I really did'nt know what I was getting myself into when I bought a black truck. Two things I do. I use cheese cloth as a wash cloth. Works great for getting bugs off. Also after washing I never dry with a towel. I break out the leaf blower and dry my truck off. Its great for getting the water from around the door handles and mirrors. You know after you dry there is always that little bit of water that runs out of some tight space and pisses you off. Takes half as long to dry if the truck has a good coat of wax.

 

I dont currently have a black vehicle, but have had 3 in the past. camaro, mustang, and Regal GS.

Here is what I learned.

For washing use the old cloth diapers or high quaility wash cloth. Dry with High quaility cotton bath towel or shammy(sp?).

The big key is get all the soap off! Very important, residue soap is what shows the imperfections in the clear coat. Shows swirles and can even put a white haze on it.
I only hand washed my car's . Machine wash with the brushes or mats are torture on the finnish. They tend to dragg the last cars and your dirt all over your car. High pressure wash's usualy have problems getting the film off the car. I do use touchless car wash for a quick clean up.
If there is a Ming detail shop where you live try them. They used to have a protectant they would put on for $100 and gaurentee it for 3 years. all you had to do was wash the car and let it air dry no spots, and it shined like you just waxed it.

 

i owned a black f350 for 7 years and washed it a million times it seems, for a quick, nice smooth look, i always went to the car wash and high pressure sprayed it then wiped it all off with a shammy right away, it looked good but not perfect, i think keeping it waxed also helps the dirt not film up on it for when you wash it also. the shammy seems to be good at taking the film off if its not to much also.

 

One thing I learned from showing cars..... MICRO FIBRE cloths are a lifesaver. To dry your truck I found that the PS200 series shammies are by far the best... Go to your local Harley dealer and the stuff they have to wash and wax Harley's is by far the best stuff for waxing vehicles as well.....

 

I really like some of these ideas! I will put them to use for sure. I just got a black F250 SD and the wife bought a black Explorer a few months ago.


Smokeless,
I really liked your input about going to a Harley Dealership for washing and waxing supplies!

Mike

 

ya its good stuff... might be a little pricey at the dealer but you can find it at European Car performance places.....

 

Ever try those silicone squeeges? I have been using one for years. It takes 90% of the water aff and leaves it super dry. The rest is taken care off with a cloth.

 

I help my dad wash his black truck every weekend, and I can say that the most important thing I've noticed is to get all the soap off and towel dry quicly. The other thing is to use soap made for cars; we once used dish soap, and it didn't turn out as well. That may just be for the brand of soap we used, but hey, it was made for dishes, not cars

 

Avoid washing your black truck or car in the direct sun. You'll get water spots before you finish washing.

-Use a chamiose for drying...removes streaks and small water spots.
-Use soap for cars only, no dish soap, it's way too harsh for car paint.
-Try to keep your whole vehicle wet with water until ready to dry...this helps to keep the water spots to a minimum.
-Black paint enhances every blemish. But if you keep your clearcoat CLEAR, by removing the haze, your black paint will look wet when dry.

My black paint shines even when dirty. I detail it with clay, then i use my porter-cable orbital buffer with meguiar's cleaner/wax #7 ( i think that's the right number) to give it a showroom shine. My 96 cougar XR7 is 10 years old and still looks like new.

Black paint is a challenge to keep up. But it will turn heads when it's kept up.

That's my 2¢

 

What do you mean "detail it with clay"?

Thanks!
Mike Astemborski

 

mshaste,

The long description below is copied from the wax forum at MOTHERS website. I have used Meguiar's clay but i like Mothers the best. Same principle applies on using either clay product.

One thing to remember. If you have never used clay, you will be impressed by the results. And believe me, your paint has crud in it that will not come out unless you use clay. Your hand will glide across your paint as if it were on a layer of oil.

I clay my vehicles once a year in the early summer. You will not regret the discovery of clay when detailing your car.

http://www.mothers.com/products/prod...tpix/07240.jpg

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Contaminant Removal

The clay bar is not supposed to be a well-kept secret. It’s normally sold as part of detailing kits such as with Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System, and even though we try hard to promote it, many people still don’t understand. It just works. Have you ever drawn your hand across your hood just after washing expecting smoothness only to feel lots of little bumps and bits of dirt everywhere? Late-model paints, once cured, are harder than old-fashioned enamels (especially the clear-coat), and will show minor abuse quickly. Tiny bits of sharp stuff like dust and metal fragments can stick into that clear-coat and normal washing won’t remove them. If you don’t get rid of ëem, the Grim Reaper is coming for your paint.

Easy
Lube
The same effect of "dragging traction" encountered when drying with a chamois, which we described in the "Drying Don’ts" section, is what makes the clay bar so effective (but in a positive way). First off, the car must be freshly bathed to use the clay, or the bar will choke on all surface-bound dirt and probably scratch the paint. When lightly rubbed over the surface of your clean paint, lubricated by a coat of detailing spray, the clay will pick up embedded particles in your paint that would otherwise remain after washing.

Slide!
Slide!
Clay bars pull out and shear off embedded particles and surface-born contaminants with a safe and effective lubricated mechanical action. The clay bar must be sliding on a film of detailer or it will stick to the paint and skip and leave trace clay deposits (which come right off with the clay bar). While using a clay bar knead it regularly (remold the working surface so fresh clay is exposed). When using instant detailer for clay work it can be wiped off in the same fashion as it would when used as a detailing spray. If the instant detailer dries it can be removed by spraying on more and drying it off immediately. If you drop the clay bar throw it away—period. This is why it’s smart to use a section of the clay bar while working, not all of it at once.

Wax On,
Wax Off
Clay Facts: Clay bars can remove the wax from your vehicle’s finish so be prepared to re-seal the entire clay-barred portion of your paint. (For that reason don’t use a clay bar unless your paint really needs it; otherwise you’ll just be making more work for yourself.) So if you plan to polish, seal and wax, do it after using a clay bar. When using clay consider the brand of clay you use—some are very hard and aggressive.

Mothers California Gold Clay Bar is more malleable and not as stiff as other clays. This means it has minimal chance of scratching the paint and it will be easier to both use and remold. Clay works well on plastic, trim and glass as well as on matte-finish plastics that are free of coatings. Clay bars can remove paint over-spray from chrome and paint and just about any other hard or shiny surface. Mothers Clay Bar is safe for all automotive paints.

 

When washing a black vehicle you have to wash slow and rinse fast. Swirls and scratches surface very easy and can ruin your view oin the black finish. To wash these things properly you need a good arsenal of microfiber products. Make sure you always use a good quality wash, remember dish washing liquid removes your wax, and we all know you dont want that. Make sure you rinse thouroughly and use a CLEAN chammis to dry. After the vehicle is fully dry use some wet shine, it really enhances the gloss and protects from chips, bir droppings, and hard water. Make sure when doing this you apply with a clean microfiber and remove with a clean microfiber. Hope this helps

 

Hood,

Thanks for the idea! I will give it a try on both of our Black vehicles this Spring.

Mike

 

Your going to laugh but its true... I had a black thunder and lightning Freightliner with a double bunk and it ust to take me forever to wax it and 10 minuts later it was dirty again...till i found the secert>>>DONT TELL ANYONE ... I started waxing with PLEDGE FURNITURE POLLISH yep pledge and i found out i had metalic black pant.....nice shine dust didnt stick to it no wax buildup and i could wax in 1/2 an hour....DONT TELL NO ONE Just go and try a peice of your hood you'l see (get a nice soft towel spray the towel wipe the wax on the truck flip towel to dry side and watch the shine ) only use in the shade on a cool clean surface GOOD LUCK

 

Thanks for all the replys. Very helpfull. Lets keep them coming.