Best products for detailing Black cars

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ranger7

New member
This is my first post, so I apologize if this question has been posted before. What would you recommend as the best products to use for detailing Black cars? I have read that Klasse leaves a sterile finish on dark colored cars, and I am interested in solid protection and a great, deep wet shine.



Also, one thing I never understood about polishing/waxing, etc. Is by hand to appy and remove in a non-circular motion, rather back and forth, so with that being the case is a polisher not a good idea? Any recommendations on a good polisher?



I've been working with cars since I was 15, my first job was at a full detail car wash and I became hooked then on detailing cars. It's not how I make a living, but I am pretty good at it.



I wanted to ask the pros before I jump into detailing my new Lexus, which is very shiny and very black.





I appreciate the help.



ranger7
 
ranger7 said:
This is my first post, so I apologize if this question has been posted before. What would you recommend as the best products to use for detailing Black cars? I have read that Klasse leaves a sterile finish on dark colored cars, and I am interested in solid protection and a great, deep wet shine...
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Welcome to Autopia!



IMO many of the differences in how various Last Step Products ("LSP"s) look are overstated; many people would never notice them. But anyhow...



Two of the most popular LSPs for black are both carnaubas- Meguiar's #26 and Pinnacle Souveran. But some people find that Collinite waxes look good too (even though they're not "beauty waxes") and that the durability is worth any slight difference in appearance compared to the two I mentioned previously (neither of which last all that long).



While I haven't tried them on black, I suspect that BlackFire and 4 Star Ultimate Paint Protection (both sealants) would look mighty good too (they don't look sterile to me on other colors). But getting/keeping black flawless enough to look good with a sealant might be a tall order.

Also, one thing I never understood about polishing/waxing, etc. Is by hand to appy and remove in a non-circular motion, rather back and forth, so with that being the case is a polisher not a good idea? Any recommendations on a good polisher?
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The only reason why straight line motions could be preferable to elliptical/circular ones is that *IF* you cause a scratch it won't show as much if it's in a straight line (matter of viewing angles; a circular scratch will always have some portion at the optimal viewing angle). Since you shouldn't be scratching the paint anyhow, IMO this isn't any big deal; I use circular/elliptical motions when working by hand and as you figured, my machines don't go in straight lines either. Is it a bit of added risk? Perhaps, but I get better/more uniform coverage working that way and I also find it more comfortable in many cases.



Good polishers for new-to-machines users: Porter Cable, Cyclo, or the new Ultimate Detailing Machine. All have their pluses and minuses, and all will be very easy to get the hang of. FWIW I do maybe 90% of my polishing/waxing/etc. by machine.
 
I was reading the reviews of products here, and it appears the zaino products might be good on black, too? But no idea where to get those?
 
Best bang for the buck on black paint would be Clearkote's Vanilla Moose or Red Machine Glaze followed by Carnauba Moose Wax.



Sealants can look really good on black but IMO, they just don't have the liquid depth of a good glaze and carnauba. I have a plethora of sealants on hand and I always go back to carnaubas on my own black car, even though it means I have to reapply wax every 3 months instead of every 5-6 months.
 
RMG > EX > Nattys Blue. Pretty Wet look. I have used several dozen combinations and that is still my favorite. Currently Im trying FPII > Z2pro > Souverean. Should be pretty good looking, but an expensive combo.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I decided to order the following:



P21S Carnauba Car Wax

Klasse All-In-One

Sonus SFX-2 Enhance Swirl

Remover

Sonus SFX-3 Final Finish

Polish

Sonus SFX Professional

Applicator, Pkg/2

Sonus Der Wunder

Applicator, Pkg/2

Sonus Carnauba Spritz



How'd I do?
 
Not sure why you bothered asking if you were just going to go with Klasse anyway. :think:



Klasse and P21S will make your black paint look bright and reflective, without the liquid depth of some of the other products suggested.
 
I am going use it on my wife's car first. I am also going to order the products suggested here for my car. To answer you question> my wife's car is the guinea pig and I can't find Pinnacle on this web site. So that will be seperate order.
 
I think you did just fine with your choices. There is no right/wrong here, just what you like until you experiment around and find something you like better, for whatever reason.



I've used the Klasse twins on my black BMW topped with S100 (P21S) and liked the look a lot. Now I'm using Menzerna polish, glaze, and sealant and like that too. I have so many chips/sandblasting on my hood, I may have to use a black carnauba to hide the white specs from the dried polish/glaze/sealant. That shouldn't be an issue for you with a new car.



Have fun and good luck.

Nick
 
Scottwax said:
Best bang for the buck on black paint would be Clearkote's Vanilla Moose or Red Machine Glaze followed by Carnauba Moose Wax.



Sealants can look really good on black but IMO, they just don't have the liquid depth of a good glaze and carnauba. I have a plethora of sealants on hand and I always go back to carnaubas on my own black car, even though it means I have to reapply wax every 3 months instead of every 5-6 months.
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Do you ever use a sealant between the glaze and wax? How does that affect the look and longevity of the finished product?
 
PK8 said:
Do you ever use a sealant between the glaze and wax? How does that affect the look and longevity of the finished product?
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99% of the time, I either use a sealant OR a carnauba. I only top sealants with carnaubas at a customer's request. I don't think it helps that much to put a sealant under a wax.
 
Scott, I always love your work and input to the community. I always try to follow your suggestions and comments. I currently use Meg's NXT wax on my black car (06 Volvo S40) and while it's been great, I always wanted to know what carnauba's would look like on my car such as the P21S. I was wondering if you've ever tried Meg's NXT Wax on black paint and if so, how it compares to carnauba's (like the one you use on your car).
 
NXT is one of the best sealants on black. Doesn't quite have the Carnauba shimmer but the majority of people won't notice that anyway because it still looks quite good.



I used NXT on this Silverado:



2003_Chevy_Silverado_NXT_side2.jpg




2003_Chevy_Silverado_NXT_frontend2.jpg




2003_Chevy_Silverado_NXT_front1.jpg
 
ranger7 said:
I am going use it on my wife's car first. I am also going to order the products suggested here for my car. To answer you question> my wife's car is the guinea pig and I can't find Pinnacle on this web site. So that will be seperate order.
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It always cracks me up that so many of us use our wives' cars to test things. I never mention "test" when I tell her Im doing her car.

:hide:
 
Personally, I enjoy the way CG Pete's '53 looks on my paint. It seems to have (at least, under the Brinkmann) filling abilities, it lasts for weeks on end, beads like crazy and looks stunning.
 
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