voiceprint1

I say start with a nice wash and good claying, go over that with a nice pure carnuba wax, and top off with a synthetic polish or sealant, keep a good detailer in the car and go over it to keep that sheen up, and my last bit of advise on a black car, make sure you have only clean towels in the car, and try not to do too much, somehow it's better if you touch the paint less frequently. Blackfire or Pinnacle are excellent brands.

Iceter

Fixed it for you.

OP, when it comes to product selection, you'll get as many answers as there are stars in the sky. I suggest you start with the basics... .

The first thing you should consider is, how bad is the paint you've got now? Is your dissatisfaction with your black paint the result of it just not being clean and shiny enough or do you actually have issues in your paint that require remediation?

Did the PO just never wash the car and the paint is embedded with crud? If so, a clay bar might be the remedy.

Is the paint covered in swirl marks or even scratches? If so, your fix needs to include some buffing--but with what? How bad are the swirls? How deep are the scratches?

We can't really address your question until we know what you're dealing with.

Derek Zoolander

Basalt Black Metallic never looks as deep as regular Black, so be careful when comparing side by side

vern1

Carnuba and then sealant doesn't make much sense. Sealant provides longer protection and wont bond well if u have carnuba already on. Some guys put carnuba AFTER sealant as they say it gives a deeper look - tried it once and couldn't see any difference.

Anyways this was covered in a very recent thread and everyones got a different opinion on products.

OP, go the autogeek site or equivalent where there are actual detailing pros. Read a ton then decide what makes sense for you. Since your in TO come out for one of the runs or drop by to discuss

voiceprint1

I tried both ways, carnuba before and after with and without synthetic on top, and I found that with just a top layer of carnuba it looks nice, but is a magnet for dust and pollen, most waxes and polishes can be layered, and Blackfire recommends:

BLACKFIRE paint care system, which consists of washing, claying, polishing, sealing, and waxing

feel free to try both and decide for yourself

rodH

M26 doesn't last long but looks great on a black car. I still have some, but waxing my car every 3 months isn't ideal for me. If it is for you, have at it, if not, I would look at a longer lasting sealant

Wayne Smith

Thank you!!! This is my new mantra 8)

Wayne Smith

Not only go to the Autogeek site, call them and ask for technical assistance. They are excellent and will guide you to solutions while allowing you to part with some $$$. But you will be happy.

Mzsaad

how do i know my black is regular or basalt?
i bought touchup paint from a local dealership. they asked for my VIN (to figure out the color) and gave me black.

DC911S

Basalt black has some light metal flake in it. Hard to see at times but it's there. Once you see black and basalt black side to side you easily see the difference. It sparkles some and in sunlight really pops out when it's clean. I used the maguiers products you mentioned and it worked well. I wax every month or so to keep it fresh. Detailersdomain.com has good products. Go see how much Swisswax products are....one small tub of the highest one cost 1k. Yes that is 1000 dollars for just a tub of wax.....

killacam

i have a black 2008 c2. being 8 years old, the paint needed some TLC, so i gave it a 2 step polish. this pic is after a wash, clay bar, compound with meguiars 105 on a lake country orange pad, polish with meguiars 205 on a lake country black pad, 3 coats of klasse high gloss sealant, and a coat of wax. the paint was super smooth after i was done and had a great deep shine. if you have any questions about doing it yourself, let me know. i find auto detailing to be very relaxing and the experience is rewarding when you're done.

Mzsaad

thanks

Hothonda

Griots Products, but for me it's the prep that determines the final result.

Mzsaad

very nice.
3 coats of sealant? isnt it an overkill?
which wax you use?

killacam

3 coats give it a nice hard shine while finishing it with carnuba wax gives it a warm glow. in this pic i used zymol wax but i've switched over to chemical guys butter wet wax.