. Miss the old days of the lacquer paint. This is my first black vette and I am already going crazy. I am hearing so many things like ughhhhhh the resale on a black vette is bad. Why did you get black? No one drives a black vette because they scratch just by looking at it. If someone here can help that would be much appreciated.

 

Black paint jobs are heart breakers and widow makers. Maintaining a black finish is not a hobby but a career. Even the slightest flaws show. This is true for all black cars.

 

I seem to violate my no black cars policy about once every 10 years. My current C4 ZR-1 has an older black respray and I had to get into machine polishing because of this beast. Many a Friday or Sat. night has been spent at home on the dual action orbital machine rather than out at the pub or brewery because of the color I chose to buy.

Black is fine- it is the metallic greens and purples that people will not purchase- those colors hurt resale.

 

Most swirls and scratching are added during the washing and drying stages. Also wiping off birdie doo doo and other items on paint with the wrong towels and lubrication before next washing. It is important to measure what you are using and how you are using it. There are some great techniques that keep black ...black. I did it successful for years, and often received compliments on the paint !

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

 

Thanks my man. I am afraid to wash it. What products do you recommend?

 

From my experience with a 90 Black ZR-1 with original paint...
Let me start by saying I am nowhere near a detailer. I had to learn fast with this car. Paint was in decent shape - and I will also say that in the 2 years I've owned it - I have never washed it with water. That said - it isn't a daily driver and doesn't go out in bad weather.
I started with hand waxing with Meguiars Ultimate Gold. Decided to get more into it and get a deeper shine - so I would wipe the dust off with detail spray, and then I got a Porter Cable 9424? from Autogeek with an assortment of pads. Used Meguiars Ultimate Polish, then Ultimate Gold wax, then Meguiars Glaze. Man it looked good with that combo - won class in 4 of 5 shows. Was a he!! of a lot of work though. SO - I heard about Chadwicks Triple Play on the forum, mulled it around for a few months, called Neil and talked with him for 20 minutes, and finally ordered some. Used it this Spring when car came out of winter hibernation - very pleased with the results! You use it to "wash" the car, then go back over it with the Chadwicks block to "clay" the car and set the stuff - then you use the Chadwicks like detail spray from there on. Never wash the car with water again, and every time you Chadwick it - it adds another layer and the shine deepens. Check out his website. You'll be glad you did...

 

Use a good safe soap, I like Griots, Duragloss, Megs and others. Use the two bucket method (one rinse, one soap) and preferably grit gards to control keeping dirt at bottom. Use a good thick soft towel or mitt, preferably Microfiber. Wash in straight lines back and forth. If paint is very dirty, consider a foam gun or presoak to help lubricate the surface and allow the soap to loosen the dirt. If you want to be real dedicated, you can dump water and refill both buckets at 1/2 point.

## Make sure you clean the wheels first, separately, and while cool. Dump out any water used with wheels, as brake dust can be very abrasive.

For drying, I like to use a blower. Master Blaster, DP Turbo Dryer, or Leaf blower. I then spritz the paint with a Detail Spray or lubricated Spray Wax and lightly wipe (or blot) No pressure. The spray will also help remove any water spots and glide towel across surface.

Now for paint that needs some repair, here is a post today on how a buffer and some great polishes can help:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-car-diso.html

Here's my ride showing off proper polishing, Four Star UPP, and Souveran Paste Wax

 

Damnnnnnnn! That is show room condition. I am going to follow what you've said. If all else fails I will send you a plane ticket.lol

 

Black is not a color, its an occupation.

 

Spend some time over on Autogeeks detail forum. Lots of good info on caring for your black paint. Before I joined, my idea of a car wash was a hose, bucket and an old towel or rag. Lots of good products and fool proof methods of keeping that black paint flawless. I never realized detailing cars was such an art form. Kudos to those that do it for a living!

 

You know of course that all paints suffer the same type of damage from poor washing techniques, bad dealer prep, previous owner damage, etc. On black it is more noticeable, but any color that has swirls, bits of grime, etc. will not give you a decent shine.

BTW, all cars get dirty. It may be more noticeable with a black car. That said, you will not get a good shine (and you will damage the paint) with a gritty car.

So just be happy that it is easy to see this stuff so you can treat the issue.

 

 

Black cars are beautiful when clean. Too bad they only stay clean for about ten minutes after you wash them...

I personally love black vehicles but they are a bitch to maintain. I use Meg's M101 and M102 with a Flex polisher to get out the swirls. I then use the Zaino products to finish it off. The results speak for themselves...

 

Every paint has a different hardness. Research on the detailing forums what people have best outcome with. Bear in mind most professional detailers use the cheapest products and filler waxes that make those holograms disappear temporarily. Auto Geek, Detailed Image are two that should prove helpful. Buy a good DA polisher NOT a rotary one which requires too much practice and has potential to burn paint. Meguiar micro fiber polishing and finishing pads are great to start with.
Remember, youtube is your friend.

 

Sounds like I've got some reading/learning to do. The black paint on my '89 is "cloudy" in places. I think I used too much Zaino Z5 during my last detailing session, and it didn't all come off. Now I need to figure out how to get rid of the cloudiness.

 

Have faith my friend, black paint is not impossible, it's just requires more careful and thought out steps. Luckily, these steps have been established for you, and all you have to do is put them in action

I recommend a foam gun for washing, but if that's too much at least start using the 2-bucket method.
Invest in good car shampoo, and washing mits (autogeek, detailed image, griots are just a few good online resources for exactly what you need).
Use an air dryer (even an electric leaf blower is better than a drying towell).
If you are new to detailing, it may be worth having it done by a professional the first time and you can learn skills by maintaining it.

When it's cleaned and detailed the right way, it's well worth it and other enthusiasts will appreciate how much work you had to get it that way!