First Black Vehicle

mchasteen40 · February 22, 2019

Back in a chevy truck from a dodge cummins, found a super sharp 2015 that is black. Of course all black trucks are sharp when they are clean.

I have spent a ton of time watching chemical guy videos on youtube on how they clean and wax black vehicles to prepare myself, i'm just curious how some of the guys on here keep the black vehicles clean. I'd like to wash it this weekend and now i'm super paranoid i'm going to hurt the paint after watching all those videos. LOL, i know a truck is a truck and i use it for the intended purpose, but i'd like to keep this truck in great condition for years to come.

Just looking for pointers and some of the products you guys would recommend to get me started..

ammoaddict · February 22, 2019

Well... I was hoping you would get some replies. I got my first black truck last November, 2018 Sierra 1500. I've only washed it once and didn't dry it and it looked like crap. We've had so much rain here I haven't had another chance to wash it. I have since bought some microfiber towels to dry it with but I think I'm gonna try to dry it with my backpack leaf blower first and see how that works out. I too have researched about black vehicles and washing with the 2 bucket method seems popular, I will try that too.

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RPOD71 · February 26, 2019

I was a first time black vehicle owner and also my last lol. Not technically black, I had a 14 LT in tungsten metallic, until last July.

It was a labor of love trying to keep it clean. I'd hand wash (meguiars gold class soap), two buckets, one for soap other for rinsing the mit). I'd clay bar probably 3 times (spring, summer, fall). Wax, I forget what I used, but I waxed more than I wanted to because hand washing didn't seem good enough.

So I took a flyer on that F11 stuff FB kept advertising. It changed my routine for the better.

I'd wash, dry, F11 on like a Monday, stayed clean for days. Sometimes I'd do a quick F11 without washing first (unless it was completely filthy). I didn't feel comfortable using it on dirt lol, like they advertise.

I am OCD about my trucks appearance and I never got the dreaded swirl marks anywhere. I'd still clay bar every season, but I never used wax again.

Still don't with my white diamond 18 SLT.

I know it's probably not the tips you were looking for, just my personal experience with dark paint that is a chore to keep clean.

mchasteen40 · February 26, 2019

So last night i attempted my first wash, brisk 23 degrees in central IL. Just wanted to get the salt off, bought a wash mitt from chemical guys.

Washed truck on the wash setting, sprayed off with rinse, repeated another wash setting and then hand washed with wash mitt, cleaned the mitt 4 times (front, side, back, side). Dried the truck off, truck isn't perfect by any means, but it looks somewhat clean for the 30 minute quick wash i gave it and i didn't notice any added swirl's from the wash.

Hopefully spring will show up one of these weeks and i can try out the foam cannon and the two bucket method.