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Those with black or dark trucks. How do you clean your truck and not have swirls?
I have a black truck being delivered soon (2008 GTS). I wanted to know what does everyone do to keep the truck looking good and not have swirls and everything else in the paint? I have seen pics on this site and some look like that have just been painted! Thanks, all!
Black is a color that one can both hate and love at the same time. If you aren't diligent and respectful to the black, this color is not for you. If left dirty and unkempt, your ride will look cheap and sleezy. However, if kept well washed and waxed, it will look impeccable and make you look like a star.
Basic pointers to keep black looking good:
1) Use a reputable car shampoo with wax additives. This way, the shampoo will not strip your wax. Don't be cheap and use more than what the bottle asks for. You want plenty of suds which will carry away the heavy dirt particles. Do not use dish soap and avoid waterless car shampoos.
2) Use a pail with a built-in strainer; allowing the wash mit or sponge to stay above the bottom of the pail where all the dirt rests. Douse your mitt/sponge with copious amounts of soap after/during washing of each section.
3) Avoid washing in direct sunlight to prevent spotting. If your water is hard, immediately dry your car after rinsing using a chamois or a synthetic drying cloth.
4) Prior to washing, use a heavy stream of water to rinse off heavy dirt particles; starting from the roof and working your way down. Direct the heavy stream inside the wheel wells and at your brake calipers to remove dirt, mud and accumulated brake dust. Do not use a power washer! Your Cayenne is not a tractor.
5) Wash your car in sections and in the following order. ex: a)roof/windshield, b)hood/front, c)rear gate/window, d) side windows/fenders/doors, e) rockers. Continuously soak your mitt/sponge in soap before and during each section. Never start from the bottom and work your way up.
6) Use an old chamois/drying cloth to wipe away inside rocker panels, inside door frames, footwells, pedals, and other hard to reach areas. Avoid touching oily hinges and latches. Never use the same chamois/drying cloth used to dry the paintwork; in conjunction with wiping interior parts.
If after reading the above, you feel that this seems too much work, stick to another color as black is definitely not a color for you.
I have had a few Mercedes 500E cars built by Porsche (Type 2758) my last one was a rare color 040 Black here is what I did ....
When I got this 040 Black car the paint was pretty bad, lots of swirl marks, wash lines, ect. I had the paint reconditioned and I have been using the below system ever sence, so far its working well ....
- I keep my car in the garage and under a car cover (I don't drive it much)
- I try not washing the car less and CAREFULLY use a California Duster and a Quick Detailer
Once black does get swirled, it needs to be polished by a real detailer. Nothing else will fix it. Note that this is different from applying wax over the swirls or taking it to the local body shop to have them put some compound and wool pads to it "fer a good buffin'" which will leave you without any clearcoat left.
The rennlist concours forum is an excellent resource. Phil at detailer's domain has some great blog articles too.
When I bought my first car back in the mid 80s I borrowed a book from the local library called Car Beautiful.
I'd love to find it again, all I remember is that it was cheaply done with a spiral spine. I've followed all the tips and tricks in that book and my cars always look showroom new. Being obsessed and doing two 30+ hour detailing sessions a year also helps with black cars.
Only use cloth baby diapers that have been through the wash many times with no fabric softener. Always wash in horizontal lines from the top down and change water/diapers frequently. If one touches the ground, get a fresh one. Use car wash that doesn't strip wax. Well filtered water, etc.
Pure Carnauba was recommended back then but there are better alternatives now. I rarely use polishes/waxes with any abrasives to avoid wearing down the paint as I keep my cars a long time.
This is a Geo Storm that I bought when I was 19...and its now 26 year old factory original black paint.
I have a good detailer that will polish the paint removing the swirls, then apply a protective coating "wax" that will scratch instead of the clear coat.
I bought a black 09 Turbo S in August. I've had black cars before and know they are a pain with swirls and marks. Turtle Wax makes a "Black" cleaning kit that has wax, quick detailer spray wax, and pre-wax cleaner that have a black tint to them. I hit my Cayenne with some black turtle wax quick spray detailer and it literally makes the car look like new and I don't have to spend time doing a full wax. The black tint to the spray wax gives it an incredible shine and makes small swirl marks disappear. I highly recommend it and its cheap.
I'd start with purchasing a Dual Action polisher. DA polishers are so easy to use with little risk to your paint like old school buffers. Black is truly love-hate and Porsche black is SO soft that if you look at it funny it scratches. But the soft characteristic makes the paint easy to polish. It is all about time, commitment, and most of all an understanding family. Best of luck - I am looking for a Umber GTS now
12-03-2015, 08:51 PM
Those with black or dark trucks. How do you clean your truck and not have swirls?
