Spencejah

Dear MBWorld Community,

I have just picked up a new 2013 C63 in black and I had a few questions about how to keep her clean as I am brand new to "hand washing" cars.

My previous car was black, however, it was inexpensive so I just ran it through automated car washes for the 8 years that I had it.

The supplies that I currently have are as follows:

-3 buckets with grit guards

-1 bottle of Meguiar's Gold Class car soap

-1 soap spraying garden hose attachment

-1 spray bottle of Turtle Wax Bug % Tar Remover

-1 microfiber mitt

-1 bag of microfiber drying towels

My questions are:

1. When drying the car after a wash, how does everyone here prevent water marks/scratches during the drying process??

Is there a product needed to dampen the drying microfiber towels, to even further reduce scratches when drying? (like a product such as Ammo Hydrate)

2. On days where I find bug ****, bird ****, or dried rain drop spots; can I use the Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover to fix these issues? What products are used in this situation?

3. What is the point of a quick detailer such as McGuiar's Quick Detailer?

4. I am looking for a good McGuiar's car wax. As of now, what are the top McGuiar's waxes for my black c63.

If anyone has any info to share, please do. Sending me links to other threads with important info will help as well! There were so many conflicting threads though, so it was a little overwhelming. Thanks guys!

CincyC63

1). I use a Master Blaster MB-3 dryer. The least amount of time you touch the car the lesser the risk of marks/scratches. If possible, try not to wash a Black car in the sun, it makes it a lot tougher to minimize spots.

aussie e55

lots of good info in detailing and automotive care section this forum

hyperion667

okay:

1. have a garage
2. have a cover for the car while it's inside the garage
3. never drive the car: ever!





oh, and congrats on the car and welcome to the forums

elcapitan1987

This link should hlep

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...-benz-sls-amg/

_timothy

hyperion.. NICE SIG

ZephyrAMG

+1 Wowzers...

hyperion667

thanx guys, the thing looks good even covered up eh?

khmergod

Im on mobile so I can't see. I'm going to guess it has nothing to do with Mercedes. It's probably something super sexy like Remy Lacroix hoola hoop.

hyperion667

pretty damn close

fly2nite

Depending on how much you're willing to spend, I can't say enough about the CR Spotless system for spot free rinsing and NO TOUCH drying. It's the first product i've come across in a long time that truly is remarkable. Rinse and park in the garage overnight with the door shut, and you'll be amazed. I sound like i'm marketing it, but it really is that impressive.

fly2nite

Let's see some pics of that bad boy, by the way! What options did you go with? CONGRATS on the purchase. The C63 is a very emotional car, you will get your money's worth very quickly. It may not be fastest round a track, but as I told the BMW salesman, I can whip an M3 from a stoplight every day of the week and twice on Sunday, so what do I care about a once a year trip to Motorsport Ranch?

sikm3

I use a Master Blaster but honestly, a leaf blower would work just as well. Blowing the water off the car as much as possible reduces the amount of microfiber towel drying obviously and as such, reduce further any potential scratching. Where there's water left on the paint surfaces, I spray quick detailer on there first and then wipe. The wax lubricant will also help to reduce the fine scratches and water spots.

Bug and tar remover is fine for dried on bug and bird crap. Just remember, this will remove your last step protection so wax the area after your next wash. If you catch the crud while it's still fresh however, quick detailer and a microfiber towel will do.

As far as waxes go, I tend to stick with carnuba....I'm old school.
There are lots of tutorials on detailing posted on YouTube. Some from Chemical Guys and Adam's Polishes are worth putting on the short list.

Clark Kent

My 2010 is black and I am impressed with the results of my Porter Cable buffer, Lake Country polishing/buffing pads and Menzerna polishing products (1500, 4500 & sealant). My car looks good and smells good - just like me. jk

Diabolis

The spray-on detergent dispensers never completely remove particles stuck to the paint. Unless you wet the car first and then wash it with a soapy, soft mitt mechanically removing the dust particles, some of them will stay stuck on the car which is what scratches it later on in the drying process.

After you have hand-washed it, use a good quality chamois to dry the car and you shouldn't have any problems (it is even better than micro-fiber).

Bird5h!t should be washed off right away as it is highly acidic and can eat your paint in as little as an hour or two if you leave it on.

I don't believe in the quick shine 'n' wax stuff - IMHO you'll be better off doing it properly (waxing) by hand once every few months than applying chemicals. Yes, it does take more time but you'll be happier with the results.

MNL ICE

I have a Black one too.... Dirt/dust is easy to take it off the hard part is the visible swirl marks ; )

MishaDesigns

LoL and kudos on the signature

Diabolis

Get the finest polishing compound you can and use a microfiber cloth to rub it in small circles (don't use power tools unless you know what you're doing as you can easily burn the paint). Should clear it right up. I usually do this once a year (in the spring) to remove oxidation, snow brush scratch marks and seal the pores in the paint.