i have a blacn 08 Z. i got it from the dealer brand new with swirl marks all over the place. to compensate, they threw in 3 years free oil changes and a detail job. it looked decent afterwards. since that time 2 months ago, scratches, chips, swirls, marks... you name it and my car has it. from back to front, bottom to top, the black shows every single flaw. the worst part is, every morning ill get to my car and theres something new....


does this happen to everyones black beauties? is there a way i can help prevent this? please help

i knew black would be tough to keep clean, but dirt and scrathes are different stories

 

waissisis. Two...check out the detailing forum.

 

It seems your surprised that a black car shows every single flaw? Thats what you walk into when buy one.

For one, you need to keep it clean and wax/buff it all the time in order to keep it looking nice, and the chips and scratches happen because nissans paint sucks.

 

i love black but it is a full time job trying to keep clean.

If you keep noticing more swirls and scratches, it's due to the way you wash and dry your vehicle. nothing other will cause that. I never touch or wipe my paint with my hand or towels when it's dry. i see a lot of people do this for some reason. They would just use their had to wipe off some dust or something. that causes good amount of scratches.

Try to master the art of washing and drying your car by and to minimize swirls. Don't drive close to cars so you won't get rock chips, etc

 

I use the black turtle wax. My Z had a swirl mark on the hood and some rock chips on the front bumper. The black wax blends into chips and made the paint look really sharp. Try it out, I think it's called truecolor turtle wax

 

yeah , turtle wax sent me that stuff, it's garbage. just another mediocre product.

 

Yeah my mag. black Z is a mess. But it's one of those Good from far, but far from good things. After a good wash and dry it looks awesome from about 10 feet back (especially at dusk). Up close it's a war zone. There is only so much you can do to keep it protected, but there will be that day when out of nowhere a boulder of a stone bounces off the road and takes a chunk out of your hood for no reason. 3 years daily driving the car now I've come to grips with it.

 

Shoulda gone lemans sunset

Swirl marks don't show.
Amazing in the sun
Goes with just about any color.
Hard to see dirt on it.

 

a least for a day........

 

It's cause your not using the shamwow to dry off your car... It soaks up every flaw with one swipe.

 

+1. best color I've ever owned. Although I'm comparing it to black, which is all I've owned previously. After repainting my previous DSM Nighthawk Black Pearl, I used thr true color turtle wax, and used teflon to seal it up. The teflon rocked! Always wash it by hand, never run through an automated machine with brushes. And as previosly stated, don't wipe the car when it's dry. I'd recommend taking it a body shop and having a professional tell you if wetsanding and buffing the car will revove your blemishes, if they will, it's money well spent in my opinion. The rest would be on you from then on out. The bright side, NOTHING LOOKS BETTER THAN BLACK when it's clean. Good luck bro

 

Any suggestions on what the best wax to use is on my black Z? I'm unfamiliar with the different types

 

Should have got yellow, I can not wash it for weeks and it still looks cleans and shines.

 

OP, I to have 3 black vehicles of my own, therefore I can totally understand your perspective but I must say that we could go on and on about this subject all day... What it all comes down to is homework and personal preference whether it is regards to what products to use or how to properly apply them, especially if you are prepping a show vehicle. Have you checked out the cleaning and detailing link on the main page under the maintenance and repair section? There is a ton of good information in there that will assist you with your problems. I have attached a link for you for easy reference... By the way, can't go wrong with Meguiars (I have attached that link as well in case there is any questions as to where to find it...)

https://my350z.com/forum/cleaning-and-detailing-22/

http://www.meguiars.com/

 

I came into this thread thinking I can express my racism against blacks... I misinterpreted the title.

 

man i hate my black, scratches are so noticeable and gets dirty fast and ****. but then again black looks good with pretty much anything/color aftermarket item

 

 

QFT!

i love the way my baby looks when clean, but holy crap, just takes one day of driving to make it look like butt again.

Nissan paint does blow. my 02 Maxima had the same issues with chipping easily, the front end looked like it got sand blasted no matter how much you waxed it.

thanks Nissan!!!!

 

only solution.

my 06 is black. and i park on the street. under some trees.

you dont know pain.

 

There is a wealth of information on keeping black cars pristine in the detailing section. There are also a bunch of other good sites. Yes it shows everything, but nothing, nothing compares when it is clean.

OP: The scratches and swirls are all you. I have a black z and I haven't seen a swirl or a scratch in months. The right products and process, from the soap to the buckets (2 of them) to the towels you use to dry to anything (wax polish porter cable whatever) that touches the car can affect this.

Go here and read everything: http://www.autopia.org/