Sensitive Black

[GlasgowRangers]

Has anybody else noticed how difficult it is to keep this colour scratch and swirl free? I have had my car for 2 months now and the paint work has been a nightmare. I was having a close look last night and the car is already full of swirl marks. It's not down to my cleaning routine as it gets professionally done very week at the valeters.

What a nightmare.

It is going in on Monday to get the full Meguire's treatment. Hopefully this can sort the swirl problem.

Comments on the paint anyone?

 

[Matt]

When you say its gets valeted professionally how are they washing it and what with?

I've been very careful with mine and still have light swirling. A good prewash helps a lot

 

[Twizzler]

I think the most important thing in the prevention of swirls is to use cleaning products that contain a good lubricant. Couple that with a sheepskin mitt and you're mostly there. Leave the sponge in the kitchen.

 

[phantom]

When you say its gets valeted professionally how are they washing it and what with?

I've been very careful with mine and still have light swirling. A good prewash helps a lot

Snap! VERY careful ive been and still some marks ( not really swirls ) i use a Mag's Lambs wool mitt , and a Mag's waffel weave drying towel to dab dry!

I think i'm just gonna crack on doing what i'm doing and get it detailed twice a year , one pre winter and one pre summer, leave the polishing and waxing to the pro's? the paints just too soft!

p

 

[h5djr]

Has anybody else noticed how difficult it is to keep this colour scratch and swirl free? I have had my car for 2 months now and the paint work has been a nightmare. I was having a close look last night and the car is already full of swirl marks. It's not down to my cleaning routine as it gets professionally done very week at the valeters.

What a nightmare.

This is the very reason why I decided a long time ago to stick with the once popular by now quite rare Silver. I've had black cars in the past but would never have another one.

 

[Kontraband]

yeah, welcome to the world of black cars.

 

[SteveTDCi]

mines the same, although I think the megs waffle town marked my golf, i've swapped to raceglaze towel and its much better.

 

[aliaudi]

BRILLIANT BLACK IS A NIGHTMARE!! I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO GO TO PHANTOM....not everyone listens...

you should see a brilliant black car in 4-5 yrs time! wow!

 

[PNH80]

This is why i also decided against black. Just too much of a pain in the ****. If your car is full of swirl marks and it's only ever washed at a pro valeters.... They don't sound much good to me.
If you've got the time and more importantly the desire, i'd learn about how to detail a car properly and invest in the right gear to do it yourself. Yes...It's a big outlay for good products but to kit yourself out is pretty much the same price as getting the car properly detailed once. I also get a lot of satisfaction from doing my own, sure i might not do as good a job as a pro detailer but it's more of an interest than just washing the car.

On another note... It's very very important to get a good build up of wax on a black car to avaid too much visible swirling in your paint.

 

[bacardi]

Snap! VERY careful ive been and still some marks ( not really swirls ) i use a Mag's Lambs wool mitt , and a Mag's waffel weave drying towel to dab dry!

I think i'm just gonna crack on doing what i'm doing and get it detailed twice a year , one pre winter and one pre summer, leave the polishing and waxing to the pro's? the paints just too soft!

p

That's exactly what I do with the wife's car, still looks stunning (Though the paint is a lot more resilient than the Audi)

 

[rob1210]

BRILLIANT BLACK IS A NIGHTMARE!! I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO GO TO PHANTOM.

I don't think Phantom Black is much better, I have been washing using a proper 2 bucket method, mitts, microfibers etc and I've still got ****** swirl marks though only on the bonnet and boot. I'm starting to think life is too short to worry about it and just get the paint corrected once a year.

 

[newbiecrg]

black, well phantom black is a great colour but you need to keep it clean! Looks stunning!

My car is one year old now and apart of some (minor) stone chips in the front it is quite good. I use double bucket and sheepskin mitten and although not swirl free i think is almost as good as new!

I am having it on a maintenance detailing program when I bring it to London...

I only have one scratch and it is in the back bumper, but so superficial that a very mild polish will clear it you can't even feel it with nails but you can see it...

Pedro

 

[phantom]

Ive only ever had black cars , i can't bring myself to buy anything else , it just looks so cool , but hard at the same time!

I BABY my car in fact i think i was rougher changing my sons nappies lol , and yet i still get marks ( not swirls , coz i don't go round and round ) i use the two bucket method, decent mitt and drying towel to dab dry , and i can still see them , as said just get someone to sort it out 1-2 a year!

p

 

[GlasgowRangers]

This confirms what I previously thought. Black is a bitch for everybody not just me. The car is going in to get the full Meguairs treatment next week. How long does it remain looking good after getting the full treatment if I use a good cleaning method? I can't afford to fork out constantly to keep the paint looking good.

 

[TFSI]

My brilliant red is now a month old and in sunlight does show the odd minor swirl and scratch.

The first week it was polished with autoglym resin polish and sealed with high gloss finish.

When its washed it gets the hose first, then a careful wash autoglym shampoo and conditioner top to bottom and then a hose rinse, to finish a wipe down with a autoglym leather type thingy and finally a once over with a polishing cloth.

Sunlight shows the swirls and scratches but you have to get the angle of veiw just right (low sun etc) i think its unavoidable not to get the odd mark. airborne dust after washing etc.

 

[TrickyLad]

Mine is silver and i dont have any major issues in keeping it clean, other than the obvious i clean it and it then rains 10 mins later to ruin a mornings work problem, which i am sure everyone has experienced over the last month or so.

I do know however that my dads car, a car from one of Audi owned producers, is metallic black and that he has noticed every speck of dirt and an annoying tiny swirl on the passenger door.
He has gone to the extreme of keeping it under the provided cover cloth

The guy in the garage in stockport said that if you use Superguard before you take it out on the road then most dirt and rubbish will just rinse off, meaning dont need to clean it too vigourously. Preventing the swirls

I recommend Superguard, on my dads recommendation

 

[Matt]

you can buy and apply better products yourself for less than the cost of having superguard done. will last longer than superguard too plus when it does need topping up you dont need to go back to the dealer to pay for it to be done again

 

[TrickyLad]

you can buy and apply better products yourself for less than the cost of having superguard done. will last longer than superguard too plus when it does need topping up you dont need to go back to the dealer to pay for it to be done again

yeah i believe its not cheap

but they gave us a few bottles of it it think. i may be mistaken but i know there is a collection of cleaning products supplied by the company in his garage

 

[I'mRonBurgundy?]

I had a Zaino protection treatment performed on my car a couple of days after I picked it up.

Have to say it still fairly swirl free. I use a lamdswool mit and dry it with a microfibre towel but I'm not over careful when cleaning.

Pics below are after the guy had finished:

 

[The911SC]

On my 3.2 S line I had a supaguard (lifeshine) treatment thrown in for free (yes.. free Ali !!).. I wanted it to keep the paint covered for a couple of months and it did the job, then I cleared it off with HD Cleanse and applied Zymol. Never had swirls on it (but I only kept it for 9 months!)..
Sure, the other colours hide it better (especially Dolphin grey or silver) but I just love black!.