Solid black is one of those colours that you either love or loath. A well detailed solid black car undoubtedly looks fantastic, but needs a lot of tender loving care to stay that way. However, a neglected black car will always look a complete state, with every single little defect showing up from a mile away. Would I have one? Yes, for sure, but then again, it’s in my interests to spend hours looking after my cars! What to do with it then…

The main advantage of solid black is reflectivity; nothing else reflects light in the same way, and it’s the only colour that a true mirror image can be created upon. However, even a mirror image can be made to look subtly different, depending on whether you finish with a wax or a sealant. To this end, solid black can be made to look warm and wet, or cold and shiny. Here’s how (and assuming that the initial preparation work is spot on)…

If you like your solid black car to sport a cold, hard, wet shine, with razor sharp reflections, then you need to be using a pure sealant system to protect the paint. We sell a number of pure sealants, and the finest for this task is Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket. It certainly doesn’t look anything other than cold, hard and shiny, but boy does it give clarity, as the following images show…

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/c2detail/protect10.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/c2detail/protect9.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/fabia0306/fabia1.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/fabia0306/fabia3.jpg

If the above is a little too hard looking for your tastes, and you would prefer a little more wetness to the finish, then Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection is a better bet. This gives most of the reflectivity of Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket, but adds a lot of the wetness associated with good carnauba waxes (however, what is doesn’t do is give the warmth that good carnauba waxes impart, but we’ll come to that in a minute). Here’s some images showing the finish it gives…

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/ctr0406/typer8.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/ctr0406/typer9.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/ctr0406/typer10.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/ctr0406/typer13.jpg

…definitely more wetness, and still razor sharp reflectivity…

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/350zgt4/350z-gt4-zb.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/350zgt4/350z-gt4-v.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/350zgt4/350z-gt4-x.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/350zgt4/350z-gt4-za.jpg

Just for the record, the Jeffs Werkstatt Acrylic Kit gives very similar results to the above on solid black.

If all of the above lack of warmth fails to impress, and you want much more wetness and richness from your solid black paint, then finishing with a carnauba wax is the way to go. Blackfire have just released a high quality carnauba wax designed to sit over Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection to serve this very purpose (Midnight Sun Paste Wax), and first attempts with it have been promising, but sadly we haven’t done any solid black cars with it yet, so no pictures. However, here are a few shots showing the finish other good quality paste waxes, such as Poorboy’s Natty’s Blue, give on solid black. Note the extra wetness and warmth, but the slight loss of clarity in the reflections, which is typical of wax finishes…

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/xtypejag/nattys1.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/xtypejag/nattys4.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/xtypejag/nattys2.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/xtypejag/nattys3.jpg

The final question on the minds of some of you might be; is it possible to create a finish with all of the reflectivity of Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket and all of the wetness and warmth associated with a good quality paste wax using just a single product (note that the Blackfire combination of Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection and Midnight Sun Paste Wax will do this)? The answer is yes, but at a price. Below are images of Zymöl Vintage on solid black; it gives razor sharp clarity, maximum wetness and great warmth, along with an intense vibrancy that makes the paint look like it is shimmering. It is very good, but what do you expect for £1852 a pot?!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/s2000/s2000m.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/s2000/s2000k.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/s2000/s2000n.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/s2000/s2000p.jpg

In summary then, here’s some ideas and links…

Maximum reflectivity, intense shine

Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/menzerna-full-molecular-jacket-protect.html)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/mzu8-l.jpg

Maximum reflectivity, more wetness

Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-wet-diamond-all-finish-paint-protection-protect.html)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/bf3-l.jpg

Good reflectivity, much more wetness and warmth

Blackfire Midnight Sun Paste Wax (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-midnight-sun-ivory-carnauba-paste-wax-protect.html)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/bf12-l.jpg

Poorboy’s Natty’s Blue Paste Wax (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/poorboys-nattys-paste-wax-blue-protect.html)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pw21-l.jpg

Ultimate system for best of both worlds at real world prices

Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-wet-diamond-all-finish-paint-protection-protect.html)

topped with

Blackfire Midnight Sun Paste Wax (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-midnight-sun-ivory-carnauba-paste-wax-protect.html)

or bought as part of this kit...

Blackfire Wet Ice Over Fire Shine Kit (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-wet-ice-over-fire-shine-kit-protect.html)

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/bf14-l.jpg

:thumb:

very interesting, going to have to give that Wet Diamond Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax a go when the weather picks up (If the weather picks up)

willl it be effective on scooby WRC blue ???

I think it will be the product of the year for WR Blue... I've always liked Wet Diamond on WR Blue, but it does lack a bot of warmth, and I think this wax will solve this issue and give a near perfect finish. Full guide to what to use and why on mid blues coming up soon! :)

thanks

I thought Jeffs Carnuba would give more protection ?

I thought Jeffs Carnuba would give more protection ?

I think they're talking about looks though mate, not durability :)

Looks amazing, what is the best products for Silver paintwork?

http://bbs.scoobynet.com/car-care-380/592426-what-use-why-silver-white-grey.html

Thankyou for that, looks like your out of stock though.

New stock should hopefully be arriving tomoro, at worst case Friday, so not too long to wait :)

I thought Jeffs Carnuba would give more protection ?

Aye, it would, but funnily enough it doesn't look that great on solid black; it's almost too warm. Here's some pics of the C2 wearing it, see what I mean?

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/polishedbliss/werkstatt/werkstatt3.jpg

:)

Lol, okay, maybe that doesn't look to bad now I see it again, but in the flesh we didn't like it as much as the other finishes shown above. :D

Fair enough, but its good on red'uns....lol

PB, I've just bought a metallic black car. Its BMWs sapphire black (if that makes any difference). I want to keep this one looking sharp as the last black car I had spent half the time looking like a pile of ****.

Problem is I have neither the time nor energy to spend half a day on it. I'm also too tight to pay someone £250 to detail it once a month. So what I'm after is a happy medium ie get it washed from the local handwash and then I give it a going over with something that should take no more than 1 hour. I would be happy to purchase one of those electrical buffers if that helps.

You might feel that a local handwash won't use the right products/attention to detail. In which case there are a few mobile cleaners around my way and I could ask them to use products that I have purchased.

Sorry to ramble on. Any ideas?

If you are happy to spend 1 to 1.5 hrs every 1-2 weeks on it, and maybe half a day twice a year doing a bit more, would that sound okay? Reason I ask is I can recommend the following routine; it works really well on dark metallics, is easy to follow, and is what I use on my own car because (i) I have no time to do any more, and (ii) it looks great...

---

Wash (ideally every week, takes an hour)

Basic Wash Kit - Basic Wash Kit (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb500wash.html)

Clay (once every six months)

Meguiars Quik Clay Kit - Meguiars Quik Clay (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb100clean.html)

Polish/Protect (light polish every six months after claying, then protect every 4-6 weeks, takes 1 hour tops each time)

Jeffs Werkstatt Acrylic Kit - JEFFS Werkstatt Acrylic Kit (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb505protect.html)

The Prime Acrylic basecoat is a deep paint cleanser that also lays down a tough intial coat of protection; you should use it once every six months after claying. The Acrylic Jett Trigger is a pure spray sealant that should be used to add more gloss and durable protection every 4-6 weeks; the more layers you build up, the better the finish will get. The Acrylic Glos is a quik detailer, and can be used to help boost gloss and lubricate when drying off after washing, and to loosen the residues of Prime and Trigger if you find them hard to remove. Full instructions for use can be found on the above link.

How's that sound?

:)

think it will be the product of the year for WR Blue... I've always liked Wet Diamond on WR Blue, but it does lack a bot of warmth, and I think this wax will solve this issue and give a near perfect finish. Full guide to what to use and why on mid blues coming up soon!

just finished getting the full set by buying the wax cant wait to give it a go:)

anyone got any before and after pics on their black scoobies?

Cheers for all the info guys, im on the brink of buying some gear here, just wanna know if the Blackfire Wet Diamond will have the same effect on the Obsidian Black of the impreza ?

Im desperate to get a good finish to start with, and something to maintain. But so far its not happened.
Did try Jet Seal but its really not that fantastic. Or I used it wrong lol

Yes, Blackfire looks great on all black metallics - Mneame put up some great pics in the last few weeks or so of his results on Obsidian Black with Blackfire products, and the results looked great. Also, check the Evo 5 thread I'm about to post up in the main section... :)

Hi,

I have been spending quite a bit of time on my 2 door type r. It is a fresh import and is in need of some cleaning as it's been stood for quite a while. I have washed the car ( 2 bucket method ) with Meg's NXT Gen shampoo using Meg's Lambswool Wash Mitt on the body and Meg's Deep Pile Microfibre Wash Mitt on wheels and splash guards etc, then dried with Poorboy's Waffle Weave Towel. Car was then clayed using Meg's Quick Clay. After that I used Meg's NXT Gen Tech Wax to polish then detailed with Meg's microfibre detailing cloth. The car now looks very fresh but still not quite happy with the results. Being an older car to the ones used in your examples there are more light scrathes, swirls and marks on the car. What would be the best combo to give my car the perfect finish?

Any tips would be much appreciated.

Stewart

Hi PB,

I'll post some pics of my car tomorrow. I would like to get the best results by hand.

cheers,

Stewart

Aye, best to show us what you are facing, then we can make some recommendations accordingly - full sun or artifical lighting piccies would be ideal. Might be best to start a new thread too, and also advise whether you will using a machine or not (as the choice of polish depends on the method). Once the pics are up, pm me and I'll take a butchers and offer some ideas. :)

If you are happy to spend 1 to 1.5 hrs every 1-2 weeks on it, and maybe half a day twice a year doing a bit more, would that sound okay? Reason I ask is I can recommend the following routine; it works really well on dark metallics, is easy to follow, and is what I use on my own car because (i) I have no time to do any more, and (ii) it looks great...

---

Wash (ideally every week, takes an hour)

Basic Wash Kit - Basic Wash Kit (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb500wash.html)

Clay (once every six months)

Meguiars Quik Clay Kit - Meguiars Quik Clay (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb100clean.html)

Polish/Protect (light polish every six months after claying, then protect every 4-6 weeks, takes 1 hour tops each time)

Jeffs Werkstatt Acrylic Kit - JEFFS Werkstatt Acrylic Kit (http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/pb505protect.html)

The Prime Acrylic basecoat is a deep paint cleanser that also lays down a tough intial coat of protection; you should use it once every six months after claying. The Acrylic Jett Trigger is a pure spray sealant that should be used to add more gloss and durable protection every 4-6 weeks; the more layers you build up, the better the finish will get. The Acrylic Glos is a quik detailer, and can be used to help boost gloss and lubricate when drying off after washing, and to loosen the residues of Prime and Trigger if you find them hard to remove. Full instructions for use can be found on the above link.

How's that sound?

:)

Ive just got a 535 d Sport today in Black, How much for the above tmd.

£101.70 on a next day service. :thumb:

Hi,

The level of info you have provided is very good. Have tried to search and go through to see what you would suggest for Subaru Black Mica paint?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Regards

Victor.

i would use the blackfire range. looks awesome on dark cars.

Black metallics covered in this thread...

http://bbs.scoobynet.com/car-care-380/616986-what-use-why-darker-metallic-finishes.html

...but for me the Blackfire range would be my choice because it does this...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Clark_VTR/Cgolfp.jpg

:thumb: