nexxone_05 Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Well this has been my first black car and I must admit sometimes I regret choosing this color . Don't get me wrong I LOVE my shelby, but sometimes the paint makes me so mad . I spend atleast 2 hours washing and detailing my car. As soon as I take it for a spin the car gathers so much dust it makes me feel as if I did all that work for nothing I have tried the CA duster and it works but there is only so much you can take off. I have noticed aswell how my Shelby looks immaculate when the day is cloudy and even at night, but when its hot and the sun is shining right on her it brings out the paint in a way that is not pleasing to my eye sight! :wacko: :mad: I hate looking at the swirl marks and scratches! To all you other black Shelby owners, how do you guys deal with this problem? I remember my silver car stayed clean for nearly 2 weeks and I never had to deal with swirls or scratches. Now I know I know there is absolutely no comparing the two colors, but boy does it make me think I should of got a silver one. Any thoughts or advise will be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenjh Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Well this has been my first black car and I must admit sometimes I regret choosing this color . Don't get me wrong I LOVE my shelby, but sometimes the paint makes me so mad . I spend atleast 2 hours washing and detailing my car. As soon as I take it for a spin the car gathers so much dust it makes me feel as if I did all that work for nothing I have tried the CA duster and it works but there is only so much you can take off. I have noticed aswell how my Shelby looks immaculate when the day is cloudy and even at night, but when its hot and the sun is shining right on her it brings out the paint in a way that is not pleasing to my eye sight! :wacko: :mad: I hate looking at the swirl marks and scratches! To all you other black Shelby owners, how do you guys deal with this problem? I remember my silver car stayed clean for nearly 2 weeks and I never had to deal with swirls or scratches. Now I know I know there is absolutely no comparing the two colors, but boy does it make me think I should of got a silver one. Any thoughts or advise will be helpful. Griot's Garage has some great products to take care of swirl marks. They also have some great products for in between washing care. I am sure there other good products on the market. I've had success with Griot's Garage and don't have any reason to change what works. I have to agree with you about silver cars but when it's clean, it's hard to beat black. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharabi Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Prevention is the better than treatment. very nice info you as i did can get from AUTOPIA.ORG, the problem will be with how much dust you can remove before even washing the car, and how sanitary the wash, and the drying so it will eliminate most of the particles that will cause the very superficial scratches in the clear that is most noticeable on the darker colors since lighter ones are more forgiving. but at the end when doing it right black will reward more than any other color and the mirror shine that i saw in some members cars of autopia is astonishing makes me think of owning a black car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlloyDropTop Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Is the car a daily driver or weekend warrior / garage queen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afterburner Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 I'm far from being an expert at detailing but this is my second black car. The 1st being an 87 GT. I knew what I was getting into but I love black cars. If your car is a daily driver and is parked outside all the time it's going to be an everyday chore. I have a California duster and would never put it near my car. It was fine on my blue Honda cause I didn't care that much about the finish. A black car will show every fine scratch from a few feet away that most other cars you would have to get right on top of it to see. I drive mine about three to four times a week and it's garaged. I wash it maybe once or twice a month. In between the washings I use Meguiars quick detailer and microfiber towels. I never wipe the the dust dry. That IMO is what gives you the fine scratches. It takes about 5 - 10 minutes to do and it looks like it was just washed. I have waxed it two or three times and clay barred it once since I bought it in March 08. I have no visible swirl marks. Even after it is clean and it's been in the garage for two or three days it has a layer of dust on it so I bought a Shelby indoor cover that I put on it. It takes a minute or two to put on and take off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharabi Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 I'm far from being an expert at detailing but this is my second black car. The 1st being an 87 GT. I knew what I was getting into but I love black cars. If your car is a daily driver and is parked outside all the time it's going to be an everyday chore. I have a California duster and would never put it near my car. It was fine on my blue Honda cause I didn't care that much about the finish. A black car will show every fine scratch from a few feet away that most other cars you would have to get right on top of it to see. I drive mine about three to four times a week and it's garaged. I wash it maybe once or twice a month. In between the washings I use Meguiars quick detailer and microfiber towels. I never wipe the the dust dry. That IMO is what gives you the fine scratches. It takes about 5 - 10 minutes to do and it looks like it was just washed. I have waxed it two or three times and clay barred it once since I bought it in March 08. I have no visible swirl marks. Even after it is clean and it's been in the garage for two or three days it has a layer of dust on it so I bought a Shelby indoor cover that I put on it. It takes a minute or two to put on and take off. +1 I know some guys are using blowers to get the dust out of the surface first then going for the two bucket washing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexxone_05 Posted July 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Car is garaged all week. Weekend driver only. I also use a car cover when parked. Any tips on how to remove these swirls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenjh Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Car is garaged all week. Weekend driver only. I also use a car cover when parked. Any tips on how to remove these swirls? The Griot's Garage site will tell you exactly how to remove the swirls. It works! http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/car+ma...27s+handbook.do The handbook and a DVD are free with many of their products. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang5 Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Here's a product I have just tried for the first time. It is called REJEX and it used in place of polishing and waxing. It is an advanced polymer treatment designed to provide an ultra-slick barrier that seals and protects painted surfaces. The reason I tried it is that I was talking with a buddy of mine who drives a Corvette. We started talking about the excessive brake dust our cars create. We all know how the rear bumper cover gets covered in brake dust after a trip around the block. Well this friend said that this will cause such a slick surface on the car the dust can't adhere to it. So I washed the car the other day. Used a clay bar on it and then applyied the REJEX. I would say that the dust collection on the rear bumper cover is about 20% of what it used to be. I suspect it will work against other types of dust as well. You can Google REJEX to get more info on it and where it can be purchased. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt50035 Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 nexxone, i feel your pain (no more). here is a link to the write up my detailer did on my vista blue baby. not black but similar aggravating issues. after three years i finally broke down and had the entire exterior professionally detailed. hopefully you can get some helpful hints from this write up... http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-details-b...uto-detail.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt50035 Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 nexxone, i feel your pain (no more). here is a link to the write up my detailer did on my vista blue baby. not black but similar aggravating issues. after three years i finally broke down and had the entire exterior professionally detailed. hopefully you can get some helpful hints from this write up... http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-details-b...uto-detail.html edit: full url link.... http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-details-b...uto-detail.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlloyDropTop Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Car is garaged all week. Weekend driver only. I also use a car cover when parked. Any tips on how to remove these swirls? I had a 2002 GT that was black and had really bad swirls from a hack prep job at the dealership. I read ALOT on Autopia forums. You can either hide them with a filler (i.e. glaze), or you can remove them. Removing them is what I did, but it took lots of effort, but the results were what I would term very close to perfection. I bought a Porter Cable unit you will learn about on Autopia. Then two levels of Einzette polish. One more aggressive and one less aggressive. I don't think they make it anymore, so other polishes probably work. The more aggressive actually dulled the paint a bit, but it removed all the fine swirls. The the less aggressive removed the dulling. Next I switched to Zaino All In One, which removes all the non-compatible components of the Einzette. Finally Z-5 Zaino and the results were pure black shine. Like a mirror. Everybody I know was impressed. When I would come home from a drive I would use the Cali Duster and follow up with a misted with Zaino quick detailer on a micro-fiber rag over the whole car. It really looked better than new. I loved the way it looked, but I couldn't get myself to get a black GT500. I went Alloy simply for the ease of maintenance, but I still the black is the best looking color when clean. Autopia is a place to really do research. My techiques are a few years old, though I still use them on the Alloy car, but that is pretty forgiving.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharabi Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 I had a 2002 GT that was black and had really bad swirls from a hack prep job at the dealership. I read ALOT on Autopia forums. You can either hide them with a filler (i.e. glaze), or you can remove them. Removing them is what I did, but it took lots of effort, but the results were what I would term very close to perfection. I bought a Porter Cable unit you will learn about on Autopia. Then two levels of Einzette polish. One more aggressive and one less aggressive. I don't think they make it anymore, so other polishes probably work. The more aggressive actually dulled the paint a bit, but it removed all the fine swirls. The the less aggressive removed the dulling. Next I switched to Zaino All In One, which removes all the non-compatible components of the Einzette. Finally Z-5 Zaino and the results were pure black shine. Like a mirror. Everybody I know was impressed. When I would come home from a drive I would use the Cali Duster and follow up with a misted with Zaino quick detailer on a micro-fiber rag over the whole car. It really looked better than new. I loved the way it looked, but I couldn't get myself to get a black GT500. I went Alloy simply for the ease of maintenance, but I still the black is the best looking color when clean. Autopia is a place to really do research. My techiques are a few years old, though I still use them on the Alloy car, but that is pretty forgiving.... +1 from what am reading if there are apparent swirls that are visible, it takes more than just a hand buff to remove them with whatever product out there. A rotary or PC is what it takes to bring the finish to a mirror, unless you want to hide them and not remove them. If you are comfortable with a PC then go for it, if you have no or limited experience with it like me my advice is to look for a local autopia detailer near you, look for their work on the site and what kind of cars he handled then meet with the guy and if comfortable let him do it once then you can do the maintenance. This is what am doing now, my car is almost 2 years and she is due for a treat. i met with the guy and am sold. Am waiting for a good weather to get it done....JMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroodNV Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Dragging anything over the paint will cause light swirls. California duster, car covers if there is any dust on the car. I have been using Optimum no rinse wash and shine on my Vista blue car and it has been 2 years and there are hardly any signs of any slight swirls. The key is prevention and just work on getting washing drying down and you should be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlloyDropTop Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Dragging anything over the paint will cause light swirls. California duster, car covers if there is any dust on the car. I have been using Optimum no rinse wash and shine on my Vista blue car and it has been 2 years and there are hardly any signs of any slight swirls. The key is prevention and just work on getting washing drying down and you should be ok. I used the Cali duster for over 5 years on a black car with no surface maring at all. The car never got wet, so the dust would just wipe right off. I wouldn't use it if the car got wet, but with it dry I never added any surface marring from the Cali-Duster use. The Cali duster leaves a bit of a wax trail behind, but a Zaino misted micro-fiber took care of that. Washing is challenging, so I avoid it. My car only gets washed if it gets caught out i the rain. Then I wash because the grit is more than I would want the Cali Duster to remove. Plus the grit gets sort of attached to the surface when it's been wet. I do agree on the car cover. Even a clean car will get a bit of marring from a cover. I only cover mine in the winter because of this. The cover stays off all summer. NEVER put the cover on a dirty car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexxone_05 Posted July 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Thanks alot guys. Anyone know of any good detailers out in so cal?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckstang Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 I have maring from putting a cover on, only use in the winer really and well, the finish cant alaws be 100% clean because its winter and too cold to wash. Can you really use the optimum no rinse on a car that has road salt and sand and grit blasted on it? I mean, how dirty is too dirty for the Optimum stuff? I honestly hate washing it but its the only way I feel comfortable to get all the goo, tar and bugs that get splattered on it after driving. A simple MF and detail spray does not wipe it all off and if you press down to hard, you will scratch the paint even with MF. Yes I keep a good coat of wax on it at all times so I know thats not my problem. Do covers cause marring or is it just because the car is not 100% clean? I am sure my car could be 100% with a professional, but does anyone know of any in the New England area? I do it myself currently, looks nice but after seeing the pros do their magic, it could be alot better.\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharabi Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 I have maring from putting a cover on, only use in the winer really and well, the finish cant alaws be 100% clean because its winter and too cold to wash. Can you really use the optimum no rinse on a car that has road salt and sand and grit blasted on it? I mean, how dirty is too dirty for the Optimum stuff? I honestly hate washing it but its the only way I feel comfortable to get all the goo, tar and bugs that get splattered on it after driving. A simple MF and detail spray does not wipe it all off and if you press down to hard, you will scratch the paint even with MF. Yes I keep a good coat of wax on it at all times so I know thats not my problem. Do covers cause marring or is it just because the car is not 100% clean? I am sure my car could be 100% with a professional, but does anyone know of any in the New England area? I do it myself currently, looks nice but after seeing the pros do their magic, it could be alot better.\ if you go to autopia.org you will have the subforums by regions http://www.autopia.org/forum/midwest-usa/ Tomorrow i will have the car detailed and am excited and nervous at the same time , i will post some photos here and on Autopia.org when done. first time i leave my car to the hands of someone else other than me. will see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroodNV Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 I have maring from putting a cover on, only use in the winer really and well, the finish cant alaws be 100% clean because its winter and too cold to wash. Can you really use the optimum no rinse on a car that has road salt and sand and grit blasted on it? I mean, how dirty is too dirty for the Optimum stuff? I honestly hate washing it but its the only way I feel comfortable to get all the goo, tar and bugs that get splattered on it after driving. A simple MF and detail spray does not wipe it all off and if you press down to hard, you will scratch the paint even with MF. Yes I keep a good coat of wax on it at all times so I know thats not my problem. Do covers cause marring or is it just because the car is not 100% clean? I am sure my car could be 100% with a professional, but does anyone know of any in the New England area? I do it myself currently, looks nice but after seeing the pros do their magic, it could be alot better.\ It took me a while to really trust Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine but now i wont wash with anything but. It really does seem to go against anything you learned washing a car but i have had zero issues with it. You also cant put pressure down on the wash media either if it really dirty you just have to glide the sponge/MF across it and you wont cause marring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckstang Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 So with the no rinse, I can just use my MC wash mit, dip it in the Optimum soapy water bucket and go ahead and wash my car as if done the traditional way and then wipe clean with my MF drying towels? Where does all the dirt and grit go if you don't hose off the car after washing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bear Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have a black 09 and I ened up using meguiars deep crystal system though when I posted I wrote liquid crystal. The results were soo good that when my wife took pic's you easily see her reflection in the passenger door as though she was looking into a mirror. It got rid of 99.8% of the swirls and surface scratches though I had 2 marks that required ther scratch X product which removed the marks. I use their ultimate detailer between washes. I used their clay kit, then used their syn wax. I thought the results were great from those products that I tried the Deep crystal and was totally sold. JMO. But as I said to see pics look for Meguiars liquid crystal thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroodNV Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 So with the no rinse, I can just use my MC wash mit, dip it in the Optimum soapy water bucket and go ahead and wash my car as if done the traditional way and then wipe clean with my MF drying towels? Where does all the dirt and grit go if you don't hose off the car after washing it? All the dirt will go into the mitt. Get a bucket with a grit guard and run the mitt on the grit guard and it'll release into the bottom of the bucket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bear Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 All the dirt will go into the mitt. Get a bucket with a grit guard and run the mitt on the grit guard and it'll release into the bottom of the bucket. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2008vistablue Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Well this has been my first black car and I must admit sometimes I regret choosing this color . Don't get me wrong I LOVE my shelby, but sometimes the paint makes me so mad . I spend atleast 2 hours washing and detailing my car. As soon as I take it for a spin the car gathers so much dust it makes me feel as if I did all that work for nothing I have tried the CA duster and it works but there is only so much you can take off. I have noticed aswell how my Shelby looks immaculate when the day is cloudy and even at night, but when its hot and the sun is shining right on her it brings out the paint in a way that is not pleasing to my eye sight! :wacko: :mad: I hate looking at the swirl marks and scratches! To all you other black Shelby owners, how do you guys deal with this problem? I remember my silver car stayed clean for nearly 2 weeks and I never had to deal with swirls or scratches. Now I know I know there is absolutely no comparing the two colors, but boy does it make me think I should of got a silver one. Any thoughts or advise will be helpful. Just saw a new 2009 at a car show that had black with the dark gray stripes. I could see swirl marks in it from the factory. The guy said it had 160 miles on her. I think that's just what a black car looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroodNV Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Swirls like that usually come from the dealer prepping the car and having no clue what they are doing. There is a black one in the showroom now that has more swirls in it than my 99 GT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlloyDropTop Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Swirls like that usually come from the dealer prepping the car and having no clue what they are doing. There is a black one in the showroom now that has more swirls in it than my 99 GT. Very True! My 2002 GT looked pretty good when I first got it home, then after a few washes it started to look NASTY! The glaze the used in prep was washing out of the scratches and making them visible. I then learned alot for Autopia, and made it look perfect, but lots of work and learning first.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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