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Choosing the right wax for a black vehicle can be difficult, especially if you’re new to auto detailing and lack the experience to know the pros and cons to each type of wax. There are so many products to choose from, as well as a wide variety of waxes available, ranging from paste to quick spray applications.
Important Considerations for Black Cars
There are a few things to consider when choosing the right wax for your car, such as how often you will be washing it, and how often you plan on waxing it. Almost every wax on the market will help protect your paint, but some will last longer than others, and some will look better than others.
For instance, a carnauba wax is often praised as the best type of wax for a black vehicle, as it provides an incredibly deep, dark, reflective shine. Meguiars #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax is known to provide a mirror-like reflection, and car enthusiasts love the way it looks on darker vehicles.
However, a carnauba-based wax like Meguiars #26 won’t last as long as a synthetic wax like Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax. They both look great, but the Ultimate Liquid Wax will last a bit longer, whereas #26 is ideal for someone who is looking to re-apply more often.
Nothing looks better than a clean black car, but it takes a lot of work to maintain that clean appearance, as black vehicles show every little defect.
Getting your car ready for wax
Before you wax your car, make sure it’s ready! What’s the current condition of your vehicle? How have you maintained it? And how do you plan on maintaining it after getting it waxed?
Automatic car washes should be avoided at all costs, as they are the cause of most visible defects on a black car. Do you want to avoid swirls? Then make sure to avoid automatic washes. Even the touchless ones should be avoided, especially after waxing, as they use enough pressure to strip of wax after just a few washes.
Wash your car using two buckets, so you have one for rinsing your wash mitt and one with soapy water. This prevents contamination of dirt and other debris that can cause minor scratches. When cleaning your car, the last thing you want to do is scratch it!
If you have an older vehicle that hasn’t been maintained properly (at least as far as appearances go) then you’ll want to decontaminate it using a spray, such as CarPro’s Iron X before going over it with a clay bar (we like Chemical Guys clay bar & lube system). Let the Iron X sit for a few minutes, and then rinse everything off.
Now, you can use your soapy water or clay lube to remove anything else that’s remaining. It’s perfectly okay to use soapy water, and if you have a foam gun attached to your garden hose you can just spray the car with soapy water as you hit it up with the clay bar. This saves you money and works just as good, if not better than a clay lube.
Once you’re done, give it a good rinse and bring it in the garage or to a shady area to prep it for wax.
Since your car is black, you probably notice every defect and swirl on it. If your car is older and hasn’t been buffed before, then consider going over it with a cutting compound like Meguiar’s Ultra-Cut, before polishing and then waxing it. This will get rid of 90% of the paint defects, including swirls and light scratches that haven’t passed through the clear coat.
The polishing phase will bring your car’s glossy paint back to life, and the wax will seal and protect it from oxidation and light surface defects.
Our Recommended Products for Black Paint
We have a list of all the best waxes for black paint below, but here is the combination of products that have our vote!
Meguiars Ultimate Compound for removing scratches. This product spreads well and works great by hand or with the help of a dual-action polisher.
Meguiars Ultimate Polish for restoring color and filling in any remaining scratches. This polish has worked magic on many vehicles, and if you take the time to look at pictures, videos and reviews you will find that it’s one of the best polish products on the market – and it doesn’t cost a fortune!
Meguiar’s #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax gets our vote for the best wax to use on a black car. Why? The mirror-like reflection you get from this wax puts other products to shame. It truly brings out the best in a dark colored vehicle, and we know you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Although #26 doesn’t last as long as synthetic waxes, you can fix that by washing it weekly, and quickly applying Meguiars Ultimate Quik Wax (or any other spray wax) bi-weekly to act as a booster and keep your paint protected for longer.
Top Wax and Sealant Products for Black Vehicles
CarPro CQUARTZ Ceramic Coating Finish
Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish Color Enhancer
Meguiar’s #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax
You can’t really go wrong with any of these waxes and finishes. We’ve used them extensively on our customers’ black cars when we’re detailing, and the results are awesome. Just take care to avoid automatic car washes, clean and wax frequently, and protect your black car paint from winter salt and grime. You’ll have that black mirror finish for many years!
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