Car wash technique for black cars

**Kamakaz1961** · 02-15-2015, 07:55 PM

Let me correct myself. I do not use a pressure washer and in my post it appears I do. I do not have one. Additionally, I do have a foam gun and use that when my ride is really dirty. Most of the time it is the 2-Bucket 2-Grit guard wash. I will do a rinseless wash if the car is not too dirty.

As for the rest...again, that Is my opinion and I knew others would disagree. But again, you have your ways of washing a black car I have mine.

I am sure you are satisfied with your technique as I am with my technique.

**swanicyouth** · 02-15-2015, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by musclecar22

From everything I've read on AGO, a pressure washer will shoot grime across your paint causing marring on its' exit. Is that really a good first step? I now use mine only for undercarriage and wheel wells, they don't touch my black paint. Learned the hard way and what led me to this forum, which thankfully shortened the learning curve.

A pressure washer will not scratch paint. This is a myth. Tons of proven and reputable detailers use pressure washers, have used pressure washers, and will continue to use pressure washers. If someone is posting that pressure washing a vehicle can scratch paint here on AG, they are simply not correct.

The way paint gets marred is wiping dirt off it. The best thing you can do is remove dirt with a pressure washer prior to touching it with a quality towel / BHB / wash mitt.

**musclecar22** · 02-15-2015, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

A pressure washer will not scratch paint. This is a myth. Tons of proven and reputable detailers use pressure washers, have used pressure washers, and will continue to use pressure washers. If someone is posting that pressure washing a vehicle can scratch paint here on AG, they are simply not correct.

The way paint gets marred is wiping dirt off it. The best thing you can do is remove dirt with a pressure washer prior to touching it with a quality towel / BHB / wash mitt.

Interesting, thanks for the info.

**Nomadsto** · 02-16-2015, 07:15 AM

Solution : trade'em in for something light or white

**RWalleyTX** · 02-16-2015, 11:26 AM

A black car is a pain. My black car gets scratched easy or you just notice it more due to the color. You can only do so much every year I do a light compound to it and it looks great again. I just do the 3 bucket method and use high quality towels and I recently added a quick detailer to my wet car before I dry for lubrication.

**bonedr** · 02-16-2015, 05:09 PM

I'd be interested to know what compound you use RWalleyTX thanks

**Kamakaz1961** · 02-16-2015, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by RWalleyTX

A black car is a pain. My black car gets scratched easy or you just notice it more due to the color. You can only do so much every year I do a light compound to it and it looks great again. I just do the 3 bucket method and use high quality towels and I recently added a quick detailer to my wet car before I dry for lubrication.

Try SF4500 NOT SF4000. I will polish my ride (after cleaning and claying) with SF4500. There is very little cut with SF4500. It will get rid of minor scratches.

Since my ride is mostly scratch free I use it to bring out the shine and then apply a sealant and wax as an LSP.

Try the SF4500 it is a jeweling polish.

SF4000 has a little more cut, but I want to preserve my CC as much as I can. It is good I just think SF4500 is better for your purpose of maintain the shine on a Black Car

**tach18k** · 02-16-2015, 05:58 PM

I started using the Koala mit's, They seem to do a really good job. Also having a really good surface to start with, I know it is hard sometimes, but once you get good product on the paint and maintain it, it makes a difference. I had my Camry go about 3 months between washes, but I had some killer product on it, that saved me. I just washed it and I tossed the mits and got new ones, I got one wash left on the finish so I will be doing the full prep and apply new polish and sealer.

**cardaddy** · 02-16-2015, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Kamakaz1961

Try SF4500 NOT SF4000. I will polish my ride (after cleaning and claying) with SF4500. There is very little cut with SF4500. It will get rid of minor scratches.

Since my ride is mostly scratch free I use it to bring out the shine and then apply a sealant and wax as an LSP.

Try the SF4500 it is a jeweling polish.

SF4000 has a little more cut, but I want to preserve my CC as much as I can. It is good I just think SF4500 is better for your purpose of maintain the shine on a Black Car

While I'm not disagreeing with you on the amount of cut, I doubt you'd ever be able to measure any difference between what happens with the overall CC thickness when using SF4000 vs. SF4500. If it's that big of a worry, (or that soft of a paint) the difference between one pad and the next is likely to be as big, if not bigger than the difference between these two excellent polishes.

For me, I'll go with SF4000 every time. It's gloss rating is exactly the same, but having that little bit of extra cut makes it a more versatile product overall. Want a bit more 'finesse' switch to a red pad, or even the uber soft gold one.

Also, just throwing this out there... the Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60 has cut at 1~<1 with gloss at 10. I picked up a couple bottles last year on BOGO and it's one of the BOGO items I never regretted buying.

(Lord knows there are PLENTY of others that can't say that.)

On Menzerna’s scale of cut, Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60 ranks at a 1. The polishing agents have minimal cut and finish without any micro marring or dullness. Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60 is the perfect one step cleaner wax to maintain a finish you’ve restored with Menzerna polishes or to clean and protect a vehicle that is only mildly oxidized.