Swirls scratches on a new 2006 Black Prius

Most people can't wash a black car without introducing swirls. If you don't use (or have heard of) the two-bucket technique, or don't own a grit-guard, you don't know how to wash a black car. One look in a parking lot at all the black cars with badly swirled paint should tell you that most people don't have a clue how to maintain their car's appearance.

The product I would recommend to polish out fine swirls is Menzerna Final Polish II, applied with a Porter Cable 7424 dual-action polisher, and Lake Country polishing pads. Menzerna's new polishes for the ceramic clearcoats on the new Mercedes Benzes will work too, if you can get them.

Waxes tend to hide swirls, while sealants tend to magnify them. Unless your paint is perfect, I'd avoid Zaino Z-8, it's like a defect magnifier. If your paint is perfect, then it will add some extra "pop" to it, but if it's not, it will magnify every imperfection in your paint. For black I would probably go with Klasse AIO followed with multiple layers of Klasse SG for protection, and then top with Pinnacle Souveran for that deep, liquid gloss. You did know maintaining a car with black paint was extra work when you bought it, right?

 

I had a black car, .......... once!

Welcome to black car ownership!

The best part of owning a black car is that five minutes after you have applied three coats of Zaino, and a final top coat of deep finish detailing, and spent an entire day, (or paid $$$$ for someone to do it), you instantly see DUST all over you "clean"car!

Actually, the best part of owning a black car is that four minute period between finishing the detailing, and when you notice the dust accumilating!

 

actually, in my experience, there are 2 best parts of owning a black car.

1. having your car look nicer than all the other unwashed, poorly-taken-care-of black cars out there
2. constant compliments from your friends about how sharp your car looks even if it's due for a wash.

that does it for me