I got a black 2011 GT in early January and because of the weather and being busy it has mostly sat in the garage. This week the weather has been decent and i had some free time so i decided to give her a wash. I used a new microfiber mitt to wash, a waffle weaved towel to dry, and a microfiber towel to get rid of water the waffle weaved towel didn't pick up. After i washed her i took a few pics and decided to go out for a drive. When i came back it was mostly dark but i noticed a few water spots so i wiped them away with the microfiber towel. The next day i went out and noticed little scratches on the clearcoat all over the car. I have looked over the towels and mitt and they all seem smooth to the touch. I also washed another vehicle and there are no scratches on it at all. While doing some searching i came across another thread on this forum with people saying the same thing.

https://themustangsource.com/f726/i-...swirls-492312/

Will the 3M Finesse-it product mentioned in that thread take care of the issue? This is pretty disappointing. I have maybe driven the car a 100 miles total. I have tried taking some pictures but you can't see the scratches. It's like looking into a mirror. I will try to take some tomorrow that hopefully show what i'm talking about. As mentioned in the thread above, artificial light makes it stand out a lot more than natural.

I tried some Meguiar's Swirl Remover as i read on another forum that can help. But it doesn't seem to do anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I went to the Detroit autoshow in January and saw the same thing all over the black mustang they had there. Decided at that point I was going to go with sterling gray (there was a sweet gt500 there in SG, no swirls or scratches). When i went to place my order later that week I found out sterling gray was not being offered anymore. Due to this, I ordered a black one but have been scared and somewhat doubting my decision ever since because of what I saw at the autoshow. I've never owned a black car before and I really hope this isn't a characteristic of black cars.

 

Unfortunately black shows everything

 

Does the clearcoat scratch easily?


Yes!

 

That's the thing about black cars, they will show EVERYTHING!
The only thing I recomend is buying a very good machine wax kit, I prefer paying someone to do it every 3-4 months to take out the swirls. While most of them come out there are still some light stratches that will not go away. But at the end of the day you still have an amazing car and just enjoy the heck out of it.

 

I have scrached my old black truck with my fingernail one time. Black just sucks and shows every single scrach...

 

i got the dealer installed scratch option also
very disapointed in my black paint.I have been concidering reclearcoating it.
I got a leaf blower to dry the car off after I hand wash it with a baby diaper.
I wax with baby diaper and meguirs.remove wax with microfiber towel been able to clean up some of the marks that the dealership donated to me. but I want it to be better.

 

I just walked outside and looked very closely over my Tuxedo Black Taurus, and you have to look very, very hard to see any scratches. Maybe because of all the flake... but I haven't been overly careful with it. When I wash it at home I use a microfiberr mitt, blow dry with the leaf blower and follow that with a damp chamois. Meguiars applied with a foam pad and wiped with micro fibre towels. I've washed it at the car wash with the foam brush (gasp!!) a couple times, so I'm REALLY surprised to see no scratches.

I also took a good look at the black vinyl stripes on the Mustang. They show scratches a little more, but not nearly as bad as I would've thought (with the same wash/wax materials... but no foam brush at the car wash).

 

Black is not a color, it is a part time job...

FWIW, I've owned a few black cars over the years and the 2011 Mustang is about the same when it comes to scratch resistance (or lack of it).

The trick is to wash/dry the car properly, and resist the urge to "dust it off" or wipe it down with quick detail sprays. If you are not doing a proper wash, just leave the dust on the car...

All microfibre towels are not created equal. Test them on a CD and see if it scratches the CD. Buy only top quality MF towels and clean them properly. Wash the car with more suds than you normally use and use as little pressure on the wash/dry towel as possible. Instead of bearing down on the towel when drying the car, drape the MF towel over the panel and drag the towel across the panel by pulling on the edge of the MF towel.

Yeah, it takes more care to properly wash/dry a black car, but nothing else is as sinister as a black mustang when properly detailed... Also, just because color like white or silver doesn't show dust or scratches as easily doesn't mean they are not there. If you are **** about your car, you are going to see the scratches regardless of what color it is...

FC

 

I've owned two black 5.0 's. NEVER AGAIN. I was never satisfied with the way the paint looked, especially with the car parked outside at night under those shopping mall yellowish halogen lights. That's why i choose SG for my 2011, and don't regret a second.

 

I should have known better like you. I love the way my black stang looks, but it is a full time job. I have had this five liter since June and it has less than 2000 miles on it, sits in the garage with a cover on it, and somehow it still gets little scratches. Black looks bad **** when you can keep it new, but I could never imagine having it as a daily driver.

 

Did you use the two bucket method?

The best towel in the world won't do you a bit of good if you're washing the car with all the grit you're taking off of it.

And yes, the clearcoat is soft and scratches easily. Fortunately, you can buff these imperfections out for the most part. Owning a black car nearly requires the ownership of paint repair supplies.

I also recommend Klasse sealant. It will greatly reduce the risk of fine scratches. It also lasts long enough that it's not a constant chore to do. I do a couple coats (use VERY thin coats) in the summer and once again before winter.