Any recommendations for a good wax for a black vehicle? I noticed the other day that the car wash swirl marks are starting to get bad. The truck is 2 years old and has never been waxed.

Not a wax per se but I have been using collinite 845 or jescar powerlock on my cars for awhile. If you want something quick and easy try some menzerna aio (3 in one). It should help with some swirls.

I finally bought a black car. It’s two years old and the paint has been neglected. Swirls everywhere. Going to need some paint correction before putting anything on it.

Nothing beats Rejex! I have used it for more years than I wish to count but if you use it once you will never use anything else again to shine your vehicle. The very best anti love bug ever created.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Nothing beats Rejex! I have used it for more years than I wish to count but if you use it once you will never use anything else again to shine your vehicle. The very best anti love bug ever created.

Thanks for that. I have been meaning to ask the forum about that. I've used it on wheels to keep brake dust from sticking but not on paint.

I have had good results from two different waxes, and they are both very different.

6/10 Griots Garage Liquid Poly Wax. It’s good, cheap, easy to use, and lasts quite a long time.

10/10 Zymol Titanium. It is expensive, and you should apply it with warm hands by melting the wax between your hands and applying. You really need a partner to apply as it needs to be taken back off within a minute or so, before it hazes. It is an extremely hard, durable wax. It is 52% Carnauba wax. That is why you have to melt it with your hands. Without question, this is the best wax I have ever used.
Prior to application, you should clay bar the car, and then hit it with the Zymol HD Cleanse. This will allow the wax to really adhere to the paint. It really is pretty amazing.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Nothing beats Rejex! I have used it for more years than I wish to count but if you use it once you will never use anything else again to shine your vehicle. The very best anti love bug ever created.

Will it get the swirl marks out?

Before any wax or polish you might want to use a clay bar.
Stop by a professional autobody paint store.

FWIW I have always used Maguire's products



Any recommendations for a good wax for a black vehicle? I noticed the other day that the car wash swirl marks are starting to get bad. The truck is 2 years old and has never been waxed.[/QUOTE]

You are beyond wax. Time to buff.

I like Meguiars Gold car wash and either Ultimate or Gold wax. Easy on and off.

quote:

Originally posted by walker77:

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Nothing beats Rejex! I have used it for more years than I wish to count but if you use it once you will never use anything else again to shine your vehicle. The very best anti love bug ever created.

Will it get the swirl marks out?

No, it’s a sealant and doesn’t contain polish. Per the website:

quote:

If a painted / gelcoat surface is worn/oxidized, polish to remove "dead" oxidized paint and gel coat / fiberglass before applying RejeX.

If you want one product to polish out swirls and wax/seal then you need a “all in one” (aka AIO). You’ll need an entry level dual action polisher (eg $89 Maxshine M8S 8mm/900W Dual Action Polisher) for this or a shit ton of stamina and will power. AIO examples:

Previously posted - menzerna aio (3 in one)

3D HD Speed

Griot’s One Step

What I use - Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions. To add longevity, 24 hours later i top it with their ceramic spray sealant

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Nothing beats Rejex! I have used it for more years than I wish to count but if you use it once you will never use anything else again to shine your vehicle. The very best anti love bug ever created.

This.

Black car and swirl marks = trip to the detailer. I detailed in college and do not trust myself on a black car, just send it out. Then stop using a car wash!

Because it is black, I would recommend a professional. Take it to a good detail shop. Afterwards, you can wax it yourself monthly or so.

I did my black Yukon with this kit and it did an outstanding job.

Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box kit

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I finally bought a black car. It’s two years old and the paint has been neglected. Swirls everywhere. Going to need some paint correction before putting anything on it.

What, exactly, is meant by "paint correction?" I hear the term often, but it isn't intuitively obvious what it is. My best guess would be stripping a layer of oxidation from the surface of the paint, but isn't the paint there to prevent oxidation?

Or is this simply intentional obfuscation similar to painters using a single word like "blend" to mean two completely different things?

Klasse All-In-One followed by P21S (also sold as S100) Concours Caranuba Wax.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I finally bought a black car. It’s two years old and the paint has been neglected. Swirls everywhere. Going to need some paint correction before putting anything on it.

What, exactly, is meant by "paint correction?" I hear the term often, but it isn't intuitively obvious what it is. My best guess would be stripping a layer of oxidation from the surface of the paint, but isn't the paint there to prevent oxidation?

Or is this simply intentional obfuscation similar to painters using a single word like "blend" to mean two completely different things?

It means using the right combination of liquid, pad, and polisher to remove the defects in the paint. The defect may be oxidation, but more likely people are talking about scratches or swirls that are in the clear coat (if a scratch goes below the clear coat then either touch up paint is required or a trip to the autobody shop to repair).

You're trying to preserve the clear coat as it's approx the thickness of a post it note. Therefore, you're only supposed to use the minimum pad and liquid combo to get out the defects or an acceptable level of defects. If you can remove the defect with a polishing pad and polishing liquid then stop there. If it's deeper, then you're likely using a compound pad & liquid followed by a polishing pad & liquid (there are also diminishing abrasive products that start off as a compound and the longer you work them they turn into a polish).

Another consideration is the vehicle's use. The goal and type of paint correction should match the vehicle's use:

daily driver that goes through the car wash - a shit ton of scratches are coming back. Might not even want to polish and select a product that fills & hides

a properly hand washed daily driver - very few and very light scratches added and getting most swirl/scratches and making shiny paint is a normal goal

a once a week "fun car" - probably going for removing 75 to 80% of defects

a show car or museum car - aiming for perfection

In other words, paint correction is a good catch-all term.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Agree with totordd on deciding the level of correction you want. When I buy a new vehicle it immediately goes to my detail guy for paint correction and ceramic coating. You would be surprised how lousy the paint is from the factory. His first question to me is always will it be a daily driver. Not worth the ultimate correction on a daily driver IMO.

Regarding products, for an All in One it is hard to beat Klasse AIO IMO. Will take out the lighter scratches and leaves a hard coating.

For our two cars I do a two step correction (light compound and final polish) followed by Avalon Armorshield ceramic coating. It is only about $70 a bottle and will do the whole vehicle with two coats unles your vehicle is huge. It looks great and holds up for a couple years minimum. Also makes washing a breeze.

I am no expert on swirls but I will say that on older finishes even a real physical scratch is barely visible after using this product, but it sounds like the color black has a life of its own when it comes to car finishes lol.

Sorry for thread drift. I've been wondering about this myself.

Have a black 2019 camry. Haven't been washing it much but it's not too dirty. 5K miles over 2 years....

That being said, I was thinking about washing and waxing it. But am confused with new cars and the new coatings, etc. I'm concerned that I'd be making the car less protected if I wax and remove some protective coating.

Should I be waxing the car (I usually use Meguiars polish and wax products for my old cars)? Am I replacing the factory protective coatings? Adding on top of them? Do I need a different solution for newer cars (last new car purchase was 2000).

Are you looking for "best results" from the wax, or just "good enough with minimal effort"?

I personally go for the latter. I like my car to look decent/good, but am not willing to devote the time, money, and attention to detail to keep it looking great.

Therefore, I'm a big fan of Lucas Slick Mist spray wax. Hand wash the car at home using the two bucket method (or a foam gun and one bucket like I do), then spray on Slick Mist while still wet and wipe while drying. Quick and easy on a Saturday morning.

It doesn't last quite as long or look quite as good as a true hand-buffed paste wax, but as far as the cost/benefit analysis of end result vs. the effort required, it's a winner. Though it's not a substitute for the full detailing process of clay bar/polishing/hand wax/buffing/etc. if you want professional-looking results and are willing to put in the work to get it.

My car is dark gray (so not quite black), but the combination of hand wash only and spray wax keeps it looking good without any swirl marks. Automated car washes are terrible for dark colored vehicles. So even if you're going to be waxing it regularly from here on out, you'll likely need a full-blown detail job first, to correct the existing damage.