black is driving me nuts

S

silversx

New member
ever since i got the black lexus ive been going nuts with the paint..



maybe im being obsessive but most people here are..



first i had all these tiny scratches here and there.. it seems like scratches appear out of no where.. if it isn't water spots.. it's something else.. always something!!



i only wash it at home now.. unlike my last car.. i bought all these stuff.. mf towels and sponges.. and waxes.. qd.. so much hard work.. but two hours after a wash.. its dusty again.. sigh



then recently some bird took a diarrhea on my hood.. i washed it off after about a day.. and noticed hazy mark/etching still there.. i bust out the scratch x and it seems to take care of it.. for good i hope.. because i read about the burning power of sour poop even after it's been cleaned.. :nixweiss



i can honestly say im regretting the black choice.. its making it impossible to enjoy the car.. all i can think about is this and that about the paint!! .. i find myself not wanting to take the dam car out of the garage just so i won't get more crap to deal with!!



i should be enjoying the new car!! not getting OCD because of the paint!!!



:(
 
Welcome to Autopia. I've owned a couple of black and they're a lot of work to maintain, but nothing looks better than a properly maintained black vehicle. Just keep reading everything you can on this site and you will be on your way to enjoying that black Lexus.
 
Its all in your eye training. I have a black Infiniti for which I have become totally OCD. I too notice the layer of dust shortly after washing / waxing. But, after driving myself crazy for weeks (like you), I have now trained my eye to look past the dust and realize that from a few feet away it still looks gorgeous and will look that way to anyone else. So, I do my weekly routine, get my 1/2 hour of post wash admiration knowing full well that after I come outside from breakfast there will be a layer on the car. It sucks but that's what a black car will do to you. I now enjoy the car far more then when I was compulsing. If you really want to agonize, envision what the winter will be like with a nice contrasting layer of white salt residue against your beautiful black car.
 
I have 2 Black Lexus...A 2006 GX470 my wife drives and a 2007 ES350....Im a little anal about my cars but dont have a lot of time to keep them up....From doing some research and asking a lot of guestions on different forums here is what I use....I use Prime Acrylic, its an AIO, gets rid of swirls, cleans and very durable...On top of that I use Acrylic Jett Trigger which is just a spray and wipe sealant to add durability....Every day or so I go over the car with a california duster to get the dust off then use FK1-425 QD....After I wash the car i use Optimum Car wax which is a spray and wipe wax....Cars look amazing
 
You're right - black is insane. I have many many clients with black cars - so I feel your pain. And you're right, they seem to be much more susceptable to chemical etching (bird poop, water spot, etc.); I think it must be because the paint gets so hot in direct sunlight, expediting the process/problem. And of course, there are the inevitable scratches - you can only minimize the problem.
 
Everyone who knows me knows well that I just have to use a foam gun, multiple sheepskin mitts per wash that I scrutinized at the shelf before buying, and plenty of ultra soft WW MFs that I pat dry the finish only after spraying it with QD first. Prepare yourself for 2 hours, maybe more, of extremely careful washing. I tend to wash and dry a section at a time.



I QD the car religiously after being driven and I go through loads and loads of MFs to be washed. There is virtually no evident marring on my finish at present and my hood sure does appear absolutely defect free. I'm pretty happy.





Obsessed. Absolutely. Autopia's the home for us folks. :o :D
 
silversx- I know just how you feel. I used to say I'd never own anything but black cars but then I realized that a) life is short and b) I can't just lower my standards and let it go. I sometimes toy with the idea of getting another black car, but I spend (more than) enough time keeping the silver ones acceptable and, did I mention....life is short ;)
 
get out the old CD you don't care for anymore and rub you towels on it to see if they scratch the cd.

If they do toss them for paint use. Interior and wheels only.

Consider washing the car with Optimum no-rinse which I think is easier on the paint, since of course you end up washing a car so much more often. try using a sea sponge instead of a mitt.

Don't detail too often. Limit it to once between washes. The more you quick detail the more blemishes you will end up with.

Try FK 146 after a no-rinse wash. It's a cleaning quick detailer with anti-static additives.

Use your favorite quick spray like Optimum, Z8, Aqua Wax and do a final topping of FK 425 to lock it all in and keep the dust bunnies away. Its not bunk, it works.

And when you do quick detail never touch the paint unless it's wet. Flip the towel after each pass and be religious about this. Back and forth motions are a big no-no.

Also, try and spend a bit more time cleaning your glass (425 is really great here), wheels and dressing your tires. Its kind of a trick to give the car a cleaner appearance without having to clean the paint.
 
racingbeat said:
Also, try and spend a bit more time cleaning your glass (425 is really great here), wheels and dressing your tires. Its kind of a trick to give the car a cleaner appearance without having to clean the paint.
Click to expand...





Yup that's what I do and a lot of Poorboy's S&W for in between washes. Doubt I'll go black again, but if the right deal worked out I could be talked into it. I didn't need any convincing on this one, just thought it would a great color, black on black. :o
 
did I mention....life is short ;)[/QUOTE said:
Why do people say that? Life is the longest thing you'll ever be a part of.



Anyhow, black always looks good, just look at it out of the corner of your eye, because that's how everyone else sees it. Nobody else is going to get 2 feet from the hood, light up the direct sun in the reflection and comment on the slight marks you may have. I haven't even seen the car and I can say, trust me...it looks awsome.



I've had black forever and the only way you'll be happy is to stop looking for the imperfections, because they aren't going to disappear and never come back.



Try to enjoy your black car. :waxing: if you can!
Click to expand...
 
racingbeat said:
get out the old CD you don't care for anymore and rub you towels on it to see if they scratch the cd.

If they do toss them for paint use. Interior and wheels only.

Consider washing the car with Optimum no-rinse which I think is easier on the paint, since of course you end up washing a car so much more often. try using a sea sponge instead of a mitt.

Don't detail too often. Limit it to once between washes. The more you quick detail the more blemishes you will end up with.

Try FK 146 after a no-rinse wash. It's a cleaning quick detailer with anti-static additives.

Use your favorite quick spray like Optimum, Z8, Aqua Wax and do a final topping of FK 425 to lock it all in and keep the dust bunnies away. Its not bunk, it works.

And when you do quick detail never touch the paint unless it's wet. Flip the towel after each pass and be religious about this. Back and forth motions are a big no-no.

Also, try and spend a bit more time cleaning your glass (425 is really great here), wheels and dressing your tires. Its kind of a trick to give the car a cleaner appearance without having to clean the paint.
Click to expand...

May I ask what is FK 146 stand for? I may want to buy some. I do wash my black G35 and use AW and I am real happy with that, but the anti-static abilities is what intrigues me.
 
cobrar97 said:
Why do people say that? Life is the longest thing you'll ever be a part of.



Anyhow, black always looks good, just look at it out of the corner of your eye, because that's how everyone else sees it. Nobody else is going to get 2 feet from the hood, light up the direct sun in the reflection and comment on the slight marks you may have. I haven't even seen the car and I can say, trust me...it looks awsome.



I've had black forever and the only way you'll be happy is to stop looking for the imperfections, because they aren't going to disappear and never come back.



Try to enjoy your black car. :waxing: if you can!
Click to expand...



that sounds like a good plan.. its just kinda hard not to with a new car and all.. im gonna try tho..



i never gave a crap about the paint on my last 2 cars.. and i was enjoying the cars a lot more than i am now :o
 
The worst thing about the black Lexus is they tend to be a single stage non clear coat paint. :( It's rough to maintain. I struggle. I'm getting to the point where I don't have the time to QD my car everday. I'd rather just wash it once a week.



This is my hood after a nice polish of PO106FF/RMG mix



is300-106FF-1.jpg




and this is my white LC Pad:



LCWhitePad106FF.jpg




Sweet results but single stage is rough to maintain. I'm thinking about repainting my car and getting the clear coat done to it.
 
[quote name='manuels_madness']The worst thing about the black Lexus is they tend to be a single stage non clear coat paint. :( It's rough to maintain. I struggle. I'm getting to the point where I don't have the time to QD my car everday. I'd rather just wash it once a week.



Do you know how many of the recent models are SS paint? I've encountered some black Lexus' that gave off some color on the pads...but no where near as much as traditional SS paints typically do...so I was a bit baffled. This is why some of us were thinking that maybe some models utilize a tinted clear coat. Also, on the aforementioned vehicles where I did pull some black off, they did not feel/behave like SS paint through the rotary. And the last confusing piece to the puzzle is that paintscratch.com shows all the black onyx painted vehicles as being CC/BC (though it doesn't mean that they are right).
 
I have several Lexus customers with black paint and I haven't noticed any more difficulty - maintenance-wise that is...I find all black vehicles are extremely hard to maintain.



Sweet results but single stage is rough to maintain. I'm thinking about repainting my car and getting the clear coat done to it.[/QUOTE]
 
My best advice is to apply as many coats of sealant and wax as possible, carnuaba wax of course because it will put to an end any water spot damage possibilites



Black is so lovely, I will be doing a brand spanking new astra very soon, not even the dealership detailers will be allowed to touch it
 
bcgreen said:
May I ask what is FK 146 stand for? I may want to buy some. I do wash my black G35 and use AW and I am real happy with that, but the anti-static abilities is what intrigues me.
Click to expand...



Ha! I've been trying to talk my friend out of buying a black G35 and getting a silver or red one instead. He's not the autopian type at all. But then I saw a black g35 last night and thought I should get one!



FK 146 does several things. After the No Rinse wash it clears away the water spots and any remaining soil you migh have missed, its got allot of cleaning bite. 2nd It leaves the surface slick and smooth. Third it has anti static dust repelling ingredients if you choose not to follow up with your favorite wax either acylic or carnauba. If you do top it with a bling bling wax, most don't have anti static ingredients and most actually ATTRACT dust so I would highly recommend topping the wax with FK 425 which is the same as 146 without the cleaning ingredients which might remove some wax. Most people use as a quick detailer but I use more as a "preserver". FK 146/Aqua Wax/ 425 is my three step after a no rinse wash. Seems silly to use three sprays but each has a different function and sprays are much quicker and easier on paint than rubbing on the paint with a paste wax.
 
Accumulator said:
silversx- I know just how you feel. I used to say I'd never own anything but black cars but then I realized that a) life is short and b) I can't just lower my standards and let it go. I sometimes toy with the idea of getting another black car, but I spend (more than) enough time keeping the silver ones acceptable and, did I mention....life is short ;)
Click to expand...

Accumulators, anything in the current Mercedes line take your fancy? CeramiClear paint may be your answer over to the dark side ;)
 
lucaszcpm3 said:
Accumulators, anything in the current Mercedes line take your fancy? CeramiClear paint may be your answer over to the dark side ;)
Click to expand...



Yeah, I'd like to have a car with really hard paint. Combined with my washing techniques I bet I could go a *long* time with no problems.



I've actually toyed with the idea of getting black again, just to get away from all the silver.



But no, *nothing* on the new car market appeals to me other than Bentleys :( I know that sounds awfully jaded, but I can't stand electro-brakes/steering/etc. or the i-drive-type stuff that all the high end cars have these days (or the looks of most new cars). At least the Bentleys are still "analog"/mechanical, but *sheesh* they cost more than my first house! That's why I've kept my deered '01 S8, even though its repaired-wreck cosmetics are a constant downer (can't stand the new ones that I waited so long for).
 
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