I recently purchased a black 2005 convertible and since I have never owned a black car I need all the help I can get. Any tips, suggestions, do's and don'ts on keeping the factory paint looking good would be greatly appreciated. Over the years I have owned a bunch of white cars mostly because it is such a forgiving color. This car looks so great in black I could not resist.

 

Welcome to our forum. I also have a Black one and I love it. I try to keep it spotless, but it is not my daily driver.
Here goes.
Dont take it to a car wash. Do it by hand.
I would wash it first, then clay bar it.
Next I would polish it. ( I use Meguiars Ultimate Polish)
Next i I would wax it. ( I use Maguiars NXT Tech Wax 2.0 Liquid.
I do this about twice a year. You will only have to clay bar it once.
I used to do it by hand, but now I use Porter Cable orbital buffer.
(I do not use any Turtle wax products)
There are a lot of great products being used by the guys on this forum and you will get other suggestions but I have great success doing it this way.
As for roof cleaner, I don't know mine is a Coupe. Keep that Black car clean, it looks great.

 

As to the top, wash it with a soft bristle brush and mild detergent ( Johnson's Baby Shampoo ), rinse thoroughly,
blow it off with a leaf blower, then let dry completely in the sun.

Then use 303 Fabric Protectant or RagTop products to seal it.

I keep mine in a garage and mine is still tip-top after 2 years.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, just the kind of good stuff I am looking for. There are a couple things that I would like some feedback on. The first is when you are applying wax or polish or even detailer do you use circular or straight line movements. I was told years ago to use straight left to right motions to prevent swirl marks. However most of the so called "pros" on youtube use circular motions plus the orbital machines obviously work with circular.

The second question concerns those times especially during the summer months where you go 5,6 or more days without rain but the car picks up dust, pollen and assorted other thing. In the past with my light colored vehicles I have had good result using one of those California Dusters followed by a wipe down with water or detailer and a soft towel. Once again one of the youtube "pros" seems to think the dusters can scratch more than a wipe down with a spray detailer and a good micro fiber towel. Just wondering what you guys think.

 

Sorry I'm new too so I have to ask what's a clay bar? What does it do?

Thanks

 

I have clay barred my vehicles many times. It's a pretty simple process, this link should help.

 

1. circular motion
2.Ca. Duster for dust and pollen. Detail spray and microfiber cloth for water spots,fingerprints,ect.

 

I spent weeks getting my paint perfect and after going through the process, I do everything possible to keep it perfect. First off, most of the swirls, damage, etc. happen during the washing process. Get the car wet, let it soak with soap if possible, let the soap loosen and lift the dirt and do the work for you. If you rub the dirt into the surface you will get swirls. A duster won't scratch the paint but moving the dust around with it can. I don't dry my car, I blot with my special waffle towels. Lots of products out there will do the job for you. Adam's, Meguiar's, etc. (the ones I've used) A black car is the most stunning color when perfect. Few can keep it that way. (former black car owner) I had good luck with the back and forth method on a car with no clear coat. The Crossfire clear is hard. Tough to scratch or get swirls. But if you manage to somehow introduce swirls in the clear it'll take lot's of hard work to get them out. Wash the car frequently and the love affair will last.

Les