flat6

Hi All,

Just took delivery of an '03 Black/Charcoal E500. After two silver cars, I was ready for a change. It's been a while since I've had to deal with a black finish and could use some help to insure that it doesn't make me nuts. The car was well-detailed at the dealer but I can tell it does not have any significant degree of wax on it. Furthermore, I can see the dreaded ultrafine scratches in the clearcoat.

For those of you that have black, what's your recipe for wash, dry, polish, and wax?

Thanks and regards,

Jerry

mleskovar

Wash with Dawn (to strip wax)...clay...two coats Klasse All In One...two coats Klasse Sealant Glaze...two coats Blitz wax. I do this once a year and put Blitz toppers on every couple months. A more sane approach would be one coat AIO and one coat SG. http://properautocare.com

bmms8

i use zaino....it isnt a wax, but it protects the paint much better, and lasts much longer, plus you can add paints, its like klasse stated above, both are good, but i think ppl say zaino is easier to put on, you can check out my pics, i detailed the car 8 months ago, and the shine is still really good. just go to search and search for "my car!!!" i should be the host, and the pics start on page 6 i believe, its gonna be hard to get rd of the scratches, but go to the detailing forum for more help, www.autopia.com is really good for all your detailing questions

sf49ers79

Congrats on your car... well if you look to take care of your car use zaino.. they clean and protect your car really good

marksatex

I have a black '03 E500 Congrats! You did not mention what black it is, some are harder to keep swirls off. Visit repeatedly the Detail boards, lots of good advice.

I use Zaino- but find many other "Show Car" level polishs and detailers like Klasse and Mequires are excellant.

I wash with good soap always using MF wash mits and a 3 bucket cycle. I also never use a mitt on the tires/wheel that later goes on the finish. Sounds silly but I have it down to a 30-45min wash process.

Main thing is use GOOD MF towels and keep them clean. The folks in the detail forum have tons of good ideas.

Trust me- Having an MB ( Black) with a top notch wash job and no swirls makes my car STAND out at work or on the road. It looks primo! One of my bud has a '03 E320 that is that Platinum Blue and while I like the color also, he just drives it through the MB Dealer wash weekly. It looks like a lot less car than mine...

One last word- Do not repeat do not let the dealer wash it or use a California Duster unless you are happy with swirl scratched finish.