Does anyone have an opinion on the best wax for a black vehicle? I think I read it here before, but now I can't find it. Finally ordered a 2000 Silverado in black.
I highly recommend the stuff from Zaino Bros. The stuff is not a wax but a polish. Before you apply their first stuff, you must make sure that all wax is off of the vehicle. You then apply the first step and let it dry. Without removing the first step, you apply the polish (right on top of prep stuff). Wait 30 minutes or even over night, and buff it off. You can apply a second, third and fourth coat if you wish. This stuff gives your vehicle a wet look. The more coats the wetter the look.
I have a Silverado with the indigo blue/pewter. Indigo blue is a nice dark color that looks great just like black does if you use the right type of polish. With the Zaino stuff, dust and dirt does not seem to stick to it as it does with a wax.
I have had bird and tree droppings fall on the vehicle. I just took a hose and washed the stuff right off. Usually a bird turd leaves a ring where it etches into the wax. I did not find this with the Zaino Stuff. Check it out.
I put coats of Zaino on my F250 SD, Bright Amber. It really shines and does look wet. What I also like is there are no swirl marks if you do the applications as suggested.
I use liquid glass polish on my 1992 blue pickup. I know detailers that use this product and swear by it. How does zaino bros product compare with liquid glass and how is it better, if its better. What is the time period between applications of the zaino bros product?
So far I polished my Silverado with two coats of Zaino and it appears that the wax is still holding up. If you touch the paint after washing the vehicle it feels baby smooth. Right now we are getting "Floyded" and the stuff is just shedding water like...
The stuff does not leave swirt marks OR since you have a black vehicle, has abrasives. This alone will spoil a nice paint job. Beware of what wax is out there, they contain various solvents and abrasives. Nasty!
I would opt for the pigeon test. That is polich the vehicle and park it in a city parking garage right under where the pigeons hang out. I think after a fair hour of this would be a good test to see how well the stuff holds out to environmental acids.
I did have sort of a pigeon test take place and after having the dropping remain on the vehicle for over a day (I did not realize it until the next day) that it left no trace marks (rings, spots etc.)
I have seen wax get consumed when this happens and before you know it you have a mark that will require you to rewax the spot.
I have tried many other waxes including Mothers, Mequires, Eagle, Blue Coral etc. and found Zaino stuff to be about the best for endurance and looks.
The other day I seen a guy with this nice looking 72 mustang. Cherry Red the whole nine yards. It looked beautiful. I asked him what he used and he said Mothers. I thought wow what a nice finish. However when he got the car in the sun, you could see swirls, spins and streaks. I wondererd if he even new.
I've always loved Malms....another awesome Mail order wax. I also use 3M hand glaze...works wonders on black. Think you have to go to a paint supply type place to get it. Applies like silk.
I have been using meguires waxes for years with excellant results. I had heard about prolong and decided to give it a try on our brand new silverado,(pewter). It went on AND off very easily. The shine is very good and also left a very slick easy to clean surface. Only had it on for a couple of weeks so can't comment on durability. I can say that ease of use and results are the best for me so far.
Why does the color make a difference in the wax used? I've always used a self sealing/polishing type of protective coating. (a.k.a Turtle, AutoFom, NuFinish, etc.) But I've never had a dark vehicle either.
A good wax will work well on any color, but the dark colors such as black show more reflection than a lighter color. Also some products do a better job at hiding imperfections in the paint (swirls, scratches,etc.)that stand out more on the dark colors.
A buddy of mine is into shows. He says everyone uses 'liquid glass' in the competition. Enjoy your shine! Or "shine on!" -Peter Frampton, Frampton Comes Alive (1976?) -epoe
I used Liquid Glass on a Miata several years ago and it removed way too much paint from one fender. It scared me to use any more so I threw the remainder in the trash and swore off it. i applied it according to the directions. Liquid Glass claims not to have any abrasives, but I know what I saw. The car was only a few months old, so it was not oxidized either.
When i was finally ready to buy a new vehicle this past april, I choose black as the color of my car. My father over and over again said, "Are you sure you really want a black car, their hot in the summer and hard to keep clean." It went through one ear and out the other. Needless to say, I will never buy a black car again. I should have listened to the ole' man.
Unless you've got a crewcab, the increased solar thermal load of a black truck is pretty minor. A car exposes a lot more cabin body metal to the sun than a truck. Who cares if the black-painted pickup bed gets hot? It's not glassed in with the cab, the way the rear seats and hatchback are in most cars. Besides, it's the interior color that mostly determines how hot the car gets. I've had a black Golf and now drive a maroon Subaru, and both were/are unbearable in August because both had black interiors.
I own a Big Black truck and it loves getting itself dirty. I hate it when it does that but when it's cleaned up there's nothing prettier.
I have tried every sh-t brain product out there that allegedly "specializes" in Black Paint Finishes with woefully dissapointing results.
Finally I had enough and got on-line with "Mothers" and talked to thier chemist guy who told me that it's all just B.S. Theres no specific formula or ingrediants that work better on Black than other colors.
Best thing to do is a 3 step process that "Mothers" will tell you about when you visit their web-site. Check it out.
Don't spend money on sh-t that don't do sh-t! I did and I'm telling you, so you won't!
My wife drives a black '83 VW that she has owned since 1985. She waxes it religiously in the spring, mid summer and late fall. The car has maintained it's high gloss. In fact, when we go to VW shows (not as participants) we get a lot of comments on the great 'restoration'. She has always used the original Turtle Wax applied by hand and removed using old t-shirts.
What is your opinion on turtle waxes product called Express Shine spray wax???? I hope I haven`t messed up by using it on my new truck. It says safe for clearcote .I`ve got a friend that swears by it. He`s like me he keeps an old beater to drive on days the roads are nasty. Even his old geo tracker looks like new.
Also I`ve had some people tell me not to use soap on my new truck because soap leaves a residue no matter how well you rinse it.Don`t you need soap to lubricate and carry off the dirt so that you don`t scratch the paint as you are washing ????
When I purchased my first products from Zaino Bros, they first recommended that the vehicle be washed with "dawn" to remove the old wax. They want their stuff to adhere to the painted surface and not what is currently there. You can also "clay" the paint to remove the old wax as well.
Once I applied their product, you could use their special spray stuff to give it a ultra quick shine (not to say it is not super shiny already) or use their special wash.
I have tried many waxes and polishes and have determined this stuff to be problably the best I ever used and it is easy to use. I have applied it in direct sun and left it on the vehicle all day before removing it. No problem.
Croct, Relax, the express shine you use is fine. I use it on my Black F150 between washing, when I do not have time to do the regular waxing job. It is easy on and easy off, really quick. That counts for me when there is less then 40oF outside. : ) Car wash fumulation contain wax supplement is fine for car wash. Just make sure to rinse the section of before it get dry especially in the hot summer day. You are right about the need of "soap" to "carry" the dirt particle away from the painted surface to prevent fine scratches during washing. Do not use dish washing soap unless you want to strip all the wax off your car eg. for claying, polishing, and rewaxing ...etc. I do not know if you are, like me, blessed with a black one. If you are, then welcome to the club of I need to wash my truck everyweek club! Happy new year. Cheer! Thau
Well we finally had our first snowfall and with the snow comes plenty of road salt. It seems like any road that accumulates snow must also be salted. So far my my vehicle that I "zainoed" in September is holding up very well with the salt. I hand washed it the other day (your hands freeze) and the polish repels water as if it wash just applied. The paint is as smooth as a piece of glass.
the following site: http://www.carcareonline.com/ They have some good car care articles and the prices on their products are competitive to any I've found. I usually try to catch their monthly specials.
By the way, by following the information in their wheel care article I was able to restore the finish to my alloys on my K-1500. I had taken it to a local car wash for a "free" wash and they stained my wheels.
You might check out some of our (Dodge Dakota Quad Cab owners) topics 746, 772. We have covered the black truck care and cleaning thing pretty well. I have a two month old Quad, live in West Texas and have just 'polished' and 'waxed' mine for the first (through sixth) time. I used Liquid Glass after a very light polish, but that's just my preference. Lots of good (and bad) products out there. The real key for you is climate, time and 'curing.' If it's warm (above 70 in the days - preferably warmer) wait about a month and do the work gently. If you're in a colder climate, wait till spring - just be gentle with the clearcoat - it's still 'soft' at this stage - wash it with low pressure, high surfactant / not necessarily high suds, high quality car wash soap. Use lots of RO rinse both BEFORE and after the soap. And if possible, keep it clean enough - don't use a mit, use a boar's hair brush from Griot's Garage, if required - until the weather warms up enough to polish/wax an/or seal your paint. Don't use circular motions for anything - EVER - on your truck's paint. Swirl marks suck (value).
Watch our posts for updates - they're interesting. By the way: Congrats on your purchase, I noticed that it just won the Motor Trend Truck of The Year Award! I believe the Dakota Quad has won some also. It's nice to have two newbies (and fabulous trucks) winning all the awards for a change. :-))
Check out the Zaino brothers site. www.zainobros.com. If it is "virgin", I would go for the zaino stuff right away. If you opt for wax or products like that and decide to go with the zaino stuff, you will have to remove the old wax.
Zaino is one of if not the best stuff for a black paint vehicle.
Comments
I have a Silverado with the indigo blue/pewter. Indigo blue is a nice dark color that looks great just like black does if you use the right type of polish. With the Zaino stuff, dust and dirt does not seem to stick to it as it does with a wax.
I have had bird and tree droppings fall on the vehicle. I just took a hose and washed the stuff right off. Usually a bird turd leaves a ring where it etches into the wax. I did not find this with the Zaino Stuff. Check it out.
http://www.zainobros.com/
On a pewter truck, after you apply the wax, you darn near can't see the swirls to wipe off.
The stuff does not leave swirt marks OR since you have a black vehicle, has abrasives. This alone will spoil a nice paint job. Beware of what wax is out there, they contain various solvents and abrasives. Nasty!
I would opt for the pigeon test. That is polich the vehicle and park it in a city parking garage right under where the pigeons hang out. I think after a fair hour of this would be a good test to see how well the stuff holds out to environmental acids.
I did have sort of a pigeon test take place and after having the dropping remain on the vehicle for over a day (I did not realize it until the next day) that it left no trace marks (rings, spots etc.)
I have seen wax get consumed when this happens and before you know it you have a mark that will require you to rewax the spot.
I have tried many other waxes including Mothers, Mequires, Eagle, Blue Coral etc. and found Zaino stuff to be about the best for endurance and looks.
The other day I seen a guy with this nice looking 72 mustang. Cherry Red the whole nine yards. It looked beautiful. I asked him what he used and he said Mothers. I thought wow what a nice finish. However when he got the car in the sun, you could see swirls, spins and streaks. I wondererd if he even new.
I also use 3M hand glaze...works wonders on black. Think you have to go to a paint supply type place to get it. Applies like silk.
- Tim
Why does the color make a difference in the wax used? I've always used a self sealing/polishing type of protective coating. (a.k.a Turtle, AutoFom, NuFinish, etc.) But I've never had a dark vehicle either.
Rich
Thanks! Makes sense to me.
Rich
Acetone?
I have tried every sh-t brain product out there that allegedly "specializes" in Black Paint Finishes with woefully dissapointing results.
Finally I had enough and got on-line with "Mothers" and talked to thier chemist guy who told me that it's all just B.S. Theres no specific formula or ingrediants that work better on Black than other colors.
Best thing to do is a 3 step process that "Mothers" will tell you about when you visit their web-site. Check it out.
Don't spend money on sh-t that don't do sh-t! I did and I'm telling you, so you won't!
"You can trust your Mother"
It says safe for clearcote .I`ve got a friend that swears by it. He`s like me he keeps an old beater to drive on days the roads are nasty.
Even his old geo tracker looks like new.
Also I`ve had some people tell me not to use soap on my new truck because soap leaves a residue no matter how well you rinse it.Don`t you need soap to lubricate and carry off the dirt so that you don`t scratch the paint as you are washing ????
ADVICE NEEDED !!!!!!!!!
Once I applied their product, you could use their special spray stuff to give it a ultra quick shine (not to say it is not super shiny already) or use their special wash.
I have tried many waxes and polishes and have determined this stuff to be problably the best I ever used and it is easy to use. I have applied it in direct sun and left it on the vehicle all day before removing it. No problem.
Relax, the express shine you use is fine. I use it on my Black F150 between washing, when I do not have time to do the regular waxing job. It is easy on and easy off, really quick. That counts for me when there is less then 40oF outside. : )
Car wash fumulation contain wax supplement is fine for car wash. Just make sure to rinse the section of before it get dry especially in the hot summer day. You are right about the need of "soap" to "carry" the dirt particle away from the painted surface to prevent fine scratches during washing. Do not use dish washing soap unless you want to strip all the wax off your car eg. for claying, polishing, and rewaxing ...etc. I do not know if you are, like me, blessed with a black one. If you are, then welcome to the club of I need to wash my truck everyweek club! Happy new year.
Cheer!
Thau
By the way, by following the information in their wheel care article I was able to restore the finish to my alloys on my K-1500. I had taken it to a local car wash for a "free" wash and they stained my wheels.
Phil
Watch our posts for updates - they're interesting. By the way: Congrats on your purchase, I noticed that it just won the Motor Trend Truck of The Year Award! I believe the Dakota Quad has won some also. It's nice to have two newbies (and fabulous trucks) winning all the awards for a change. :-))
Zaino is one of if not the best stuff for a black paint vehicle.
http://www.redisoft.com/groupbuycenter/buy.asp?mode=read&row_id=45&Buy_Title=Zaino+Bros%2E+Products
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