blackP5

I need some help here, i have the black mica p5, and i was wondering how do you guys keep your p5's so clean??? it would help if you guys could give me some tips like, brand of wax, and process you do it in...thanks

macklum

I use Mothers Products .I had a 92 DX in black ,when waxed look great .I now have a 2001 LX 2.0 in Emerald green .I get great results with these products

The Old Guy

Hummm....Black car???? Keep it clean???

From my experience, after been the proud owner of seven black cars, the secret is to wash it every day. jajajaja.

Now seriously, if you want to keep your car looking good every day, what you need to do is wash it with good quality automotive soap and wax it at least once every two months. During the week if the car have some dust on it, use a solution called quick detailer to wipe down the car, and make sure to follow the directions.

Always make sure to use clean terry cloths. Dirt particles will scratch the finish. Buy a good shami to dry your car, but get the real thing not the man made ones ( they are expensive, but well worth it). Rise it good after every use and keep it in a sealed container to keep it damp.

Any product you purchase, make sure is clear coat safe. Don't buy any of the crap you see advertised on TV, that claims to do wonders for your finish. Most of them don't work. I use Meguire's products. I think they are the best on the market. ( I was the owner of a detail shop and I tried everything ) Besides most of the professional detailers use them. Black cars look gorgeous but they are a pain in the *** to keep clean. I'll never buy a black car again. LOL maybe....

cowtown

After a few different Black cars, my general cleaning rule is to not own a black car no matter how damn good they look!

Really you best plan of attack is a good wax 3-4 times a year, and you have to keep on top of the washing, if you don't it can be very very hard to keep the car clean, especially the sides.

For me it's Mothers products all the way, I have never used better stuff yet, I have also heard really good stuff about the 3M products, but they may be a bit pricey. Also, highly recommended to clay bar your car at least once a year, it does wonders for your paint, really helps get the grit out. I did it on my 97 SHO last year and the paint was smoother than it was out of the factory!

blades242

I would suggest using the Zanio brothers system. I have just discovered their products and all I can say is that they are absolutely amazing. I have been a die hard Zymol fan for years, but their products are extremely expensive and require a lot of labor to apply. Ive even used the $150 for 8oz Zymol NSX wax on my dads NSX, it cant touch the reflectivity of Zanio. No offense to The Old Guy, but Meguire's products work absolutely terrible on black cars. You will end up with a wax that you WILL have to apply every month (thats carnubra wax for you!) and on black it will show an ugly, smeary, greasy, haze that is all but impossible to get rid of; micro fiber cloths work sometimes. Another great thing about Zanio is that it is completely non abrasive. If you have a new car, there is no reason to use an abrasive on it. Check out www.zainobros.com. I highly recommend it over anything else. You wouldnt believe how many people ask me how my car is so shiny...

blades242

cowtown

I had forgot to mention yesterday about a site that I have gotten stuff from and the guy who runs it is great. Check out www.dccarcare.com

samsvoc

I've had my Silver Pro5 for a week now and plan on getting a surface sealant put on this Friday. It's called Diamond Gloss by Ziebart. Regular price in $399CAN but I got it for $300. Its lasts about 5 years and doesn't require waxing. Check out the ziebart site. www.ziebart.com

don668

What I used to use on my black Shelby was "Beauty Shine, Pink 502". Worked great. you can get it from most paint shops that use SIKENS paint. Use cloth diampers to apply it and remove it, (really soft), and apply and remove with the lines of your car. ie: dont use a swirling motion, back and forth motions. Prevents swirls that are a bitch to remove!

Generally though, I'd suggest getting something from a recomended paint shop over store shelf waxes. Although Mothers and Zymol are supposed to work well.

mazdaspeedwest

While i have never owned a black car, the hardest part about a black car is keeping it swirl mark free...i have seen so many MBZ, Porsche, etc...that just look horrible, like somebody took a sander to it....brings a tear to eye

I have always used Meguire's products.

jking

Eagle One Products all the way. Always wash your car in the shade. Make sure you dry it with a chamaois (mispelled?). A washed car with waterspots looks like ****. And when you wash your windows dont use too much cleaner that also leaves alot of streaks. I think the two main things that people do wrong are washing in direct hot sunlight and not drying.

znole

this is my third black car (00-pro-lx) and keeping it clean is quite a weekly ritual. car soap wash, rinse and leather dry, that's the way i do my thing and it's a bonus if it's a sun-hot day. i love black cars, they look cool, and black colour shows most swirl marks. and i love swirl marks.

blades242

The thing that people do that causes swirlmarks is using crappy towels. Even diapers are dangerous, the edge of a diaper is stitched with nylon thread, which will scratch the crap out of your paint! Only use Made un the USA 100% cotton Cannon or Fieldcrest brand towels. Once you buy them if you want to be extra safe you can cut off the trim around the edge of the towel...

Also I personally wouldnt use a chamois. If you have ever used a towel to dry a car, you know that no matter how clean you get your car, the towel will always get dirty. That dirt contains grit that can scratch your paint. Its cool cause most people wash their drying towels, have you ever washed a chamois? Chamois also contain all kinds of chemicals where they were tanned...

BTW instead of using a sponge, try a 100% cotton hand towel, it works great and holds much more water than a sponge...

blades242

Protege01ES

One thing I recommend, in addition to what everyone else has posted, is using Clay Magic. This is essentially a kick *** cleaner you use before you wax. It is a spray that you buff with a clay ball (kinda like silly putty). You will be completely amazed at all the dirt and impurities it removes from your clear coat. I'm not a big fan of Meguiars products, but that's because I haven't had a good experience with them yet. Everytime I wash my car with Meguiars Soap, it removes the Meguiars Wax from my car. So, if anyone knows of a great Meguiars wax let me know. One product that most of you probably have been hesitant to try is Nu-Finish. This product is cheap as hell, it is a liquid wax that applies and removes very easy. They even claim you can apply in direct sunlight, thought I would never try this. And it has a pretty awesome bonding agent because it lasts a long long time. Here's a question for you guys who know a lot. I'm aware that the one thing that damages your finish most is UV Rays from the sun. Short of using a car cover all the time, do you know of any waxes that claim to block UV rays? I think that's something we all need to look for ESPECIALLY those of you with RED cars. Something with the wavelength of UV that eats thru RED like crazy.

Eric F

Hmmm, since no one else has mentioned it, check out Griot's garage. It's expensive, but they have some of the best products for detailing available in comprehensive packages. They also have a guide on detailing available. http://www.griotsgarage.com/maint.htm

The Old Guy

I'm aware that the one thing that damages your finish most is UV Rays from the sun

The most damaging thing on your finish is water spots after it rains. If you let it dry it will slowly deteriorate your finish. When you wash your car, look closely at your finish as you are drying it and you'll notice the marks left by the water spots. It has something to do with acid rain, pollution and whatever other crap gets collected in the rain as it comes down.

The clearcoat actually protects the base coat against fading. I haven't seen any productd to block UV rays for the paint.