sounds like everyone agrees keeping a bm car clean is a PITA but generally also I'm hearing that most wouldn't want another colour...do others colours not look as good when clean?

I currently have a silver mk1 oct and before that I had two others in silver, so now I'm a wee bit bored of silver even though quite easy to keep clean...

I think if there are some basic rules that will prevent swirls then I'm happy

Anyone done the diamondbrite thing? Does it helpor no better than self waxed. And polished?

sounds like everyone agrees keeping a bm car clean is a PITA but generally also I'm hearing that most wouldn't want another colour...do others colours not look as good when clean?

I currently have a silver mk1 oct and before that I had two others in silver, so now I'm a wee bit bored of silver even though quite easy to keep clean...

I think if there are some basic rules that will prevent swirls then I'm happy

Anyone done the diamondbrite thing? Does it helpor no better than self waxed. And polished?

I had mine diamondbrite treated when i bought it as it was my first ever new car....... Externally i think it was a waste of time IMHO as i still polish and wax the car every few months to keep the as new look. Internally my seats seem to have stayed cleaner than others have so far..... Obviously the seats in the Fabia vRS are the hard to keep clean light grey... So in that respect i'm glad i took up the option...... Just not glad at the dealer price i paid.

Personally i think there is nothing nicer than a "just cleaned" or "brand new" black pearl car as the depth of shine is great. This is our third black car in four years..... A solid black IS200 sport & A black pearl CTR and even though they're a pain to get clean i still say they're worth the effort.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Dave.

Black is definitely the fastest & best colour

Current Car Black Pearlescent Octy Estate

Previous Car Black Metalic E30 Estate

Wifes Car Black Alfa GTV

Stepsons Car Black Nissan GTiR

My Bike Black SV650S

Black is the way to go in our family :thumbup:

I love my Black Magic Octy but pain in the rear to keep tidy! The main problem that I see is the fact they have a pale grey undercoat which shows through with every scratch.

Watch SWMBO's handbag / shopping bag they are killers for making scratches.

Or leaning over to get push chair in and out of the boot - I've no end of scratches on my rear :eek:

Jonah

Best of luck with the Ivory interior if its cloth.

Mines a 55 Black Magic with Ivory cloth and its filthy despite trying just about every cleaner around. In fact some of the cleaners have made it worse, just seem to leave stain marks.

An engineer in the Nissan plant at Sunderland once told me that black paint is softer than other colours hence why it scratches so easily. Looks great when it is clean though.

It is true that black cars are harder to maintain when it comes to the paintwork. We've got black & silver Fabia vRS's and the silver can go quite a while longer without looking too dirty.

As a comparison for you i've attached three pictures.... One after i'd polished and waxed the car, one with a normal amount of spring/autumn dirt and finally one taken after a trip to the east coast and back in winter..... The car had been cleaned only the day before!!!!

I know it's a fabia not an octy but you get the idea regarding paint finish.

Cheers

Dave.

BTW it looks so much better with the colour coded grill surround

It just snowed here for about 30 minutes, and it's now melting. I can beat all of these pics combined if I take the car for a drive now.

Dare I say it's only 4-5 hours since it was thoroughly washed and waxed?

I think if there are some basic rules that will prevent swirls then I'm happy

Have a look at some detailing sites for hints and tips - two bucket method, lambs wool mitts, microfbdre cloths - all different to when my dad used a sponge and leather chamois.

Have a look at some detailing sites for hints and tips - two bucket method, lambs wool mitts, microfbdre cloths - all different to when my dad used a sponge and leather chamois.

I still use a sponge and a chamois - I didn't realise that it was so last generation

Bucket 'o dirty water with some washing up liquid in it. An old torn and rock hard sponge with extra grit in it and an old stiff chamois to dry it off. And maybe some paper towel to rub off the bird crap too.

Old Skool!

Bucket 'o dirty water with some washing up liquid in it. An old torn and rock hard sponge with extra grit in it and an old stiff chamois to dry it off. And maybe some paper towel to rub off the bird crap too.

Old Skool!

You mean I'm supposed to put washing up liquid into the dirty water? :eek:

Seriously though, I use one bucket, warm water, car shampoo, 2 sponges (one for body & one for wheels) for cleaning off the dirt (obviously with a change of water between wheels and bodywork) . I sometimes jet wash first but always give it a good soaking with the hose beforehand. I dry off with a soft chamois and a fresh buchet of water.

It's how my father and fore-fathers did it....

Oh yea... washed the car again this morning, then I was looking out the window a few minutes ago. This young couple walked by and kept looking back at my car.

I love BM again even if I had to wash it 3 times in the last 4 days.

I love BM again even if I had to wash it 3 times in the last 4 days.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I still use a sponge and a chamois - I didn't realise that it was so last generation

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Use what ever you want my friend - I spend too much time worrying!

The washing time on this, my first black car, has at least doubled because I take care to ensure it is thoroughly rinsed before washing and then use the two bucket method.

so what's the lazy man's way to keep your car clean without knackering the finish?!

Round here we have some self service jet washes.

It's manual, and coin operated. I generally give mine a rinse with just water, then shampooing, then rinse again and it will keep it decent looking for a while.

And it doesn't burn a hole in my wallet if I have to do this every evening, if I drive a lot during the day and it already is dirty.

Hi

Just to address the balance of all those Black Magic Octys, do a search for threads by me and you'll find some piccies of my Antracite Grey Elegance the day I picked it up.

Glen

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Use what ever you want my friend - I spend too much time worrying!

The washing time on this, my first black car, has at least doubled because I take care to ensure it is thoroughly rinsed before washing and then use the two bucket method.

That's where we differ my friend, I don't lie awake worrying about it.

I've got to say mate I really couldn't be ar5ed to spend any more time on cleaning my car than I already do. I think 2 buckets and lambs wool is getting a bit anul.

This is my third black car and I've never found the way I clean it to be detrimental to the paintwork.