I knew when I bought this car, that black paint was hard to keep nice. After learning a LOT about paint care over the last few years, and figuring out that I actually find it really relaxing to detail my own cars (better than golf!!), I decided that I would give non metallic black a shot on a small car. I have learned a few MORE things in the last couple of months since I took that plunge.

1) Swirls and surface scratches actually appear in black paint while it sits in a closed garage over night.
2) I need to keep more polishing supplies in my personal inventory.
3) I'm also going to have to build quick detail spray into our household budget.
4) I had no idea how much dirt gets on a car in one ride to work and home! It's just 9 miles each way! Black paint however, makes it ABUNDANTLY clear to me, how dirty it actually gets.
5) I used to think my cars were clean and swirl free. Apparently, ignorance really IS bliss!
6) I should just give up now. I will NEVER have a clean car.

The only thing that has allowed me to remain sane (I acknowledge that all things are relative!), is that I realize that most people never see my car in the harsh light of my florescent garage lights. They (present company excepted) would never see what I see. At least I hope not. That might well become lesson #7.

What an idiot!

 

From whence did they come? Just how did the swirls and scratches get in your finish?

 

@ bclexus... I swear a fly walking across my last black suv paint would leave swirls, LOL.

@ Woody... Besides needing Quick Detail spray by the gallon, consider a product like Meguiar's D156 Synthetic XPress Spray Wax (a wowo spray sealant) which helps in hiding minor swirling and reduced dust attraction for several days. My last black car looked really nice about 10% of the time, seems like 90% of the time it looked grey from dust accumulation, LOL. Been there, done that and now I am happy with a Nebula Grey color choice. I'm too busy (and too old) to be detailing my vehicles daily. I'm done with black.