When I bought my Berlina NSX, I figured, black, how hard could it be to take care of black paint? After all, I like washing and waxing my cars, how could black be any different? Hell, if it's dusty, that'd be a great excuse to buy a sixpack and give it a wash...
I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. But I've come to terms with the every-other-day washing and at least weekly waxings. It's ok.
And it's given me ample opportunity to hone my waxing procedure.
So, with that introduction, let me pass on to all who may care, the best way I've found to wax a black NSX.
1) Completely take-down all prior waxing transgressions with dish soap. Throw out the washing mit. Throw...it...out. Rinse the bucket well.
2) Clay bar the whole damn thing. I've never found much difference between clay bar brands. I used Zaino with good results. Others probably work great.
3) Re-wash with some fancy car soap to get the clay bar residue off.
4) Get a smallish (5-6") random orbital buffer and a foam wax applicator. Black&Decker makes one for under $30. I like the smaller buffer: it forces you to go slowly and allows ingress into nooks and cranies. And I work better with smaller tools...
5) Buff using 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze-Dark one panel at a time and remove with microfiber towels (it'll say to use cotton/terricloth but the microfiber work better). Don't try to get away with a non foam applicator. It's named "Foam Polishing Pad Glaze" for a reason...and I'm sure some nerdy 3M engineer knows that reason. You may need more than one application on the hood and front fenders.
7) Apply 3M Imperial Hand Glaze one panel at a time and remove with microfiber towels.
8) Get some Zymol Ebony Black wax. $57 on Amazon.com. It'll last YEARS. Buy your wife something nice too, that way she'll overlook the fact that you have to store your fancy new wax in the fridge.
9) Wax on, wax off then stand back in amazement.
For years I had used Zaino. Then I morphed into something of a Zaino/Carnuba bastard-child. Neither ever addressed the haziness and concentric circling of light that plagued my hood. And sometimes, in the right lateral light, the sides of my car looked freakin horrible. I tried the Zaino version of a swirl remover...worked well in some places but led to quite a bit of haziness in other places. Maybe I wasn't using it correctly. Maybe Zaino's just not the right stuff for black? Who knows? With the above process, the haziness is GONE and the depth of the shine is outstanding.
Uecker
I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. But I've come to terms with the every-other-day washing and at least weekly waxings. It's ok.
And it's given me ample opportunity to hone my waxing procedure.
So, with that introduction, let me pass on to all who may care, the best way I've found to wax a black NSX.
1) Completely take-down all prior waxing transgressions with dish soap. Throw out the washing mit. Throw...it...out. Rinse the bucket well.
2) Clay bar the whole damn thing. I've never found much difference between clay bar brands. I used Zaino with good results. Others probably work great.
3) Re-wash with some fancy car soap to get the clay bar residue off.
4) Get a smallish (5-6") random orbital buffer and a foam wax applicator. Black&Decker makes one for under $30. I like the smaller buffer: it forces you to go slowly and allows ingress into nooks and cranies. And I work better with smaller tools...
5) Buff using 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze-Dark one panel at a time and remove with microfiber towels (it'll say to use cotton/terricloth but the microfiber work better). Don't try to get away with a non foam applicator. It's named "Foam Polishing Pad Glaze" for a reason...and I'm sure some nerdy 3M engineer knows that reason. You may need more than one application on the hood and front fenders.
7) Apply 3M Imperial Hand Glaze one panel at a time and remove with microfiber towels.
8) Get some Zymol Ebony Black wax. $57 on Amazon.com. It'll last YEARS. Buy your wife something nice too, that way she'll overlook the fact that you have to store your fancy new wax in the fridge.
9) Wax on, wax off then stand back in amazement.
For years I had used Zaino. Then I morphed into something of a Zaino/Carnuba bastard-child. Neither ever addressed the haziness and concentric circling of light that plagued my hood. And sometimes, in the right lateral light, the sides of my car looked freakin horrible. I tried the Zaino version of a swirl remover...worked well in some places but led to quite a bit of haziness in other places. Maybe I wasn't using it correctly. Maybe Zaino's just not the right stuff for black? Who knows? With the above process, the haziness is GONE and the depth of the shine is outstanding.
Uecker
