I want to buy some of the products discussed here. I have a 99 f150 black and want to get some of the shine back( I know I can only do so much).
Are there any kits that I can buy. What are the steps I use to clean using the clay bar to waxing the truck. I'm clueless about what is out there.

 

What is the current situation with your black paint?

Just dirty, or old, or faded/oxidized, worn out, worn off, scratched up, swirl marks, or what ???

Just curious, what city/state do you live in?

Up North or Florida, where you get salt, or out West where you get really HOT baking sunlight?

Any "before" pictures so we can see what you are dealing with ???

Do you want to acheive a rich, deeper shine, or a glossy finish, but maybe not so deep looking?

After the cleaning, what do you want the wax to protect your surface from? Some waxes will do better against certain things, but not as well for others (dirt, tar, oil and grease, brake dust, acid rain and pitting, tree sap, bugs and birdy poop, oxidation, etc.)

You have come to the right place, as RP will eventually see this post...

 

Here's a nice site that has good "how-to's"...

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html

Where you get your supplies depends on if you want "right now" (auto supply stores, etc.), or "not needed today" (online suppliers). I use a mixture of both. I order from www.poorboysworld.com, www.adamspolishes.com, www.chemicalguys.com, and buy some products off the shelf.

I've never cared for a dark vehicle before, so perhaps others will chime in with their recommendations.

Good luck.

 

I live in western New York where they use salt on the roads.
My truck has some oxidiation on it along with swirl marks.
I want it to have a nice shine to it knowing it wont ever look they way it did when I bought it.
I haven't washed it every week , because i'm lazy when it comes to that.

I have pictures but am trying to get them on here so they can be seen. If you know how to do this let me know.
Thanks

 

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?num=11523

I think the pics are here if I did everything right.

 

First, you need to decide if you are going to tackle this by hand, or invest in a PC (the only way to go, imo)

Your product selection will differ to some extent, based on which direction you choose to follow.

either way you will want a good car wash shampoo/soap, and good clay bar kit, some nice microfiber towels, and, depending on your choice for drying, some good waffle weave microfibers (my suggestion), or an absorber, etc.

there are several good places to order online, including complete kits, if you choose to do so .. If you can afford it, the PC is worth every penny.

 

You've already received some good advice from the looks of it... let me add just a bit...

From the sounds of it, it seems as though you may have quite a bit of 'hand' work ahead of you if you're interested in pursuing a 'hand applied' method of application. As was mentioned earlier, it may be worth it to invest in a machine like the Porter Cable 7424 (or Meguiar's G-100). This is a dual-action machine, meaning that the oscillation is in two distinct directions (up and down and round and round). It is often called a DA (dual-action) or PC (porter-cable).

The use of this machine makes application of polishes, cleaners, and waxes a breeze and really cuts down on the elbow grease side.

Now, some folks get nervous when the thought of a 'buffer' is mentioned around their paint -- don't let this bother you with the PC product as it is remarkably safe yet incredibly effective. This is not your average 'buffer' like you may be used to seeing at an auto-body shop or similar (that's called a rotary and, indeed, it can do some damage in the wrong hands). The PC is designed for ease in use, safety in use, and as an overall time saver.

On to chemicals...

From the sounds of it, you're going to need a few different 'flavors' to tackle what you have described. While I haven't laid eyes on your paint, I'd guess that something with a good cleaning ability is going to be necessary to snub your oxidation problem. From there, something with a little more cleaning and filling capability may be used to deal with swirls, fine line scratching, and micromarring. After that, and once your paint is solid and looking good, it's probably time to move on to the protection (i.e. wax) stage. Remember, don't move to the next step until you have the step you're working on in acceptable shape. Further, before all of that, I'd recommend claying the entire vehicle...

REMEMBER - PREP WORK IS 99% OF A GREAT FINISH!!!!!

If you have some specific questions, please feel free to toss them out there... there are some great online resources, like the ones mentioned above, for additional information. Additionally, from a vendor perspective, there are some others that I'd recommend... one is www.premiumautocare.com and another is www.autodetailingsolutions.com -- ADS has some GREAT deals on PC packages that I'd highly recommend that you look at if you're interested in going the machine route.

Remember, all of the above *can* be done by hand but you're probably looking at quite a bit of work. I'm not a big fan of the 'el-cheapo' 'buffers' that are available at WallyWorld stores because they really lack the oompah to tackle tough oxidation and such. They're not horrible for a wax application but fall short on power for more 'serious' removal applications...

Give us a yell if you need anything else!

-RP -

 

Hi Jim from a fellow fireman to another,

As RockPick mentioned, the PC may be the way to go for applying and removing the products from your paint. I just finished this weekend doing a full detail of my truck (wash, clay, polishing, and 3 coats of wax) and it took me about 7-8 hours total to complete. This was done with the good ol' elbow grease. I was doing good until the second coat of wax and then the arms starting killing me. I am strongly thinking about purchasing a PC before I do another full detail, just to help cut down on some time.

Here is the link to my detail post:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=246252

 

I haven't had alot of time to wax my truck since I bought it in April until yesterday. I bought a claybar and some NXT and went to town on her. All I can say is wow, the truck is smoother than glass and the Dark Shadow Gray looks amazing now. I used good ol fashioned elbow grease as well and it took me about 5 hours or so but believe me it was time well spent. Maybe next time I'll buy a polisher though