MileHighJC

Fun... Makes for cold hands too!

Just a funny story - my driveway has a non trivial incline to it. Two winters ago, my daughter's boyfriend parked his Jeep on the driveway. His tires were a bit on the worn side.

A couple of hours later, I went outside, and found his Jeep sitting in the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the driveway - it had slid down the driveway sometime after he parked it. Fortunately, there were no other cars or objects for it to hit!

DER KONIG PANZER

God bless you! Black cars look great. If you are like most people on the forum the micro marring (swirls,holograms,spider webbing) will drive you nuts. Most of us that own black cars have sought medical help and medication for the stress caused by the pursuit of perfect black paint. (just kidding) Phantom Black Pearl shows less micro marring do to the deflection of light by the metallic content of the paint. My car is pure black. Any mark is visible. When my car arrived at the dealer they had been instructed to not prep the exterior or interior for delivery. I perform the prep at my home. I must have thousands invested in car care products and equipment to maintain my vehicles. These items would include Flex,Porta-Cable,Griots and Cyclo. I also have most of the Wolfgang,Pinnacle,Chemical Guys, Menzerna,Collinite and Dodo Juice products and many others. High quality micro fiber towels in several colors and types and even a separate washer and dryer for the towels. Most people including myself use a foam gun, and two to three buckets with grit guards to wash the car. A separate wash mitt and bucket for the wheels is a must.Only use high quality surfactants. I use a Metro vac and blow to dry the finish. So, after all that No, do not use a car-wash, brush-less or others wise.This is my eighth black car and second Black Audi I love the color but hate the up keep. my next car will be dark gray with ivory interior if Audi offers an ivory interior. Good luck!

snagitseven

Panzer, Have you tried mixing all your products together in one solution? I read somewhere that it will speed up your total time cleaning/polishing/waxing/sealing/brake dust removal, etc. to about 5 minutes. I also read you'll have to wear a Level A hazmat suit and work on the car at least 300 yards from any flammable structures or most living organisms. A fire hydrant at least 100 yards away manned by a hazmat equipped assistant with the proper wrench and a cel phone ready to dial 911 would be a plus.

keithl

Funny my neighbor had same thing, they Jeep rolled across the street into a neighbors front porch. As to the cold hands, I had a microfiber mitt that is plastic lined so my hand stays dry, the funnier part was as the ice was forming on the ground I had to keep grabbing the car to prevent from falling on my *** as my driveway has a slight incline.

shaf

Second the comment on Rejex. It is a great product, seem to shrd dirt and is long lasting. It work well on wheels also.

goethe6889

Thanks all! Appreciate the very detailed comments. Now, I'm stressed about the time and patience involved to keep this car looking good. I'll have to think about whether it worthwhile doing so...probably not, so will have to look at a balanced alternative. Sure, it cost $68K out the door, but time too is precious no? =o) Regardless, thanks very much!

in2dwww

I had a black VW Jetta TDI which the dealer sent to a detailer for a "armor coating" before I took delivery. The car resisted scratches and swirl marks for about 2 years and it always looked new. I did my own washes, of course. The only time it showed scratches was when I took it in for service at a dealer in another state while on a trip... and they "washed" it with what appeared to be a scrub pad.

Bottom line is that you can do a 3 step polish process on your car to "jewel the paint" and then apply a quality sealant or a coating which can last 12+ months. The time and money invested should help with ease of maintenance. But only if it's done right.

I invested in a lot of products because the top detail guys near DC quoted me $2500 for a complete paint correction on a car they didn't even bother to inspect first. The benefit is that I have an arsenal of items to address anything that decides to deposit or splat on my cars. And I probably have enough of everything to sustain 3-4 cars over 5 years. I probably went overboard!

RandyChicago

Avoid car washes like the plague. Find a local detailer or a quality spot that only washes by hand. Now, I'm going to paste most of a reply I posted before in another similar thread...

I have never owned a black car, because keeping it clean would drive me crazy. I go nuts just trying to keep the black porcelain top of the gas range in my kitchen clean. My girlfriend's car is a black VW, and I detail it for her a few times a year, but otherwise, I let it be her headache (she has said she will never buy a black car again).

All that being said, I used to run my own car detailing business, and I have tried just about every product and application method out there. About 12 years ago I settled on Zaino Bros products as giving me the best results, in both gloss and durability, and I have been using them ever since. This past spring, when my S7 was delivered, I decided to see what all the fuss was about Gtechniq products.

Here is my post (and photos of my car) after applying the product: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2845170

Long story short, I have switched to Gtechniq permanently. I did my S7 with all Gtechniq products, and my dad's A7 with all Zaino Bros products (except I did his glass with AquaPel). I have driven both and washed both for the past seven months, and while I actually think AquaPel is cheaper and slightly longer lasting on glass, on paint, there is no contest; the S7 with Gtechniq still beads water and repels dirt like the first week I applied it. The A7, with Zaino, still beaded somewhat, but not nearly as much. After a 600-mile road trip with both cars, in the rain, the S7 looked like it had gone a day or two without washing, whereas the A7 looked like it had a month of dust/waterspots on it.

You need to clay your car, and polish out any swirls first to get the best out of *any* wax/polish/sealant, but I think it's particularly important with the Gtechniq (or CQuartz or other similar products). More work initially, but it will protect your car's paint and save you time later. Nu Finish isn't bad stuff, but for the money, I would use Zaino, or if you're willing to try a coating, I am very happy with the Gtechniq C1 followed by the EXO.

Randy

60614allroad

I'm also in Chicago, and our Audis are always washed at "We'll Clean"; a group of hand wash/detailing shops. We buy annual memberships ($500/year per car). Once or twice a year we get them waxed and detailed there.

The memberships allow us to get the cars washed as often as we want, and in the winter this is particularly useful given the amount of salt the city will throw down every time it snows.....

Helmar

I had my previous car for 6 years and used a touchless car washe once or twice a week.

I avoided brush washes to prevent spider web scratches and other marks.

I was completely satisfied with the touchless washes, never getting any scratches or marks of any kind. When I sold the car the paint was as pristene as when I bought it.

I don't understand the objections I've seen here to touchless washes.

Can someone educate me as to their issues?

Thanks.

HBH