Wash in the shade, make sure it's cool. I bought the California Dry Blade @ Auto Zone, and I've never dried a car so quickly ($20.) Get the big thick microfiber cloths from walmart. The 2-pack ones. Also a duster. Lots of wax. Spray detailer. I had a midnight blue ford focus, and I live in the desert. It was a royal pain, but the microfiber reduces your swirl marks. It also helps if you wax and buff in one direction, it's hard but it reduces their sight. I had two cars prior to my mustang to test the best way to keep it clean. My best friends are definitely the microfiber cloth and spray detailer.

 

I went to zeibart when my car was new and they have a "diamond gloss" package ($260) Its like wax but its more enamel. its good for more than a year and and rinses clean with a power washer, those hanging towel car washes will cut its life in half. I work for 60 hours a week and commute with my car, so to me it was worth it, but everyone has different opinions and standards

 

for my black stang its nothing but mothers products. there is nothing better than a black car after shes all mothered' up[sm=drooldude.gif]. here is a great web site...not only for good product info...but this is the most comprehensive car detail guide i have ever seen.
www.detailguide.com

 

Meguiars NXT products all the way!

Oh, and when she gets dusty, California Duster with a complete
spray of Meguiar's quik detailer, back to clean!

 

My black '06 has like 30 small rock chips on the hood, hard to see for the most part but when I wax the car... there they are. I even found 1 or 2 pebble marks near the side scoops by the doors. I don't know if it is cheap primer or paint but compared to other cars that I have had, I am finding the durability of the paint to be lacking. I am thinking I should have got the Tungsten or Silver ... still think the black looks the meanest thoug !!

 

Waxing once a month?? I thought waxing a car that much could mess up your paint? (little swirl marks and such) I only wax mine about 2 meybe 3 times a year!. I just wash 1 time a week. I keep my bumper waxed up though cause the bug guts will stain it LOL

 

Wax when it needs it, mine lives outdoors so it doesn't last quite as long. Swirl marks have more to do with how you wax than how often. You could wax it once with a dirty applicator you dropped on the driveway and scratch teh crap out of it, you could wax it every day with a new, clean microfiber applicator and never see a swirl.

Wax back and forth with the 'grain', follow the lines of the car, not in circles like the karate kid (wax on, wax off), that way even if there are fine scratches, they're less noticable.

 

Thanks for the advise.. Looks like i'll need it. When i was driving to work this morning.. I drove through what looked like a puddle.. Turns out it was oil... a lot of oil.
When I returned to my car after work, I noticed a puddle of oil under my passenger front and back tires... the wheel wells were soaked... as well as the passenger side of the car. Didn't see it initially because the car is black!

Went to a spray and go place.. and just rinsed the car with the spotless rinse.. need to give it a proper washing tomorrow.