How do People with Black Paint Jobs keep them looking so good?

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Our youngest bought some farm property and is moving out to be a farmer.
We gave him our 2500HD and river trailer.

So the wife ordered a new GMC and they look sooo good in black. We can still change the orders color and probably go silver/grey because so hard to keep the black looking decent.
Last black vehicles I've owned I never got the knack to keep the paint finish looking good.
Never figured it out.

Walking out of the Doctors office yesterday and a guy was wiping down his Black Raptor while waiting on his wife in a doctors appt.
The trucks black paint looked like a million dollar paint job. Looked 3 inches deep. Just talked to ya.

"I clay bar it and use Acme polish. Takes hours of work each time, all the time" He told me. "Forget ceramic" he added.

I read you can only clay bar a paintjob a few times before it starts to diminish the appearance instead of enhance it.

Will I be doomed to polishing it in 4 hours sessions to keep it looking good?

Anyone into good looking black paint jobs? No lazy man way out?

 

[megadesertdiesel]

my 2018 sits in the AZ sun 24 hours a day. I have ran it through the local automatic carwash weekly to keep the dirt off of it. I NEVER waxed it since new and just a couple weeks ago i had a guy detail the interior, hand wash then wax it for. He told me it was a PITA to get all the carwash scuffs off and quit using the cash washes.

But at the end of the day his work looked as good as fresh out of the local carwash to me.

Im sure its not good for the paint but its good enough for me.

 

[Toy Collector]

The key to keeping black paint nice, is HOW you wash and dry it... and NOT taking it through Car Wash setups.

Proper wash mitt, the Two bucket method, Foam guns and blow dryers (or high quality Microfiber drying towels) are your best friends in this battle.

I use Adams Wash Mitts and I spray the mitt out every time before I dunk in any wash bucket. This is an extended version of the Two bucket method, for me.

Spray foam the vehicle, then rinse that off. Spray foam again and use the wash mitt... working from the top, down. You should have already done the wheels, tires, fender wells and lower (rocker panel) sections of the car with a brush to get that heavy dirt off. Then, use a forced air drying method or a nice Microfiber Drying towel with a Drying Aid (Adam's Detail Spray is one way to go) to minimize scratching.

Polishing and Coatings are a whole other subject and can be done for a little or a lot of money, depends on what you want. I use a variety of "Coatings or Sealants" from true Ceramic to a basic Aerosol SiO2 that takes minutes to complete an entire vehicle.

As for Clay... it's a an abrasive and should ONLY be used before Machine Polishing. A real "Clay Bar" is now Old School and old tech... there are now synthetic Clay mitts or pads that do a much better job with less damage done. CLAY BARS DAMAGE PAINT, period.

I can talk about this for hours so PM me if anyone has any questions.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

So,,, best to start off asking the dealer NOT to wash the truck when it's delivered.

 

[Toy Collector]

So,,, best to start off asking the dealer NOT to wash the truck when it's delivered.

Correct.

 

[jareddustin]

i just did my dads 2017 car. it was pretty bad. wash, clay, buff and polish with a machine and ceramic coating. im far from a professional not even sure i would say detailing is a hobby but i just enjoy doing it. my cars are white so much easier. i use all adams products. this was the first black car i have done, and it was 110 out that day took me about 5 hours 2 door coverable. now just to see how it holds up.

 

[Toy Collector]

A common misconception is: Black cars scratch easier.

They don't. All cars scratch the same (some manufacturers have harder paint than others) but overall... a scratch is a scratch and Black only makes them more visible. The way to win this war is a new Polishing Pad for every panel.

All of the Toyota's in my family are white and have no Clear Coat. While they appear to be less affected than a Black vehicle, that paint will be in far worse shape than the Black paint as Oxidation and scratches are taking it's toll, in comparison to the Clear Coated paint.

 

[AZCG]

my 2018 sits in the AZ sun 24 hours a day. I have ran it through the local automatic carwash weekly to keep the dirt off of it. I NEVER waxed it since new and just a couple weeks ago i had a guy detail the interior, hand wash then wax it for. He told me it was a PITA to get all the carwash scuffs off and quit using the cash washes.

But at the end of the day his work looked as good as fresh out of the local carwash to me.

Im sure its not good for the paint but its good enough for me.

My 2016 is about the same here in AZ. Who'd you use for detail? Would you use them again/recommend them?