Help! How do you clean up a black Max?
10-16-2000, 06:08 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,112
well..
here.. check this out
https://maxima.org/forums/showthread...?threadid=1866
as for keeping it looking nice... eh.. don't drive it
https://maxima.org/forums/showthread...?threadid=1866
as for keeping it looking nice... eh.. don't drive it
10-16-2000, 07:02 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,014
I'm a Zaino user, but I don't think the choice of product matters that great a deal (though I've heard Zaino does a better job on swirls than competing products, but I don't have swirls so I can't vouch for that...). The big thing Zaino offers is that it lasts a lot longer than a wax. People with black cars with swirls swear by the zaino swirl reducer though...
Also, keep in mind that prevention is very important. Be careful with what you let contact the car. I only use 2 things on my car, first is a california water blade to do an initial dry. Second, I use 100% cotton towels to dry and buff/polish. Don't use the towels you buy at the auto parts store, I know they say 100% cotton, but don't believe it. What I use are the Fieldcrest or Cannon brand cotton bath towels you can buy at K-Mart. Trust me, you can feel the difference between these soft 100% cotton towels and the supposedly 100% cotton towels at auto parts stores.
Other than that, getting it painted yearly would be a good start
I'm actually glad they didn't have any 5 spd black maxima's when I bought mine, I would have bought it and been unhappy...
10-16-2000, 07:48 PM
#5
Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 81
After owning a black 280ZX for 5 years, the best thing I can say is to always wash/wax/polish when the finish is cool. If the paint had any heat to it, it would swirl. Good soft towels and lots of elbow grease, too.
BTW, my max is arctic pearl white. Sweet. Looks good dirty and looks awesome clean. Best of both worlds. Besides, summer is HOT in TX and black would be a little much...
BTW, my max is arctic pearl white. Sweet. Looks good dirty and looks awesome clean. Best of both worlds. Besides, summer is HOT in TX and black would be a little much...
10-16-2000, 09:03 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,835
Use SOFT fluffy towels on the drying and waxing.
I wash my car using a wash brush, and WARM water mixed with Turtle Zip Wax soap. Then, I dry with a California water blade, and wipe off the excess water with a towel.
For waxing, I usually just use a good wax, like Meguiars Gold Class, but other waxes such as Turtle Wax are also good. In fact, I find that the most expensive waxes such as Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino (yes, I have it, but never use it) don't last as long as the cheap turtle wax, which does just as good a job. It's true that the Zaino and Meguiars makes the car very shiny, but I'd rather wax every month with turtle wax than every two weeks with the fancy stuff.
Always use SOFT towels when waxing. I use a terry cloth sponge to apply the wax, and towels to wipe off the wax. I find that non-fluffy towels makes waxing very difficult, so I run the towels through the dryer with three sheets of fabric softener before waxing.
Good luck. I have a black Maxima, and the truth is, no matter how long you spend waxing and washing, the car will be dirty again in an hour. The only thing you can do to keep the paint clean is to park it in a garage and never drive it. I just wash and wax my car regularly to keep the paint in good condition, but it doesn't really bother me if the car isn't perfectly clean all the time.
I wash my car using a wash brush, and WARM water mixed with Turtle Zip Wax soap. Then, I dry with a California water blade, and wipe off the excess water with a towel.
For waxing, I usually just use a good wax, like Meguiars Gold Class, but other waxes such as Turtle Wax are also good. In fact, I find that the most expensive waxes such as Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino (yes, I have it, but never use it) don't last as long as the cheap turtle wax, which does just as good a job. It's true that the Zaino and Meguiars makes the car very shiny, but I'd rather wax every month with turtle wax than every two weeks with the fancy stuff.
Always use SOFT towels when waxing. I use a terry cloth sponge to apply the wax, and towels to wipe off the wax. I find that non-fluffy towels makes waxing very difficult, so I run the towels through the dryer with three sheets of fabric softener before waxing.
Good luck. I have a black Maxima, and the truth is, no matter how long you spend waxing and washing, the car will be dirty again in an hour. The only thing you can do to keep the paint clean is to park it in a garage and never drive it. I just wash and wax my car regularly to keep the paint in good condition, but it doesn't really bother me if the car isn't perfectly clean all the time.
10-16-2000, 09:20 PM
#7
I agree that using fluffy towels makes waxing easier, but I have heard that using fabric softener is not good because that fabric softener stips the wax off. Has anyone else heard of this?
10-16-2000, 09:58 PM
#8
Originally posted by NickStam
I agree that using fluffy towels makes waxing easier, but I have heard that using fabric softener is not good because that fabric softener stips the wax off. Has anyone else heard of this?
I agree that using fluffy towels makes waxing easier, but I have heard that using fabric softener is not good because that fabric softener stips the wax off. Has anyone else heard of this?
(I guess for the purpose of waxing, that wouldnt make a difference.)
10-17-2000, 03:00 PM
#9
I have a black maxima also and I use chamois when drying. I use the Maguires 3-step wax and use cotton cloths to apply the wax and use buffing cloths afterwards. Does the blade that you guys have work well? I was not sure if it would be good for black paint because wouldn't it collect dirt and scratch the paint?
10-17-2000, 04:06 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,014
Originally posted by Eric L.
Use SOFT fluffy towels on the drying and waxing.
For waxing, I usually just use a good wax, like Meguiars Gold Class, but other waxes such as Turtle Wax are also good. In fact, I find that the most expensive waxes such as Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino (yes, I have it, but never use it) don't last as long as the cheap turtle wax, which does just as good a job. It's true that the Zaino and Meguiars makes the car very shiny, but I'd rather wax every month with turtle wax than every two weeks with the fancy stuff.
Use SOFT fluffy towels on the drying and waxing.
For waxing, I usually just use a good wax, like Meguiars Gold Class, but other waxes such as Turtle Wax are also good. In fact, I find that the most expensive waxes such as Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino (yes, I have it, but never use it) don't last as long as the cheap turtle wax, which does just as good a job. It's true that the Zaino and Meguiars makes the car very shiny, but I'd rather wax every month with turtle wax than every two weeks with the fancy stuff.
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