I thought I would throw in my tips on keeping the car clean, as black is the hardest color to get, and keep, looking good. When I first purchased the car, it hadn't really been waxed every few months, but it was well taken care of.

Starting with the interior, I use Meguiar's Gold Class leather cleaner and conditioner. This also works well on the shift boot, as well as a tiny bit over the light bar to freshen it up as well. It does NOT work well on plastic pieces so make sure not to get it on there. You can simply spray it in a rag and then wipe down whatever part you like, rather than spray it.

The engine is actually very easy to keep clean as long as you maintain it every couple months. I use Permatex's Orange Engine degreaser to clean the motor (after covering the alternator and any obvious wires), and Turtle Wax's CD-2 Engine Detailer to brighten it up. Just like the tire foam, give it time to "cure" with the motor running. This will set it in and give a great wet look, and you won't pick up dust and dirt from the wet motor driving down the road.

The wheels clean up well, and look almost white in the sunshine after I clean them before washing the car. I use Meguair's Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner (its in a purple bottle) and Megauir's Hot Shine tire foam. The cleaner is real powerful stuff, so you only let it sit for a few seconds, scrub with a old, used sponge and hose off. A few words to the wise - give the tire foam a LONG time to dry so you don't spray it all over your doors when you drive away. The foam is obviously used after you have completely finished with the car, but here is a photo showing what they look like at the end.

Finally we start with washing the car! For those with convertibles, SCRUB the top first with your cleaner of choice. I still have the first bottle of the cleaner/conditioner that was recommended to bring back the black to the convertible top. Realistically, you can use something that can be bought at your local AutoZone, CSK, etc. I use Meguair's Gold Class car wash (see the trend here?) heavily in a clean bucket of water. I then also keep another bucket next to it with clean water to rinse the dirt out of your wash mitt.

After you have done this, run your hand over the paint to ensure it is completely smooth all over the car. If it is not, buy a clay bar kit to clean the paint of all particulates, bird poop, or any other dirt or tar that has bonded with the paint. Afterwards, thoroughly wash the car again (you MUST get all of the clay residue off), and you will end up with an smooth, mirror-like finish...

After using a California Blade and shammy to dry the car, the last part is to apply the three steps to completing and sealing the finish on the car. Meguiar's sells a Deep Crystal System line that is labeled in system Steps 1 through 3, and each step has its own product. The first step is the Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner to remove anything left on the paint such as scuffs, bird poop, etc. If there is an area that is scratched, I will mix the paint cleaner with Meguiar's Scrath-X 50%/50% on my buffer pad and it works great.

Finally its time to actually polish and wax the car. Step 2 is Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish which gives a wet look to the paint and deepens the look to it. You can see this in all of the photos where the reflections are deep and sharp, instead of dulled or blurred on a neglected, oxidized car. After the polish is applied step 3 is the Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnuba Wax. This, along with the cleaner and polish, MUST be done in shade on a relatively dry day. These are fairly common (ie. 99% of the time) in California, but if you live in a cold or humid area, make sure the products are actually drying to a haze. For the wax, I usually allow 20-30 minutes between coats, and I typically apply two or three coats, which lasts for 4-6 months depending on the amount of rain, or how frequently I park the car outside.

If you did all of this correctly, you should end up with a great looking car that will get lots of compliments. Your results may vary :-). (Thanks to girlfriend Michelle for posing with my other baby).

To be honest, I'd rather be installing a bolt-on or tuning a friend's carb than cleaning my car, but it has the greatest benefit once its all done. I usually finish in 4-5 hours and again, it lasts for 4-6 months. I park the car outside now (the 5.0 is motionless in the garage), and the finish still looks great after only washing the car, let alone polish, clay bar, etc. If you find a great product, please drop me a line, I'm always looking for the best bang-for-the-buck product for cleaning - I'm lazy!