I have an 08 , 5 series black clear coat, any recommendations for wax, have read and seen too much from $10 to $200 not sure what the best choice is.
There is no "best choice." With a black finish you want to clean the paint well to minimize any scratches or swirls before you apply a polish, wax or sealant. I'm an old-school carnauba guy, so prefer P21S or Zymol Carbon for a dark color. They might seem expensive, but a little goes a long way, and a jar can last you over 5 years, easily.
As said above P21s is some sweet stuff, If you want to check out www.autopia.org you will get ALOT of info from there. I personaly am a Menzerna FMJ Fan its a sealant and offers better protection than a Carnuba wax.
I have been using Zymol for nine years. But probably more important than the wax is the type of towel you use. Scratches and swirl marks are more visible on black cars. Use high quality microfiber towels instead of cotton towels or old Tshirts. Wash your car by hand instead of drive-through car washes. Use a good quality wash mitt and chamois or waffle weave towel. Enjoy. Keeping a black car clean is more than a hobby, it is an occupation!
+1 I have used Zymol Carbon on my black cars for years now and have been very happy. Get the microfiber towel and the prewax HD Cleanse and applicator. This cleans the paint before you wax it.
For those of us who have not taken this step before, please explain "claying" with regard to detailing a black car?
claying refers to the use of a quality claybar and lubricating solution. The clay essentially glides over the paint surface with the use of the lube and removes most of the contaminants from the surface of your car. This is very important when trying to get the best results and is often times skipped resulting in micro scratches formed by particles beings pushed over the clear-coat during the polishing and waxing stages
If you like your car to look good claying should be a required step for any color. It picks up tiny particles from the paint surface that are too small to see with the eye. Clay feels a little like Silly Putty and it is very sticky. However, you apply a liquid lubricant onto your car first then glide the clay over the lubricant. It is very easy to do and you will be amazed at the results. Wash your car and rub your hand across the surface. You will feel, and perhaps hear little particles on the surface as your fingers slide over them. After you clay the car it will feel as smooth as a piece of glass. After you clay the car, polish it to remove oxidation, minor scratches and swirl marks. Finish up with a coat of wax or sealer.
Oh towel boy!! Totally agree with all that was said, including ANY of the wax/sealants that were mentioned. My M5 is White and my X5 is a Grey/Green and I use the same wax and clay bar material on both. I always use the finest (grit) clay available as there are different grades. You will find your better/best clay products at Auto Body Supply Stores as they have a wide variety. The Griots and Meguires products are good, as is Clay Magic. I have used them all with great results. As stated, microfiber towels are the trick. I also polish my cars with a fine waffle pad on my Porter Cable DA buffer. This is a huge help and after claying, really brings out the shine and removes the swirls. The trick to no swirls, no matter how you apply, is to keep the application pad wet. If it gets dry with product on it, it will scratch the surface. Moisten the pad with some detailer's spray and that will do the trick. I have moved away from the carnuba products, not because they are bad or don't have excellent results, they do. I am using, as a top coat, Meguires 21. It is available in a quart or bigger directly from Meguires and is the professional grade version of their NXT wax. Again, not cheap, but worth it. Lasts for a long time, easy to apply and remove, very resistant to bugs and bird poop as well as road salt etc. Further, any rubber tire scuffs from the track wipe right off.... If you use it like a kit, the NXT detail spray between washes, and wash with the NXT car wash, it REALLY lasts. This is as close as I could find in depth and clarity in a non-carnuba wax. I also find that only 2 applications per year are needed. Watch out for the K-mart / Target Zymol products....these are NOT the original formulas and will not perform like the "real stuff". Do some research on this...it is out there. Once again, like tires and oils, this is a personal choice...go with what works best for you. Just my opinions.
