Turtle Wax - Black Box

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Has anyone tried this stuff?

[Grim1ock77]

I have used it on my black box and it worked pretty good. I think the biggest benefit is that you don't get the little white streaks around door, trunk, and lights that sometimes become visible using a traditional wax. Overall I was pleased with the kit and probably purchase it again when I run out.

[black_box]

I used it for a year til I ran out of product. I would not buy it again and I'll tell you why...

It is a very labor intensive process if used according to the directions (wash, prewax cleaner, wax, detailer, buff), but it does make the car look good. Additionally, since the wax itself (not the spray) is still carnauba based, though, and will leave haze on any non-paint parts it touches, unlike a synthetic.

What it does not do, however, is color correct any scratches or chips in the paint. Before I had the paint fixed up, I had several small chips where the white or blue primer underneath could be seen. This product had no effect on them.

What it did stain, however, were my hands. even after using permatex degreasing hand cleaner, the crevices of my fingers aand under nails were black! Took several nailbrushings to get rid of that...

The Black Box IMHO, is a gimmick. It's a quality wax kit that's dyed black, but didn't give me any benefits overall vs. other traditional wax products. After using that, I switched to using Turtle ICE spray wax and detailer, which are fully synthetic. It does not haze on rubber, and can be used on every surface --- I put it on paint, glass, rubber, wheels with good effect.

[Atomicblue99]

I used it on my previous car, a Black 93 Miata. It did a great job on the paint and made the old girl look better than any product I'd previously used. It did a good job of correcting small imperfections. Black is a hard color to keep looking good. In my opinion, this product helps.

[tonycarreon]

agree with the above posters. it is a little bit of work (not as much work as some people spend on washing, waxing, clay bars, etc), but in the end it's worth it.

[BYprodriver]

I use the Turtle Wax Black Magic Polish. It works great for cleaning & shining dark colors to look like a mirror. Works better & safer than clay bars & temporarily fills chips.
I then drive a couple days & re wash the car & wax with Mothers pure carnuba paste wax for long lasting protection.

[Perfectlap]

all the same stuff. It's down to the claying, de-swirling, and polishing. Wax is just like adding a magnifying glass. The only real difference in waxes are between synthetic waxes that last more than a month or more expensive "bio" waxes with more pure carnauba that have a wetter shine but get dirtier faster and fade after a week or two in the elements. I don't even use a paste wax anymore, some products like Griots Carnauba spray wax have just enough carnauba to give a wet shine. Which means less rubbing on the paint vs. a paste wax - a good thing.

I could prep two cars equally, lavish one with $100 boutique brand carnauba wax and another with over the counter Turtle wax and only a very well-trained eye could tell the difference, even on black.

[black_box]

On a side note -- after coming from a triple black car, I am loving the Arctic Silver! Not as flashy, but damn near impossible to tell whether it's straight out of a rainstorm or freshly waxed, except the wheels, which get filthy!

I used to wash my black car nearly every time I took her out of the garage!

[OHBoxsterS]

Granted, I have an Artic Silver Boxster S, but I love this Maguire's sealant. I've applied two coats a few days apart, washing before the second coat. This stuff is amazing. I see no reason to use anything else.

I apply the sealant by hand. Easy on. Easy off.

I tend to use mostly Maguire's product. Readily available, and not expensive.

Here's a link for the sealant, if interested:

Meguiar's (MEGM2016) Polymer Sealant 16 oz. # M2016

http://www.meguiars.com/en/professional/products/m2016-polymer-sealant-16oz/

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by black_box

On a side note -- after coming from a triple black car, I am loving the Arctic Silver! Not as flashy, but damn near impossible to tell whether it's straight out of a rainstorm or freshly waxed, except the wheels, which get filthy!

I used to wash my black car nearly every time I took her out of the garage!

black is not a color. It's a job.

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by black_box

except the wheels, which get filthy!

Give the Armor All Wheel Protectant a try. Great results here.

[Perfectlap]

For tires I use Griots tire dressing to keep the rubber from drying, which also makes it harder to get 'caked' in road grime. Then for a dark matte finish I've been using this Surf City Tire dressing from Pep Boys or Autozone on top. It has a blueish color when you spray it. The Armor All tire foam is not bad either but runs out quickly.

A good trick to cut down on the paint rubbing with constant washing is to simply clean and dress your wheels, tires, and clean the glass and windshield.

[Vista glass]

I tried it and the product worked as advertised. It cleaned up a lot of neglect from the PO. My avatar photo is of the day I used it. After applying black box I started using ICE to maintain and it works great. Ice alone did not revive like the black box can. Wear gloves as advised by black box.

[Perfectlap]

Any product that requires you to wear gloves...I'm not so sure about. A basic polish doesn't need a dying filler. I would suggest simply using Klasse All in One. Or Werkstatt Prime. Or if you are really in a rush and absolutely must detail the car today, 3M polish from Autozone or Pep Boys.

I have personally used all of these on a black car and leave the paint as clean as you can get it by hand. However with the 3M you'll have to use step 2 and 3 since its a more budget type product split up into stages to reduce cost. A decent sealant as a follow up, like Griot's (sold at Autozone), should fill in all of the etching that refracts light as swirls in sunlight or under street lights. But its only a temporary solution like this Turtle Wax product. The swirls will return when the filler has dissipitated with rain and heat. To really cure neglect you'll need to get out the Porter Cable or Flex polisher and spend a solid hour moving very slowly to grind down the clear coat to one depth all around.

also, if you want to keep a black car swirl free, don't use autostore microfiber towels. Those are nothing more than rebranded janitorial towels used to clean linoleum floors -- hence the prickly hooks, total overkill for a well maintained Porsche. If you must touch the paint to remove polish and sealants, get a quality towel from autogeek.net or Pakshack. For regular maintenace like quick detailing and quick waxing, use a long nap towel like the Griot's blue and green towels (no hooked ends).