i ofter use the NXT on my black truck and it comes out really nice. i also found that the mothers carnuba is really nice too, but it will stain the plastics white, so i usually use the NXT 2.0 on mine to help avoid this.

 

if you are planning on claying your BLACK truck, you will definitely be able to see "marks" of some kind, no matter what pressure or how much lube you use. if you think about it, you are rubbing clay across a stationary object, it just makes sense. i have had enough experience with it all. The only thing that worries me is if you are claying you truck and finishing it with an OTC polish by hand, you probably won't be able to remove the "marks" made by the clay. unless your paint is perfect to begin with, the marks won't be AS visible. I would go ahead and clay it because more than likely it needs it if it has never been done, and then assess the situation and go from there. if it makes you feel better, the slight damage done by clay is very easily fixed if you aren't happy with the results. PM me if you have any more questions.

 

It's definitely possible you'll see some light marring from the clay, but it's still an important step. Follow the advice above (plenty of lubricant, fold/knead the clay often so a clean surface is always presented to the paint...) and you'll be very pleased with the results.

Ahead of the Deep Crystal you might want to try a different polish, or even a mild paint cleanser. Honestly, even Meguiar's cleaner wax would be a decent option if you're limiting your purchasing options to OTC supplies. You'll like the results from NXT, but on black finishes without a lot of metallic it can look a bit sterile. You may want to consider topping it with Hi-Tech or Yellow wax. That way you'll get the durability of the NXT with the wetness of the carnauba.

Lots of options here - technique as well as product. You've gotten some good advice here and I'm happy to help more as well. Have fun with the detail and good luck!

 

Thanks again for all of the great info guys

 

I just checked, it is the Deep Crystal polish that I bought, and I also have Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner. Should I use one or the other in between clay and wax, or something different all together? BTW, I'll be doing this by hand (not confident enough to hit my black truck with any sort of buffer or orbital yet...figure that I'll get one of those in the future and learn how to use it on the beat white paint of my wife's Toyota Matrix )

 

If you only want to use one, I'd go with the paint cleaner. It'll be a bit more effective than the polish...which is actually more of a glaze than a tool for paint correction. You can certainly use both if you'd like. The "polish" will add some wetness to the finish and will fill in some of the light swirls and other imperfections.

 

So...two bucket wash, clay, cleaner, "polish", then wax...guess this is going to be a two day project. I'm setting up a canopy to work under, still hope that the weather's nice though

 

yeah it takes a little time but its well woth it! have fun and the deep polish will give it a little something extra, it really makes the paint look wet, but after a wash or two it goes away.

 

The canopy is a great idea. You may want to add a quick wash between the clay and the cleaner, just to get any remaining residue off the surface. If you're using something like Optimum No Rinse or another waterless wash for the clay lube, you can skip this step, as long as you wipe & dry each section after claying. Happy detailing!

 

Holy crap that was alot of work! My shoulders are shot lol! Now I remember why I used to pay someone to detail my ride. I'm definitely investing in a buffer for the next time. It was 90+ degrees, ultra humid, and I worked on the truck from 10:30am to past 8:30pm, with a couple of cigarette and water breaks. The canopy was key as it drizzled a few times when some thunder clouds rolled in. Unfortunately it's supposed to rain tomorrow, and here's my truck all detailed and pretty I still have some more work to do to it too...have to clean up the tonneau cover and do the interior.

My paint was in alot better shape than my wife's...I got alot of brownish rust colored stuff on the clay though. I was really impressed with the Meguair's Paint Cleaner, it did a pretty good job of hiding some of the remaining marks from where my badges and mouldings used to be. The polish took some work to get completely off, not sure if I used too much or that's just how it is. The wax was the easiest part. My paint is slick as ice now though...curious to see how long it lasts.

Here's a rundown of what I did

Wash with Meguiar's Gold Class
Dry with Absorber (don't really like the Absorber, it doesn't work smoothly)
Meguiar's Clay Bar
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish
Meguair's NXT Generation Wax
Eagle Tire Shine

Thanks to everybody who helped out, your tips were definitely useful today...(nobody told me how sore I'd be though lol )