Black 03 Z06

You know that song by Gino Vanelli "Black Cars Look Better In The Shade"? Been told it really is not a song about Black Cars but there is some truth to it. When I backed the car out of the garage yesterday I was pretty pleased with my clean up efforts over the past week. However it was very humid yesterday morning and when I started to drive I noticed random patches of moisture stuck to the car. I had to stop to see what was actually happening. To my horror the car was just a mass of streaks and what looked like wax that had not been removed.

The lighting in my garage sucks to say the least so although it looked great in the shade the light of day showed something quite different. Streaks on black cars are a problem but this is really a mess and I am not sure what to do to correct it. Thus your advice.

I initially washed the with Meguiar's car wash soap to get it clean then washed it with Dawn to remove the old wax. I bought Meguiar's Scratch X 20 Compound and did the entire car then cleaned it off with micro towels. Then I went over the entire car with Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. At that point I was too beat to finish wiping it off so I left it till the next morning. Maybe a problem? Cleaned it off no issues, or so I thought.

So now I am not sure how to fix it. I don't know if the wax just needs to be wiped down well again after a wash or is the problem really the compound underneath? I really don't want to have to do it all again but that is what I am thinking. Would another coat of wax (don't think it has any cleaners in it), or would this just make it worse? I did not use the Ultimate Compound but maybe I should have.

Needless to say I was unhappy about the effort versus results. Don't know if I used the wrong products or what but I have never had this happen before.

Suggestions were made to go over it with Slick Mist which I did. Now I have a shiny streaky mess. Out of ideas at this point what to do next. Should I wash it again with Dawn and start over, my suspicion is that I did not get the compound off


Your thoughts? Appreciated as always.

FYRARMS

Dawn isn't removing Jack squat. All it is doing is adding a haze to your finish which gives it the appearance of the wax being stripped. YouTube tests confirm this. I would start fresh and use a dedicated wax-stripping soap. I use Adam's Polishes Strip Wash. There are also many spray products that work even better. Once stripped, I would clay bar the car and wash it with a car wash soap. Not a "wash and wax" soap, either. Assuming the car does not need to be polished/corrected, I would then re-apply your choice of wax or sealant.

Humidity sucks, and will allow any streaking to be shown easily. Not sure which spray detailer you use, but after waxing the car, I would mist the whole thing with a quality spray detailer and wipe it down to reduce the chance of streaks reappearing.

0Adam's Polish

It's hard to say without seeing it but my suggestion is to start over.
It probably needs machine polished,( clayed first) if this is a Corvette the clear on most years is pretty hard and will take more then a hand polish. After polishing I would Glaze then either wax or apply a sealant.
Do you have a machine?

Check out these videos and Please let me know if you have any questions.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...-96Shcyb3VyUDy

Black 03 Z06

Thanks for the input guys. I do not have a polisher so it was all done by hand.

Looked at the Adam's site and their wash/strip is out of stock I guess. I have used Adam's products before and was pleased with them (metal polish A & B). Will call the Adam's dealer in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Monday and see what he might have.

Thanks for the video links. Frustrating but I have resigned myself to having to do it again.

Appreciated.

BudgetPlan1

Recently released, Poorboys getting some good reviews


Dawn is great for dishes but stripping stuff, not so much.

FYRARMS

I have been wanting to try this. I have a huge Poorboy's arsenal in the garage, and love almost everything they put out. Great stuff at great prices, and they always let pro detailers test all their stuff before they release it to the market.

I have had good results with Adam's Strip Wash, but it is really used for removing old waxes and sealants. It isn't strong enough to easily remove freshly-applied products. The PB Strip Down is a pretty concentrated spray, so it obviously is doing a good job of tackling waxes and sealants that were recently applied. I am going to pick up a bottle!

Black18C7

Yep it needs paint correction with a machine. Even as an amateur you can achieve amazing results.

cmonkey713

NOTICE: Black is not a color, it is a career.

I have three black cars.

FYRARMS

KyJim

I have 3 black vehicles and would not have anything else. You have to stay on top of them to ensure they stay looking good for years.

Grzldvt1

Not true at all , as a pro detailer and truly understand how to get crap off the paint, Dawn has never failed me. I wash 4+ cars a day in my detail shop for the last 10 years with Dawn, and guess what never had a problem with it. Never seen it just haze over.
I only use it for brand new details. I use Zaino Car Wash for those that have been detailed by us for washes, or Gyeon Bathe 2 for ceramic coated. I even put a guarantee on the Zaino final finish and have only had 5 people come back in 10 years to say my finish was not doing what it is supposed to do. Will let you do the math 4+ cars a day X 10 years.
Have a lot of customers come back for washes and the final finish still beads and is "hydrophobic" as expected for more than 12 months with Zaino, longer for ceramic coated cars.
Dawn was the very basic car wash.
Won't even go into the process for Ceramic coatings.

FYRARMS

Great to hear that it doesn't haze as others have claimed. Black 03 Z06 was using it specifically to strip wax, which is really what my post was refuting.

Grzldvt1

Based on what you are seeing, I suspect you left the product on for too long. Some waxes/polishes like Zaino can remain on a car for a week and simply come off, others need to be removed in less than a few hours, otherwise you need to chisel it off.
Bottom line as Adams Polishes stated you cannot clean up a black car of scratches by hand. I have been told by customers, I was wrong, until I put my Xenon light on the car and showed them what it really looked like.
Invest in a Porter Cable, available at Home Depot for around $100, 6" inch backing plate and a couple of MF cutting pads, or even better Adam's Two Step Swirl Killer 21mm Polisher kit. I was given a bottle of the Correcting Polish and was pretty impressed with the results. The kit gives you everything you need for a black car, I would also buy 4-5 more of their MF cutting pads and the foam cutting pads. In my shop we will use 4-6 pads per car, as they do get loaded up with product and clear coat and the pad's ability to work efficiently diminishes as you use it.
Then I would look at Ceramic coatings. While a bit or expensive they are well worth the money spent, especially on a Black car as it drastically reduces the marring that washing does to the finish..

cmonkey713

Grzldvt1 mentioned "Washing". Having considerable experience with black cars keep in mind that every time you touch it you will introduce small scratches referred to as spider webbing or holograms. The best way to clean a black car is to use a pressure car wash and dry with a blower or compressed air. You will still get some residual water after blow drying. The remove any residual water pat dry with an absorbent micro-fiber or other such towel. Do not rub or wipe, pat dry. If the car is excessively dirty, after power washing use a dry wash product and numerous MF towels. Take your time and gently clean the surface using plenty of lubrication wiping in only one direction to prevent swirls and holograms. Remember: "Black is not a color it is a career".