Detailing a black car. Help!
 

Hey guys,

So I have a 2000 Integra black, I detail and keep the car clean by washing regularly, clay bar and waxing. Some of my methods may not be the best, but I feel I do well with the materials I have.

What I would like to ask is what supplies can I invest in that won't BREAK THE BANK but are still affordable products that will get the job done right.

Right now I use a wash/wax soap, mothers clay bar, and turtle wax paste because I hate when it drys white and its hard to get off.

Does anyone have a solid website I can refer to some tips and help also?

Any advice would be great!! and also where to get the products.

Heres a picture of my car detailed, if that helps at all

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/8956/img5742.jpg




THANKS!!!

Julian

Car looks very nice, why do you need to detail it more? :D

I'm sure that 911fanatic and other expert detailers will give more specific advice, but here's a few things I've learned owning a black car the past few years:

- IMO, Turtle Wax products are usually pretty crap. I find Meguiar's products to be some of the best "bang for the buck" among the more affordable brands. I have been using their Gold Class soap, liquid polish, and Gold Class liquid wax with excellent results. They seem to do an excellent job on black paint without leaving white marks or swirls.

- Speaking of swirls, black is obviously the very worst colour for showing imperfections in the clear coat. Hand polish can do a good job at removing most of them but a professional detail and/or more expensive materials may be needed to completely remove swirls. I would imagine the Meguiar's products I mentioned would be within your price range (all three are under $20), but if you're willing to spend a bit more you can get a real high end brand from a detailing shop. (Meguiar's can be found at Crappy Tire and Lordco).

http://borlandstudios.com/car/bmw5.jpg

- For black leather interior, I'm a big fan of AutoGlym leather conditioner/protectant. Smells nice and doesn't leave your leather looking too greasy.

- For vinyl on the interior - and your tire shine, try Aerospace 303. Comes in a spray bottle and works on everything without leaving the greasy look, which imo is horrible for interior dashboards, weather stripping, etc.

http://borlandstudios.com/car/bmw6.jpg

- Before polishing and waxing, use Dawn dish detergent instead of a regular car wash soap. Seems to do a better job at stripping off old wax. If you're not planning on waxing, obviously just use a more gentle car wash detergent such as Meguiar's, Mother's, etc.

- Use the "two bucket method" of detailing (one bucket for the top half of the car, the other for the bottom half).

Anyway that's just my 2 cents, I'm sure the detailing experts will chime in shortly :)

Btw, although I'm sure many detailers would be alarmed at the thought of this... some guys have had excellent success reviving old/cracked leather with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads... just be gentle/careful, and you should be able to revive your seats a bit before conditioning...

Link: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=595602

Thanks Amaru! I really appreciate it. I feel like I do a decent job, but can't hurt to get some other opinions and plus my supplies are running low and I need to get some new stuff so just wanted to know some good ones to pick up. I would say my budget for car wash/interior detail products/waxing/polishing would be about 100~ or so?? Kinda on a budget. :P

I will definetly look into the products you've told me.

Oh and I always hand apply my wax and removal of it. I only use turtle wax paste because it drys clear so it makes it real easy to remove which I like :D

Any more advice?

Oh and your beemer is crisp and clean I like it *thumbs up*

Thanks. :thumbsup:

Yeah, $100 should be enough to buy you a bunch of decent stuff. Canadian Tire actually sells a couple of decent brands, namely Meguiar's, Mothers, and AutoGlym. Beyond that you may want to check out one of the sponsor's detailing shops as they carry super high end stuff and can obviously give you specific recommendations.

Meguiar's Gold Class wax, btw, doesn't leave any white dust/scuff marks either. I like it a lot, but I may try Meguiar's NXT Gen Wax next time... I'm always tempted by the more expensive products. :D

Oh, one last thing.. I'm sure you know this already, but: NEVER wash and/or wax in direct sunlight, especially in summer. If you must wash in the sunlight, do one small section at a time and be vigilant about constantly wetting the car. I usually do all my detailing between 7-10pm, at least this time of year (and I often do waxing/polishing in the garage).

Good luck!

I'll look into the gold class wax. Yeah i never wash in sunlight well at least try not to. I usually detail in the evening too :D Great tips, oh and I wish I had a garage to park my car :(

Haha yeah, garage is pretty awesome... since I inevitably always wash my car the day before a giant rainstorm... :blueguy:

But, that said, I used to have an Integra too and I didn't have a garage to store it in...thankfully it was silver, so detailing was pointless. :rofl:

Anyway yeah check out the Meguiar's products... hopefully you'll get a few other responses to this thread from detailing pros as well.

I like AutoGlym HD wax :D smells good too

What is it that you're wanting to do? Cut polish or just get better products?

I also have a black car with a good amount of swirls and small paint imperfections.

Don't have the budget and confidence to invest in a PC yet so I'll be hand applying polish, what's your take on autoglym super resin polish? ( I'll be using meguiar's nxt liquid tech wax over it.)

^I'm not sure if this is the case with every polish or just the polish I'm using, but after speaking with ken if you dont break the polish down enough with a microfibre it could yield even worse results.

That being said, I'd wait until you have the money to pick up a PC. They're super easy to use and its impossible to damage your paint.

Black cars can be a pain in the butt... but the results are so good when you're done.

Good advice in the thread so far. A few more:

Duragloss products (available at CT or through Ken) are actually pretty decent! They look old-school and are cheap, but keep up with the latest stuff. Stay away from the NXT stuff, they don't last long and aren't very good.

If you want a good easy-to-use wax, Autoglym HD is it. When it goes on sale ($37 at CT) it's a good deal... and a jar will last a long, long time. Very durable, I got 3 months out of one coat and the car is outside every day. The other products are pretty good as well. The best/most economical wheel cleaner I've found is Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner - get the 5-liter jug from Ken, and it's dilutable to 10-liters which will last you many moons.

You can damage your paint using a PC - my friend rested his elbow on the roof of the car while PC-ing and left dents. But that's his own fault, not the PC's fault. :haha:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3349/...b005751c53.jpg
Products used:
Optimum No Rinse wash
Meguiars clay bar
Optimum II Polish
Klasse All in One
Chemical Guys EZ Creme
Chemical Guys Wet Mirror Finish

Car looks good. Without investing in a PC, you can use a grit guard and the two bucket system when washing to help cut down on inflicting more swirls. As for the swirls you have, try a glaze like PB Black hole, CG Wet Mirror or Detail Shoppe Wet Glaze (will be in our store shortly ) to help hide the swirls before applying your wax or sealant.

did you say CT carries duragloss? :eek3:

Might as well...

This is what my car looked like after accidentally forgetting to tell Nissan to NOT wash my car, and after the bodyshop washing the car too... *facepalm*
Also just probably neglecting the car over the winter months

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g?t=1279083430

After hitting it with a porter cable, orange pad + menzerna power finish

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g?t=1279083569

This is the only shot I was able to snap after I finished
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g?t=1279083607

Overall I used:

Gloss it shampoo + ONR
Auto magic(?) claybar
Menzerna power finish
chemical guys wet mirror finish
2 coats of werkstat acrylic jett sealant

I've run out of cleaning products so I need to replenish with the good stuff, and helpful tips.

I also would like to cut polish my car, but i'd better leave that to a professional :D

Thats gorgeous! Well done mate.

Truely amazing. Night and day.

Oh btw this is Julian with the black integra that was at the sea to sky meet! Sorry I forgot your name. Mike?

OH GUYS ANOTHER THING

Where would be the cheapest place to buy these products around Richmond/Vancouver. Trying to work on a budget so need the best deal I can get.

Thanks!

Thanks man, yes its Mike, good memory :p

I'd swing by ken's shop to be honest. He can give you tips and info on every product he sells

julian you have to clean the maserati too :D

Why yes, I did. Though I was tired that night and I may be mistaken.