Black cars are a pain to clean!
05-01-2013, 10:10 AM
#32
Jon, I will post links to videos that show the proper techniques for detailing as soon as I organize the best ones. You will be surprised how easy it can be once the car is ready to be maintained (after the finish is prepped and the final sealer is applied).
I listed a nice waffle-weave drying towel because not everyone will have access to a leaf blower (perhaps some may have a problem if they live in a housing complex that has noise restrictions, etc.).
I've listed the microfiber cloths because some will want to detail the car between cleanings. I will post a video showing how you can detail a black car without leaving any swirl marks; keep watching this thread.
My next project will be to find a way to eliminate the rust that accumulates on the rotors after washing, before it coats the wheels.
I listed a nice waffle-weave drying towel because not everyone will have access to a leaf blower (perhaps some may have a problem if they live in a housing complex that has noise restrictions, etc.).
I've listed the microfiber cloths because some will want to detail the car between cleanings. I will post a video showing how you can detail a black car without leaving any swirl marks; keep watching this thread.
My next project will be to find a way to eliminate the rust that accumulates on the rotors after washing, before it coats the wheels.
Last edited by carrerapete; 05-01-2013 at 10:23 AM. Reason: Add info
05-01-2013, 10:50 AM
#34
05-01-2013, 07:31 PM
#37
Track Day
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It was the swirl marks that were driving me insane, and that all stopped once I'd discovered the real culprit: hard water.[/QUOTE]
I have the hose outlet I use to wash the car hooked into my soft water system.
How do you think using this soft water compares to using a de-ionizer?
I have a Basalt Black 991. So far is seems to look pretty good to me but perhaps it could be better.
I have the hose outlet I use to wash the car hooked into my soft water system.
How do you think using this soft water compares to using a de-ionizer?
I have a Basalt Black 991. So far is seems to look pretty good to me but perhaps it could be better.
05-01-2013, 11:55 PM
#38
How do you think using this soft water compares to using a de-ionizer?
I have a Basalt Black 991. So far is seems to look pretty good to me but perhaps it could be better.[/QUOTE]
Technically a big difference. Soft water will still have suspended solids. Deionized has none. Soft water is better than hard water though. I think the softener process removes quite a bit of calcium and other bad stuff.
05-02-2013, 12:08 AM
#39
[QUOTE)My next project will be to find a way to eliminate the rust that accumulates on the rotors after washing, before it coats the wheels.[/QUOTE]
I think we all would like a solution to this. My current solution is parking it after a wash and putting towels on the rims overnight until all the rusty water drops. Then when the brakes are applied the next day, the dry rust is shaved off without remnants.
I think we all would like a solution to this. My current solution is parking it after a wash and putting towels on the rims overnight until all the rusty water drops. Then when the brakes are applied the next day, the dry rust is shaved off without remnants.
05-02-2013, 04:50 PM
#41
Three Wheelin'
Rust on the rotors after washing was bugging me as well ... Just drive the car up the street for a few hundred feet and apply brakes a few times. That should dry them and clean the rust off and doesn't seem to dirty the wheels. Do it after the car is mostly dry and drive slowly.
cheers ...
cheers ...
05-02-2013, 09:31 PM
#42
There are many good waxes which can hide the swirls and micro-scratches. Washing a black car is comparable to cleaning windows. Getting a window perfect is comparable to getting a black car perfect. Every time I think my window looks great, the sun hits it at a certain angle and shows up the impefections. Of course windows are more challenging to clean because you have the interior and exterior to attend to.
05-03-2013, 09:33 AM
#43
Rust on the rotors after washing was bugging me as well ... Just drive the car up the street for a few hundred feet and apply brakes a few times. That should dry them and clean the rust off and doesn't seem to dirty the wheels. Do it after the car is mostly dry and drive slowly.
cheers ...
cheers ...
It was late in the day and I'd decided to wash the car in preparation for a gathering on the following morning. It had just turned dark when I'd finished with the leaf blower and decided to take the car for a quick drive to remove the rust from the rotors.
The next morning when I walked into the garage I was shocked to see what looked like thousands of tiny white paint droplets covering the car.
Did I somehow drive by an area where they were spraying paint? I'd first thought. But it wasn't paint after all, it was the water that had blown out from all the nooks and crannies while I was driving around to eliminate the rotor rust. The hard water had fully dried overnight in the garage and it was just as hard to remove as paint. This was the disaster that got me started on the road to finding a way to get the car back to normal.
Moral of the story: if you have hard water, you'd better make sure you dry every drop, especially after driving right after a wash.
05-03-2013, 05:51 PM
#45
Just a slight exaggeration. Depending upon the time of year, a black car looks fabulous after a detail anywhere between 5 mins and an hour. With all the pollen in my area this time of year, it looks great for about 5 mins now. So I just reconcile myself to driving a dirty car for most of the time, and detail it only a couple times a year. Otherwise I'd be washing the car 3 - 4 times a week.