ive got a black max an i want it to get that nice wet shiny look to it what process should i go thru? and what should i buy interms of waxes? im pretty happy wit the meguiars gold class car wash. any other suggestions tho? it is hard to maintain this color but how can i make it look its best today

 

anyone? how are the nxt products?

 

twice a year do this
Wash -> Clay -> Polish -> Wax

Once every week or two you can wash with the Meg's Gold Class, it's a fine wash. I'm using Klasse AIO for the polish(it's not agressive) and Klasse SG for the top coat, it's a polymer not a wax, but I plan to top it with a wax once I get some layers of KSG on there. If you have a good surface to work with that could be a plan. If you need paint correction then you'll need to look into some different polishes before the wax.

www.autopia.org can provide good info on the basics.

Black is the hardest to maintain, congrats.

 

You guys probably never heard of it, but "Honda Pro" works really well on my bike, and the cars. Can pick it up at any motorcycle shop, $5 a can.

 

OOoOOooOOooh i never thought about using the spray-on Bike cleaner on the car...It is quite good at removing grime and bugs, but to clean a max we'd need like 3 cans of the stuff.

 

I follow the clay process mentioned above twice a year for each car - once in the spring to get the winter gunk off, and once in the fall to prepare for winter. Other than that, I wash every week or two, and wax every month or two. A lot depends how much the weather cooperates. This spring and early summer it was constantly raining, so my schedule got lengthened a bit.

Since I bought my Max, for a full detail I have used:

1. Meguiars Gold Class Wash
2. Clay Magic clay bar (wash again after this step if I'm not too lazy)
3. Meguiars #7 polish
4. Meguiars #26 wax

My last Max detail, I tried the NXT instead of the #26. I must say I was very happy with the results. It was very easy to apply and remove, and the shine was outstanding. As I've heard others mention, it smells good too. (I thought that sounded strange before I used it - but it does!)

 

Does your car really look that good in person? Your results are impressive! My car looks exactly like yours, but doesn't have the same wicked nice shine. I get compliments on my finish, but I wish mine could shine like yours.

My biggest problem is waterspots. As much as I try to wash in the shade, drying always causes waterspots on my paint. I'm assuming you just wash your car between monthly waxes, right? If so, what kind of wash do you use to maintain that beautiful shine?

 

wax is your best friend

 

I QEW (http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....t=QEW+tutorial)weekly for my wash, WW to dry and diluted KSG with microfiber to touch up. I wash in the garage with this technique and the water doesn't dry on the car that way. Black gets very hot with just a little bit of sun, so I wasn't having good luck washing in the driveway.

The pic was after my Wash, Clay, AIO, KSG, so it was was in great shape. In person you can see the patented Nissan rock chips in the front.

Here's a hood shot, you can see some rock chips in the bottom of the photo. Nice day that day, good times.

 

i always wash and wax at night because i don't have a driveway. What i do is i first wash with the autodry system, then dry off with a chamois and terry towels. wait for about 10 to 15 minutes to ensure dryness. I then clay entire car with claymagic clay in one hand, lube in the other, and a flashlight in my mouth. Next I use the meguires cleaner wax and spread it all over the car using tiny circular motions. I don't have to worry about the wax drying too quickly on me so i always cover the entire car leave it on for about 5 to 10 minutes then wipe off. Then i come in with a coat of meguire's nxt wax, wipe off and finish up by wiping down the entire car a couple of times with terry cloths to make sure i got all the wax. by then i'm exhausted and go straight to bed and come morning, i bound down and bask it my freshly waxed car's radiance.

you might get some wierd looks from your neighbor for having a lamp or two outside, but they're just jealous.

 

Black is the most difficult color to maintain but it looks good when done properly. The key thing is not the last step product (wax or sealant) but the prepartory steps (wash, clay, polish). It takes some time to remove imperfections such as water spots and swirl marks. To remove those imperfections in the paint, a good polish would be necessary.

Before washing, go over the car and note any defects (e.g. swirls, water spots, bird poop etchings, oxidation). This will determine the kind of polish to use for your particular situation.

 

I did this tonight. I busted out the flashlight and was polishing my car. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy.