ok , , I swore I would never own a black vehicle b/c of the tedious job of keeping it clean. Ive had 3 silver vehicles for the last 15 years b/c it does seem to disguise dirt and scratches better but I broke down and bought a Black Saleen F-150 that I couldnt pass up. So, that being said....do you guys with black trucks have any advice on how to make this easier on me? Any secrets on preventing swirl marks and scratches? I read the detailing sticky and picked up a a ton of good info but I'm kinda looking for black specific ideas. Thanks for any help.

 

I have a black F350... Sorry Bro... ITS A HARD JOB... Just keep up on it, and it will be easier...

 

hahaha, yeah thats was I figured. I think Im gonna detail it one good time, pull it in the garage and cover it with a HUGE sheet and just tell everyone I own one. It may never see light of day. Black I think is by far the best looking color on a vehicle when its clean......but when is that? lol wash it, pull it out of garage and its dirty! The biggest thing I m really worried about is swirl marks...I know thats a huge issue with black . Thanks for the reply.

 

Ive owned several black vehicles, and they can be a pain in the a$$. If you want to minimize swirl marks, dont use a bathroom towel to dry it, use compressed air to dry. Don't use anything but microfiber applicator pads for wax, etc. Dont use anything but microfiber to buff it either. If you dont want scratches, keep all birds, cats, and dogs that like to jump on cars away from it and dont take it into the woods. Enjoy your black truck!

 

Yes, black is a pain to keep clean but it's comforting to know that when it's cleaned and shiny nothing looks better.

Rick
06 F-150 SCAB Black/Chrome (very pretty)

 

Black is a PITA to keep up with, but man when detailed nicely these trucks are definitely the best looking trucks on the road.

Get separate microfiber (high quality) towels that you use exclusively on the paint and make sure they never touch anything other than your paint. Get good ones to use for other things like the bumpers and step bars. Don't even allow terry cloth to touch the paint!

 

Haha, I agree with everything that's been said. Now lets see some pics of your new truck

 

I'd be more than happy to post up some pics!! Can someone tell me how to do that?? also, if anyone is looking for something new to drive my 2000 lightning is for sale on ebay and ends tomorrow night...couldnt keep em both so something had to go........heres a link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...6219&viewitem=

 

I dont know how to post pics on here so I did it this way. The link below is exactly like the one I bought, but not it. They are identical though except mine has a retractable bed cover. Sorry, this is the best I can do as far as offering a pic.


http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

 

Hmm. Doesn't seem like you got any real good answers. First off, beautiful truck.

Now, most swirls are going to be induced during washing and drying. You want to use a quality soap and the recommended dilution of soap to water. Use a high quality wash mitt that has a place for the dirt to go and hide so you're not dragging it around the paint. The SM Arnold Wool Wash Mitt that ADS sells is very popular. When washing, you want to use light passes. You don't want to push down hard because you're going to end up driving the dirt into the paint. For drying, after you have risned the vehicle, take the nozzle off the hose and let the water run out starting from the top of the vehicle and working your way down letting the water sheet off. This will remove the majority of the water. Then using a quality microfiber towel, like a waffle weave, blot dry the vehicle or you can use an electric blower of some sort first. In the end, you're going to want to blot dry anything that's left. Compressed air isn't recommended unless you have some kind of inline filter or dry so you don't let any oils or condensation through. Good wash and dry technique should limit the swirls. However, you are bound to get some over time. How you handle swirls is going to depend on the amount of work you want to put forward and how much you're willing to spend on the right products and equipment to get it done. Keep in mind, generally speaking, the more you spend, the less hard work you're going to have to do. The less you spend, the more elbow grease you're going to have to use. The good thing is, unless you get carried away like a lot of us do, it's only expensive to get started. After that it's only replensihing your products. For most of us, a clean, swirl free car is worth the money. There are a few threads on the first page of this section right now where people are just getting started. Take a look at those if you wish and if you have any question, shoot.

 

Thanks alot man. I picke dup alot of that stuff on the detailing sticky as well. I've honestly just never had to worry about minor towel/rag scratches before. Silver just doesnt show em. I had planned on using my dewalt blower to dry it, thats what my brother does with his grand national and seems to have good results. I'll definately have to invest in the mf towels though....have always used old t-shirts in the past and shammied (sp) dry. Guess thats a thing of the past now. Does walmart or any of the chain auto parts places carry a mitt you would fell comfortable recommending....and as far as that goes, a brand of wash soap as well? thanks

 

If you have a Big Lots near you, they may have some Turtle Wax mitts - they are decent if you pick through them and get the plushest ones. Walmart may have some Eurow (sp?) mitts. The most recommended retail soap is Megs Gold Class, Megs NXT is also decent.

 

I was pretty much going to tell you the same thing glc said. I couldn't remember what mitts people found at big lots so I did a search for big lots and the first thread that popped up was this one. Haha. He beat me to it. But yeah, any Meguiars soap should work fine. I wasdoing a bit of reading as far as Megs soaps are concerned. It seem Megs Nxt car wash soap is a better choice if you have hard water. If that's not a concern then Meg's Gold Class is said to out perform Nxt and leave a nicer look. Most local stores aren't going to carry very high quality microfibers. For good ones you will probably need to order some. For that, www.theragshack.com will have you covered. I really like their Superflys. Justin, the owner, is great to deal with and his shipping is fast and reasonable.

 

thanx! appreciate the info guys. I'll check at big lots for the mitt's and walmart for the megs.

 

best advice i could give to anyone with a dark color car or truck would be Zaino brothers show car polish