bkrantz

vincent0, if you believe what some people say, you should have it surgically cleaned by wizards, wrapped in plastic, and stored in a vault away from sunlight.

Seriously, you sound like you know what you are doing. Enjoy washing (and driving) your car!

jungkim1234

I spend more time than I'd like to admit researching products and detailing my black car. Black is not just a hobby but a part time job. Regardless of how in depth you go, one new product that I've tried that I'm a huge fan of already is Gyeon Cure. It's a spray sealant that meant to upkeep ceramic coatings, but can also be used as a stand alone like a spray wax. It has silica in it so the hydrophobic properties are amazing, You just spray into your microfiber drying towel and that's it. It's a bit expensive, but it goes a long ways. Esoteric detailing said that you can even cut it with water so. It also makes drying your car a breeze, probably cut my time by a third if not more. No affiliation, but great product, multiple birds, one stone.

Cyberbug

I recommend Two bucket watch method, or powerwasher at not too close range.
But my favorite is via professional Pressure steamer. Works in Cold or Hot weather.

reacher

Totally agree. There's so much that can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing and you attempt more than you're capable of. I even had my GT3 royally messed up by a supposed professional detailer that had done several cars. Paint correction, coating, completely messed up. Everything had to be redone, and some stuff couldn't be fixed at all. After seeing how easy it is to mess it up, I would take it to a very reputable professional for proper paint correction and ceramic coating. I would never attempt it at home. It's not just a quick polish and wiping down with some coating and call it a day. After seeing what was done to my car, I think you'd have to be nuts to do it yourself with no training.

vincenz0

Wow, that sounds terrible. Would love to hear more about what happened. I've been polishing my personal cars for about 15 years and never run into an issue, but always want to learn about cautionary tales!

HkPlinker

So what's the trick to clean around and in all of the rear deck badging? I almost want to get fishing line and zip it all off

reacher

Polishing through the clear coat, and not doing proper paint correction to let the ceramic coating bond properly, as well as ceramic coating drips that couldn't be polished off without risking the paint. The ceramic coating job was so bad it looked completely dull in places, I guess the pros call them "high spots".

Thankfully I had someone competent fix it quickly (except for a couple of spots that couldn't be fixed), but you wouldn't believe how bad it looked. I came to find out after the fact that other friends that had used him had similar issues, so it wasn't just him having a bad day. Seems like you really need to know what you're doing with this stuff.

titan7

Ascend

Ah the great socialist nation of california. Glad I'm in NY. Still getting raped by taxes though.

zx5go

Penn4S

You will get many opinions here so choose what works for you time wise and what finish look you want.
I started detailing my Pcars with Zaino products which are great, moved to Gloss It and then to Blackfire. I am currently in love with Gyeon products. Korean made just super tech and really work. I use their sealants/nano finishes (Can Coat), Leather conditioner and leather cleaner, and Wet Coat for after washes and their glass product also. Gyeon Q2 Rim for the wheels. Never had a car that looked better.
Inside plastic parts Einszett or Nextzett interior product.
Lots of good stuff choose what works for you.