I am very careful when i wash my black G but it seems like no matter how careful i am, it always ends up getting a scratch. Does anybody else experience this? What would anyone recommend? Any suggestions will help. Thanks ahead of time.


-Cameron

 

Check out the Detailing forum on this site. I also recommend autopia.com and properautocare.com. If you've got scratches and/or swirls, you'll first want to get rid of those. These resources will give you the info you need to get this done and wash your car and detail it with proper products and techniques to prevent damage in the future.

 

I believe I am as careful as you can get. I take 15 hour car washes god damn!! And yeah, if you got black, there is no way around scratches. No matter what, you will get little ones. The best thing you can do is wash under roof, and dry and wax and everything under a roof and in a closed place (no wind, no dirt on air). And then learn to use an Orbital for swirl marks.

 

MR CLEAN AUTODRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY....haha..i swear to you that this is the BEST $40 i have ever spent in my life....dont mind all those posts about it not working and it leaving a film on the car....if you do it right and wash in sections your not gonna have a problem...my only gripe would be having to replace the filter so often....

 

Just by using two buckets will help dramatically.
one with soap one with water. You rinse your sponge/wash mitt with the water
each time after each application.

Also, do your wheels last. Many people say to do wheels first to use the max
detergent power. I disagree. there's going to be more sh&t in the soap if you
do wheels first....so do wheels at the end or refill your soap and start fresh.

 

OMG....YESS...black is terribly difficult to take care of...my G and wrangler are both black....and the swirls and little tiny scratches are terrible...worst color for these kinds of things...but damn sexy when done right.

 

yea its hard but it looks damn good

 

please do NOT NOT NOT NOT (NO FUCING NOO) use cotten towels.. try it if you want but use nothing but NEW, CLEAN, and HIGH QUALITY microfiber... if you want a scratch free wash your gona have to wash your car.. none of that cali car duster, detail spray stuff..

1. wash with two buckets.. 1 for soap one to clean your towel
2. start from the top of your car and work your way down
3. once your down with the roof work your way from HOOD to rear.. avoid dirty areas such as around the splash guards and areas close to the exhaust tips..
4. do your rear bumper and front bumper afterwards
5. do your splash guards and underbody last
6. if your towel becomes dirty where its very noticable on the towel.. go get another one.
7. YAY ur done.. hell no go get another clean towel and wash it again
8. use the water to do most of your drying
9. dry with ONLY clean towels from top to bottom
10. wax wax wax (NXT works great vs scratches)
11. use buffer
12. when hand buffing.. do NOT apply too much pressure..

 

I think that's all great advice.

All cars have scratches, it's just that you see every one of them in black cars. I presently own a black G35 coupe and I've owned black cars in the past including a black 993 vert. The key is to never let your car get too dirty, but if you do you have to use extraordinary care when cleaning it. Of course drying is where lots of scratches can occur. Personally I use an air compressor to blow off most of the water and then follow up with microfiber cloth to finish the drying.

I have to admit however with all the precautions that I took, if you would get close enough to any of my black cars and the light was just right, you could see some scratches.

Bottom line is that if you don't want to see the scratches get a silver car.

 

Would not use a buffer unless you know what you are doing. Too many newbies with buffers end up burning their paint or taking off clear coat.

 

Another point is when doing your final rinse, take off any nozzle you may be using, and just let the water "flow" natually. start at the roof, and flood the whole car down the hood, trunk and then sides. you will be surprised how much of the standing water will "sheet" off, leaving very little residual water to towel up.

I find if you keep your finish waxed, this approach will save a lot of time and keep your finish as scratch free as possible....However swirl/scratches are always going to happen, so keep the polish/wax handy and keep the finish maintained.

Just my .02

 

thats what i ment by use water to dry

if you cant operate a buffer dont wax your own car, especially if you have black

 

All good advice except for the emphasis on never using cotton towels. The problem isn't with using cotton towels but rather with using cheap cotton towels. I've been using cotton towels for years on my Vettes and they work great. You just have to buy a good towel, not the cheap crap from Target. I use Fieldcrest Charisma, 100% cotton, made in the USA white cotton towels washed with liquid detergent, dried with no fabric softener and with the edges cut off. This is what Sal Zaino recommends and they work great.

 

^Ditto^. They've served me well thus far. Just watch those "Made in the USA" towels that aren't 100% USA cotton. Likewise, stay away from the 100% cotton towels made elsewhere, regardless of cotton origin.

After looking all over town and pricing 100% USA Cotton / Made in the USA towels, I can tell just by touching them if they are the good stuff. Stay away from the Egyptian cotton or Pakistani-produced items. They suck for this purpose! We use those for ourselves, and they've never gotten any softer. My car towels, on the other hand, are extremely soft and haven't scratched the finish. And I do look to be sure.

Just splurge for large bath towels or "bath sheets", as you lose a good bit when cutting the edges and decorative 'ear-cleaning strips' off the towels. I use the same brand in a wash cloth form for washing the car. Washed the wife's Storm Gray Metallic Pathfinder with the same, and no scratches appeared on that darker color either. I spent $200 in towels for: 2 Bath Sheets, 3 Bath Towels, 5 Hand Towels and 5 Wash Clothes at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Just about ready to break out the Zaino polish. REALLY happy with the Zaino car wash.