I do love how she looks when she’s sparkling in the sun, but damn, it’s nerve wracking washing her, I keep finding new chips and dings!!! She use dot be gorgeous, now she’s a 5 footer! Lol

 

Darren, still looks better than my 50 footer.

Dave

 

My 20 footer became a 5 footer by simply polishing the worn paint once my rust repairs were done. Dings and scratches dont matter as long as you dont let the paint fade, craze, or lace. Keep her waxed or use a ceramic coating.

 

I have never "Washed" Nix, only used Meguiar's Ultimate Detailer the night before I'm to take her out and about (directions say it should sit for 12 hours), because she's BLACK and water spots are total Killers of the final appearance. About once a year I do give her a clay bar treatment, which completely rejuvenates the finish.

When I first got the car there were Many chips and dings in the BLACK paint (showing the original yellow color), where the Previous Owner was careless refitting the hood for example, and not careful about following gravel trucks. I found a couple bottles of BLACK nail color (not a perfect match but close enough for small chips at 2 or 3 feet) and carefully cover rock chips as I find them.

This is therapy for me, a time to "commune" with the car and take inventory of what really needs done to keep her looking her best.


(';')

 

AAARGH:
I went to Home Depot yesterday with my XJ6 and someone while loading some kind of wood with white primer hit my car and chipped the paint on the passenger side front fender.
I know for a fact that I parked with 4 or more empty parking spots around me. The dust on the rest of the car was from my lawn service guy. I had left the garage door open. Now, both the XJS and XJ6 has to be cleaned. Fortunately, I have a powerful air blower which I use to dry my cars after washing.
Yes. Keeping a black car clean is a chore.

paint chip and scrape along the top of fender

 

As an aside, how do you feel driving a black car? I have only had one black car and felt that I must have been difficult to be seen as I frequently had close shaves with other vehicles. I soon realised to aleays drive with dipped head lights on even during the day. This was well before the current legislation concerning daytime running lights. AlecG.

 

My first car. Black. 23 T roadster pickup. poor condition. first mod. blue with yellow letters. second od. bsttle ship grey. red trim\\\34 chev. black, red wires.

32 studebker. Black and bsck

85 Fq50. black with silver and blue graphis\Jag. Grosevenor brown. slick when clean. Drought means no wash. just a dust off.
Ayem in thiught nmy dry with blower was original!!1

Carl

 

Just for fu

nm

 

I had a black Peugeot 205GTI 1.9 back in 1988. I vowed never again - sharing @LnrB 's sentiments.

Since then I have had another 6 black cars...... Got through lots of drying cloths.

On a positive note, I was never involved in collision in any of them!

 

We know your pain about the parking lots.
I have a theory (a weak theory, that will never be provable) that most of the dings and scuffs you get in the parking lots is becasue people LIKE your car, resent that you've been able to keep it clean, and impulsively walk 180 feet to your car from clear on the other side of the lot, to "RUB" something aggressively against your car. Pretending of course, that it was "an accidental" contact, and hoping you'll notice the damage later on and get frustrated.

Let's see,... first step to remedy that ding: Pat the Jaguar to assure it the ding will heal.
Next step: drive across the street to Joe Hardy's lawn and garden store, and buy a hammer.
Third step: nip back across to the parking lot, park the car, and BLUDGOEN the person who dinged the car. Calmly drive home.
Fourth step: Have a sip of coffee or tea, drive back to the parking lot within the next half hour, and BLUDGEON the deceased body a few more times while it's still lying on the ground from the first treatment.
Final step: Return home, call the police and tell them they can come and collect you at your home. Touch up the dinged paint with a Genuine Jaguar Paint Pencil while you wait for the police car to arrive.


...What?... Why are you looking at me funny?

 

LOL. Not a Jaguar black. It's a triple black that I had mixed for me. I just may have some left but it may be hard. Car was painted about 4 years ago. I have the formulation though.

 

No Way could you get that mixed in CA!
If it ain't Water Based paint, it can't be mixed nor applied here.
The very Best black has Carbon Black in it, which isn't water soluble. I've never seen a modern "Black" as deep as Nix's, mostly only shades of dark gray.

This is why I'm Very careful where I park Nix!
Never under a tree for example.
(';')

 

I've had one black car, a Lexus LS400. It would always be very obviously dusty at the front end of the car by the time I finished washing at the tail end. I like black for the elegance, but I decided after that it was too much work for a daily driver to maintain the appearance. Can't say I won't have a black car again, but only if its a classic car that stays inside under a cover most of the time and only goes to a car show once a month. As to chips, I struggle with that on the XF with its aluminum hood. Something about aluminum that gets rock chips worse than steel panels or the plastic bumper cover. I've repainted the hood twice in five years. Last time I was going to have one of those clear films applied, but you're supposed to wait three months for it to fully cure before applying the film and by that time it already had a couple big chips so I gave up on that idea. Now when I wash it, I use one of these car wash mops with a long handle so I don't have to bend down and get my face too close to the paint
and I don't wear my reading glasses. That way I don't notice all the new rock chips every week.

 

It’s not uncommon to cross state lines and have a car painted elsewhere. Ive done it several times with my 911, 944gts, 996.1, and an Alfa 164s. What’s your level of commitment?

 

Years ago I had bought a black Cadillac just as the City was repaving the street in front as well as around the neighborhood. I washed that car every evening after driving home, as it would be covered by dust.. This was before the drought. Now I run my dailies through the car wash once a month or so. I use car dusters and waterless car wash products, plus I keep them covered if they're outside. My XJS has been living in the garage for years now, I was extremely careful when washing with water by hand. The XJS is one cat that doesn't appreciate an owner who is careless with water. No more black cars for me.

 

are you selling?

 

Ohhh, I do keep it in the back of my mind to slither across the border into Nevada for a week or two if I Really need good paint, but that time isn't quite yet.
(';')

 

Not here any more. sold decades ago. I think I drove that car in my sophmore year at TWC, now UTEP. It went along with a coupe of the same make and vintage as a parts car. Teh coupe was an OK car. Well, except the wooden wheels were dangeroyuss, and the starter was on it's last legs. Next to nothing was avaiable in parts.

In think the next car was a 41 Studebaker Champion. Nice little car but gutless.