Just got a black 2.0T and want to keep the swirls out. After I wash with a good auto shampoo what do I do next? Polish then wax? What are good brands to use? I want her to shine on! Thanks.

 

Steve, congratulations on your new car purchase. Maintaining a black vehicle can be difficult without the proper tools and equipment, but when it is done correctly, nothing looks better than a black vehicle.

First thing you should do is invest in some quality washing and drying tools. This is where a majority of imperfections such as swirl marks, water spots, and light scratches come from. You'll want to invest in a quality automotive shampoo, a couple of paint safe wash mitts, some quality waffle weave drying towels and a Grit Guard insert. IMO, along with a hose, two 5 gallon buckets and some water are the essentials to properly washing you vehicle while minimizing adding imperfections.

I usually recommend using a clay bar even on a new vehicle. This will ensure that you completely remove any contamination that may have accumulated on the surface during the delivery and transit of the vehicle. If the car was on a truck, train or boat at some point, there can often be rail dust and other stubborn contamination stuck to the surface. Not only will the clay bar remove the stubborn contamination that was not able to be removed during the typical wash phase, but it will also properly prep the surface for applying your next step, which could be a polish, sealant or wax. I'd recommend the Clay Magic Fine Grade Clay along with Poorboy's Spray & Wipe as your clay lubricant, which you can dilute 1:1 with water to help your purchase go further.

After claying your vehicle, if there are no surface imperfections that need to be polished out, you can go right to a sealant and / or wax. A great bang for the buck combination of sealant and wax for black paint is Poorboy's EX-P topped with Poorboy's Natty's Red Paste Wax. Both of these products are easily applied with a foam applicator pad and removed with a quality all purpose microfiber towel.

This covers your exterior basics, if you'd like me to recommend anything for your wheels and tires, interior or glass care, please do not hesitate to ask.

Once again, congrats on the new car purchase, enjoy!

George

 

Thanks for the info, I am really particular when comes to keeping my car looking new so I will use this info. It sounds like a good bit of work but thats the price for wanting black paint I guess. Thanks again.

 

A lot of work, but wait until you're done. You'll be amazed at the results.

 

Hey, I just bought an "Quartz Gray" (silver) w/ black interior a4 and i was wondering if the same info stated above applies to keeping a silver one clean. Also can you go over keeping the inside clean? thx!

 

So I dont have to polish if everything looks good after the clay bar? I can just go straight to waxing?

 

Yep, the same products and process would apply to a silver vehicle as well. One of the benefits of the new Natty's Red is it looks great on both light colors and dark colors, where as Natty's Blue was specifically formulated for darker colored vehicle.

As far as the interior goes, on a new vehicle, this is what I'd recommend.
[ul][*]303 Fabric Cleaner - diluted to 8:1 for an all purpose vinyl, rubber, carpet, plastic, leather cleaner[*]303 Aerospace Protectant - UV protection for vinyl, plastic, coated leather and rubber surfaces[*]303 High Tech Fabric Guard - typically use every 2 months to help prevent stains on my carpets and floor mats[*]Plexus - I use this on my guages, stereo faces, nav screens b/c I like its anti-static properties on plastic[*]Leatherique Prestine Clean and Rejuvenator Oil - usually give a treatment of PC once a season and RO my seats at least once a year. These are argued to be some of the best leather care products available.[*]Stoner's Invisible Glass - great foam based cleaner that's safe on tint... I typically end up using a few microfiber towels[*]Baking Soda - every so often I'll leave a plate of baking soda in my car overnight to help absorb any odors from food, pets, etc.[*]Vac 'n Blo - I think this is a great portable vacuum that is lightweight, easy to maneuver and has attachments that go down to the size of a pencil eraser and has tiny bristles on it. It also doubles up as a blower which makes it easy to clean and blow out those hard to reach areas, pushing the dirt onto the carpets to clean when you vacuum.[*]Carpet Brush - an essential tool when cleaning stains on carpet[*]Spray bottle of hot water - Hot water can help break up stubborn stains, especially on carpets. A carpet cleaner, spray bottle of hot water, firm bristle brush and a wet / dry vacuum is a cheaper alternative to a professional carpet extractor. Another good use of the spray bottle is to properly dilute the 303 Cleaner that is concentrated.[*]A dozen or so Microfiber Towels[*]Beverage of choice
[/ul]That's my arsenal I keep handy for my interior cleaning. Let me know if you'd like me to go in any more detail with what I mentioned above.

George

 

I just clayed/polished/waxed my car the other day and its amazing how great it looks over just a wash or just a wash/wax. The clay bar shows you how much crap is still on the car even after a double hand wash!