Should we have a separate DETAILING forum?

Here in "general" is fine.

 

How about starting with black?

Last black car I had was '88 750il (Team Limo). Loved that car- it did just about everything right but the black was a major PITA to keep looking nice. Also had a black '87 911. Both looked great when clean and polished. "When she was good she was very, very good but when she was bad she was horrible." I swore I'd never get another black car and haven't. Now I'm looking at a very nice car for my wife but it's BLACK.

So how do you all keep up with your black cars? I mean, not all Ferraris are red, right?

 

Amd Mike is "numero uno" here on Fchat for detailing answers.

So, post away.

DM

 

I know your pain, right now I a 575, 745i, and a Cayenne Turbo all black. The detailers around here are terrible and I have to do these cars myself. I just bought a De-ioniized water system from a place call CR spotless, so I can line them up all wash them a just let dry (no water spots). My warehouse guys told me it came in today, if anyone is interested I'll let you know how it works when I use it. I use alot of different products on my cars, and I think a detail area might be a good idea.

 

Black 348 here. MAJOR, HUGE, EPIC, BIBLICAL PITA to keep shiny.

Everybody uses their own preferred stuff. For me:

Meguires wash
Griots Clay
Meguires NXT
Griots speedshine, leather care, rubber/vinyl dressing
Stoners Invisible Glass

 

Sunny (JaguarXJ6) is the MAN.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2620

 

Some guy, I think he was a fireman, told me they used a bit of kerosene in the final rinse water for the red fire trucks so I tried that on the 750. I am here to tell you it really worked. I just washed as usual, hosed off the car wash soap, went over it with clean water with a little kerosene in it - think I used an old cotton t-shirt for that part - then dried it with a chamois. Looked gorgeous. But every day... the dust. Got so obsessed I was dusting the damn thing every night when I got it back in the garage. Same thing with the p-car. Finally gave up and have had all white cars ever since. Hose 'em off every couple months whether they need it or not.

 

I second the suggestion!!! I think it would be better if it were it's own category as opposed to being lumped into the general section. (That's just my opinion)

 

For general detailing stuff, be sure to read my FCA Concours & Detailing Tips articles. There's an archive of most of the past ones at www.fca-se.org/concours.htm

 

A full forum devoted to detailing fanatics: http://www.autopia.org

 

Yes yes yes please please please. Mike Charness' series is excellent, and Autopia is a useful link BUT ... I know I have a couple of Ferrari-specific questions. I nominate Mike to be the moderator.

With regard to black, my Porsche 993 is triple black. It's jaw-droppingly gorgeous when clean, but hard to keep that way. Here are a few practical tips:

1. Never buy a black car.

2. If you bought a black car, see if you have the receipt. Sometimes there's a "cooling off period" and you can return the car.

3. Move to San Diego, LA or someplace with weather at least that nice. Transport the car in a coccoon in an enclosed truck. Also remember to move your wife and children, and furniture and things.

4. Have the car professionally detailed while you are out of town. When you return to town, inspect it in a dark garage with a 40-watt bulb only. Avoid quality 40-watt bulbs. If you find a used 40-watt bulb in a lamp at a Salvation Army Store, this is a good one to buy. (Do NOT mention that you need it to inspect your black Ferrari or you may pay $80 or so for the used light bulb.)

5. Do not look at the car during the day. Drive your white or silver car during daylight hours. Just like black suits are evening wear, think of your black car as your evening automotive-wear.

6. The only cloth that will ever be soft enough to use anywhere near your black car is your first undershirt (ideally), or least one from junior high school or earlier. This will have become incredibly soft, almost frictionless. Do NOT make a foolish beginner's mistake and touch the paint with it. To use it properly, jam it in the back pocket of your all-cotton shorts while you are inspecting the professional detailing job that was done while you were out of town. If you need to bend down to stare into the micro-hairlines that the professional detailer left in your car, use the undershirt as a breath mask. The mist from your breath will create spotting on a black finish.

7. Avoid parking in these places, which pose a risk to your black paint or to your sanity while inspecting your black paint:

(a) In full direct sunlight
(b) Under a tree
(c) Under a parking lot lamp
(d) In a garage with fluorescent lighting
(e) In a garage with an opening door (lets dust in)

8. Safe places to park your black car:

(a) Ferrari dealership. (Make sure you keep a copy of all consignment paperwork.)

9. Avoid following these types of vehicle that are especially prone to cause visible damage to the front of your black car:

(a) Construction vehicles, especially concrete mixers, flat beds, and dump trucks
(b) Wide-tired cars such as Corvettes, Vipers, Porsches and Ferrari's, which tend to throw up minor road debris and stones. BMW and Mercedes are also risky due to their performance-oriented rubber.
(c) Domestic cars, such as Ford, Chrysler or GM products
(d) SUVs and pickups
(e) Asian cars
(f) Motorcycles
(g) Bicycles fitted with aggressive tires, especially mountain bikes
(h) Raz'r scooters

10. If you plan to keep your black car for an extended time, protect it by sanding all the original Ferrari black paint off and storing the dark-colored powder in a can. Prime and paint entire car in another color, such as white or red. When you sell the car, be sure to mention that the original paint is included and is stored in the front boot.

JW

 

ROFLMAO!!!!

 

Perfectly normal!! Hey if you don't want to give it one last stare ... get a white Honda.

I only use car covers within a day or so of washing (the car), and only if the car's going to be parked outside in direct sunlight for some time.

One thing that helps is to make sure you fold the cover per the instructions and NEVER drag it across the finish. Fold each side inward till you have a strip of cloth running the length of the car on the roof and then carefully fold that.

Sports cars are a lot easier to cover than SUV's, so this isn't much extra effort.

 

I'm merging a recent thread with this one so we can have replies AND the poll in one place for now...

 

Good call, Mike.

BTW, I hope to see a favorable and sizeable response for a detailing forum.

 

If the poll is of good size and favorable, I'll present the results to Rob in the Moderator's forum if he doesn't run across it here.

Mike

 

YES

 

hey bullfighter....as a frustrated owner of a triple black 348 spider I found your post priceless!

 

NO!

UM, MAYBE!!

ERR, YES!!!

I am really not sure on this one. There are entire websites, loads of them, devoted to this topic.

Detailing wanders in and out on FerrariChat. There's a thread now and again, but when I want to know what the latest and greatest is, I ask Michael or I go to www.autopia.com and wander around there for a half hour or so.

I'm afraid that it would end up a dialogue and picture section about how shiny one guy's car is vs. another guy's car and a list of all of the stuff he used to get it that way.

But, I could be full of it.

DM

 

Absolutely. Sunny's contributions are also priceless. But, as far as I know (and i base this not on any self-proclaimed expertise but only on my experience), much of the process leading to success is about technique, rather than product. And, it is extremely labor intensive. There are almost no magic bullets. But i would be fascinated to discuss the relative merits of old 100% cotton vs. microfibre, what can be accomplished by hand-polishing without the aid of a machine, etc.

 

Usually when detail posts arise, you get an answer for every product on the shelf. This should be interesting how it all comes together.



___________
You are not a detailer, until you have mastered the black finish

 

Yep - that's what I would want. After reading a thread about someone getting water in their dist. cap(s) when rinsing their car, I realized that I could stand to be a little smarter before I use my "Niagara Falls" technique of rinsing off the loose dirt. Worked OK on the Honda...

Thanks. Well at least we have soft tops that aren't going to scratch...