Notices
Non Scooby Related Anything Non-Scooby related

How DO you keep a black car looking good?Is it possible?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 13 September 2005, 09:01 PM
  #1  
turboman786
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
turboman786's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,458
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default How DO you keep a black car looking good?Is it possible?

I've recently bought a BMW 330ci sport convertible in black.....when I got the car I used Meguiar's claybar, and then zymolled it, and it looked absolutely stunning...

Howvere that lasted about a day, before lots of sticky sap decided to stick to the car, and now it just looks dirty, even after it has been washed and leathered down!

Is there anything I can use to repel dust/crap from my car andkeep it looking good for at least a week at a time?

Any advice much appreciated.
Old 13 September 2005, 09:04 PM
  #2  
s70rjw
Scooby Senior
iTrader: (2)
 
s70rjw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,013
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by turboman786
I've recently bought a BMW 330ci sport convertible in black.....when I got the car I used Meguiar's claybar, and then zymolled it, and it looked absolutely stunning...

Howvere that lasted about a day, before lots of sticky sap decided to stick to the car, and now it just looks dirty, even after it has been washed and leathered down!

Is there anything I can use to repel dust/crap from my car andkeep it looking good for at least a week at a time?

Any advice much appreciated.
Only ever had 2 black cars and both showed up every mark. My DBM Scoob is not much different and needs poliching after a wash......
Old 13 September 2005, 09:15 PM
  #3  
ALi-B
Moderator
Support Scoobynet!
iTrader: (1)
 
ALi-B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The hell where youth and laughter go
Posts: 38,034
Received 301 Likes on 240 Posts
Default

You've done pretty much all you can really.

except to keep it garaged and don't use it on on rainy days or in winter
Old 14 September 2005, 07:32 AM
  #4  
Leslie
Scooby Regular
 
Leslie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 39,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Wash. wax, and keep it in the garage. Or like me never buy another black car

Les
Old 14 September 2005, 07:37 AM
  #5  
Fulham71
Scooby Regular
 
Fulham71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,922
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Swissol
Old 14 September 2005, 07:58 AM
  #6  
Tiggs
Scooby Regular
 
Tiggs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 9,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Black Galaxy.....more black than (insert any random gag from 1987) yet kept looking fine with a Flash car wash system.

Would ALWAYS own a black car - would never bother with expensive cleaaners again after buying FLash!
Old 14 September 2005, 08:53 AM
  #7  
FlightMan
Scooby Regular
 
FlightMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Runway two seven right.
Posts: 6,652
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Buy this months EVO, its got the AM V8 on the cover. They have an article in there about a company that chargers £250 for s "treatment" but guarantee a spotless car for a year. One of the writers got his 550 done, IIRC.
Old 14 September 2005, 09:00 PM
  #8  
turboman786
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
turboman786's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,458
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Tiggs, how much does the flash wash system cost and how long does it take to wash the car using it?
Old 14 September 2005, 09:10 PM
  #9  
JPL
Scooby Regular
 
JPL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The bastids wrote it off!
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by turboman786
Tiggs, how much does the flash wash system cost and how long does it take to wash the car using it?
Got a black WRX and a Flash car wash system, ignoring the wheels I can clean it in about 20-25 minutes. Spotless afterwards and no streaks. Wheels will add time on to that though.

Bloody well worth it if you ask me. Throw the chamois away forever!!
Old 14 September 2005, 09:18 PM
  #10  
mad555
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
mad555's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 2,432
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Wink

Originally Posted by turboman786
Tiggs, how much does the flash wash system cost and how long does it take to wash the car using it?
Around £20.
Old 14 September 2005, 09:26 PM
  #11  
ricardo
Scooby Regular
 
ricardo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,081
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by turboman786
Tiggs, how much does the flash wash system cost and how long does it take to wash the car using it?
Its about 25 quid for the gun, shampoo and the important bit - the filter.

I don't bother with using their shampoo, I just wash the car with NXT shampoo and a mitt, hose it down to get the suds off, and then the all-important deionized water to remove the hard chalky water. Start at the top and work down, using the fine spray to displace the untreated tap water droplets. It works by leaving only water with no impurities on the bodywork.

No streaks, no water marks. Tinted glass will normally show the water marks like mad, but now the film of water simply disappears.
Old 14 September 2005, 09:36 PM
  #12  
Fulham71
Scooby Regular
 
Fulham71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,922
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I believe there is an activator in the shampoo that come with the kit !
Do you still get it to work without that activator ?

Originally Posted by ricardo
Its about 25 quid for the gun, shampoo and the important bit - the filter.

I don't bother with using their shampoo, I just wash the car with NXT shampoo and a mitt, hose it down to get the suds off, and then the all-important deionized water to remove the hard chalky water. Start at the top and work down, using the fine spray to displace the untreated tap water droplets. It works by leaving only water with no impurities on the bodywork.

No streaks, no water marks. Tinted glass will normally show the water marks like mad, but now the film of water simply disappears.
Old 14 September 2005, 09:54 PM
  #13  
JPL
Scooby Regular
 
JPL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The bastids wrote it off!
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

There's nowt wrong with the Flash shampoo from what I have investigated (not bad for paintwork, etc.) Halfrauds do the system for £19.99 I think which will last about 2-3 washes.

After that refills are around £5 for the shampoo (8-10 washes)
& around £5 for the de-ioniser (between 7-10 washes, depends how much you use).

It's on this BB loads of times if you search, 50% love it, 50% hate it. My car is 1 year old and the Flash system is marvellous.

.... But being black it still looks ****e after 2 days Still better than anything else I know of around this VERY cheap price.

Oh... and you look a right dick holding the plastic "gun" whilst cleaning it... but I do it hiding behind a bush!
Old 14 September 2005, 11:03 PM
  #14  
BOB.T
Scooby Senior
 
BOB.T's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Radiator Springs
Posts: 14,810
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I drive a black Focus, live on an unmade street and the car park at work is all posh chippings! I washed it one day, dried it, left it whilst I grabbed some thing to eat, went back out to polish it and it had turned brown because of all the dust blowing around, I didn't even drive it!

Water marks aren't a problem here, we must have soft water or summat, would this Flash thing offer me any benefits over ordinary car shampoo stuff?
Old 15 September 2005, 01:14 AM
  #15  
Tiggs
Scooby Regular
 
Tiggs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 9,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by JPL
Oh... and you look a right dick holding the plastic "gun" whilst cleaning it... but I do it hiding behind a bush!

heres what i do......bucket and sponge - add flash shampoo, clean car and rinse as i go with normal hose - far more pressure than the flash gun.

when finished i hook up the hose to the flash gun and rinse down with "magic" water.

clean the galaxy in 15 mins....and its fcukin huge!
Old 15 September 2005, 06:59 AM
  #16  
r32
Scooby Regular
 
r32's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Far Corfe
Posts: 3,618
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

First if you use Zymol you need to use their shampoo, only use the one called 'Clear' use very little or you will wash some of the hard applied wax off, before shampooing rinse the car thoroughly. I use an Ionic filter for the water to rinse the car before leathering, in fact its so good you donr need to leather it. Just let it dry.
http://www.ionicsystems.co.uk/cars/index.html

This is the site and these filters are truly mazing........
Old 15 September 2005, 08:17 AM
  #17  
Leslie
Scooby Regular
 
Leslie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 39,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

They always look good just after they have been washed and polished but black shows up any dirt the car picks up immediately.

Les
Old 15 September 2005, 10:52 AM
  #18  
Vegescoob
Scooby Regular
 
Vegescoob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,249
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Was thinking of black for Mrs. V's next car.
Think I might have been put off.
Old 15 September 2005, 11:23 AM
  #19  
bioforger
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
bioforger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pig Hill, Wiltsh1te
Posts: 16,995
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default

Flash system is only anygood if u have soft water. Hard water areas annihilate the filters, and they only last 2 washes before they're useless.
Old 15 September 2005, 01:22 PM
  #20  
Sport160
Scooby Regular
 
Sport160's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: W Sussex
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Have had 5 black cars, very single time I swear never to have another, but......they look so good when cleaned and polished.

Haven't tried Flash system, may have to get one, however a wash, leather, and quick polish with NXT top up seems to do the trick most of the time.
Old 15 September 2005, 01:42 PM
  #21  
JamieMacdonald
Scooby Regular
 
JamieMacdonald's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Bish,Bash,Bosham!
Posts: 2,204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Get it resprayed silver.

Sorry, that's a really useless reply. I think that Flash thing sounds good though so I am going to try it next week - is it on offer anywhere at the moment?

I live on the south coast and the water down here is really 'chalky'. I've always had dark cars and they sometimes look worse after I've washed them!
Old 15 September 2005, 01:45 PM
  #22  
JamieMacdonald
Scooby Regular
 
JamieMacdonald's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Bish,Bash,Bosham!
Posts: 2,204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Just read: Flash £19.99 at Halfrauds. Doesn't sound too bad.
Old 15 September 2005, 02:25 PM
  #23  
G00ner
Scooby Regular
 
G00ner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Poole - in an Isuzu D-Max LE (Prodrive Version) Gamer Tag "Coin Slot"
Posts: 1,485
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Couldn't get on with it, tried a new filter and it still left spots, maybe I'm just in a hard water area?

Got a couple of Meguiars Water Magnets in conjunction with a water blade and they seem to leave virtually nothing, only takes 5 mins to dry the whole car.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Iqy7861
Engine Management and ECU Remapping
22
12 October 2015 09:21 AM
ossett2k2
Engine Management and ECU Remapping
15
23 September 2015 09:11 AM
ossett2k2
General Technical
9
13 September 2015 09:35 AM
blackandz
General Technical
0
12 September 2015 07:01 PM
alcazar
Other Marques
9
09 September 2015 05:42 PM



Quick Reply: How DO you keep a black car looking good?Is it possible?



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:20 AM.