Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box Kit

My wife currently drives a 2005 Mercury Mariner and no matter how many times we take it to get washed and waxed, the car never seems to have that pop to the black paint job that it used to have when we first bought it. So I decided to finally try the Turtle Wax Jet Black that I always see at the local auto stores (through Amazon it's about $5-6 cheaper than retail, so that's a plus).First the pros: it works as advertised. Holy cow does it work as advertised. You have to wash the car first before anything (there is no wash included in the Jet Black pack, so I used just plain ol' Turtle Wax Max Power Car Wash). Once it's cleaned and dried, you put on a pre-wax cleaner like you would regular wax, buff that off, then put on the included Black Carnauba wax, let THAT dry to a haze, then buff it off. After that long and arduous task (see the cons), the car looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. It literally had a mirror-black finish. There were a few minor rubs on the fenders that were covered by the pre-wax/Carnauba wax, and a long scratch on the hood was almost completely covered.Something to note: it works to fill in MINOR scratches, but if it's under the clear coat and into the paint you're probably not going to have much luck with it. Which is kind of obvious and I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that wax, regardless of whether it has black dye or not, is not going to fix that. And yet numerous other reviewers are still somehow shocked that it doesn't fix/cover scratches. So just be aware that you probably shouldn't expect miracles with this stuff.Regardless, the final result was stunning, on our car at least, so definitely worth the $13.99 + free shipping.And now for the cons: It is messy. EXTREMELY messy. I wore gloves and the stuff still seeped through the gloves and colored my fingertips black. It specifically states on the package that if you're allergic to dyes, wear gloves. And you should, regardless of allergy, because the stuff will get everywhere. It comes with 2 applicators, one for the pre-wax and one for the Carnauba wax, but they're those foam-style applicators and once you use them, they're garbage; interestingly enough, Amazon recommends that you purchase a separate pack of applicators and it's not a bad idea because these things are one-and-done. Once it dries to a haze you use a black detailer spray to wipe it off and buff it (with your own microfiber cloth; the package doesn't include any). Prepare to junk those cloths when you're done, though, because they most likely will not be salvageable.The other major con is that it is time-consuming. As in, you will need to set aside anywhere from 3-5 hours start to finish. Whether you think it's worth the time is subjective; looking at the finished result, I certainly thought it was. On the other hand, I don't plan on making it a part of my regular routine. I bought the Jet Black Spray Wax separately for in between washes, and have actually used it once already and it helped keep the same level of shine, so that may be the way to go.In any case, for the price it's not a bad alternative to the more expensive designer-type wax products, IF you have the time and constitution to spend that much time waxing a car. I'm giving it 5 stars because of the end result, since our car has not looked like this literally since we first bought it, but fully acknowledge that spending 3-5 hours waxing a car is not something that the average person, or even I, would consider doing on a regular basis.

This product is awesome. I have a 03 Black Ranger that lives outside. I have neglected her. I decided rather than buy a new truck for mega bucks, I would invest in restoring the faded black paint. I did however discover this product AFTER using their ICE Compound which is miraculous in and of itself. It is a liquid rubbing compound that strips away the old and oxidized. The BEST thing about ICE is it comes off with water. You apply like wax and let it haze, then you can wash it off with a hose, or in my case I used a bucket of water and a sponge to go section by section. Holy cow, so easy and once done, all of the fine paint cracks mainly in the hood were revealed. Usually spider in nature, or singles about 1/32 to 1/8 inch, on the front third of the hood. NOT GOOD. Then I got to thinking someone must make a black wax.........hence I stumbled into Jet Black Box Kit. This stuff is killer. It does require a time investment but I was fine with that. I even did ALL of the recommended processes EVEN though I had already stripped her down with Turtle Wax ICE Compound. The Jet Black is easy to work with but gloves are needed. it is liquid about the consistency of your table pancake syrup.I applied it by hand and with and orbital buffer. Both were pretty easy. Does not take much on the applicator, perhaps a nickle to a quarter in size. The post haze spray removal process is super easy. The hazed wax comes off easy IF you follow the instructions down to MICRO FIBER towels. Of course, they are wasted and trash post, but it is the only way to go. Once done I was amazed at how the black neglected paint made a major comeback and looked almost brand new. The fine line cracks described earlier were masked and since doing this I have hit the auto wash at Soapy Joe's car wash at least 10 times now. In the right light I can start to see the fine line cracks reappear, but will wait a tad and do another wax only application on that front third of the hood where these are present. IN general this product does do what it says it will do and I am a big fan..............will buy more and keep the black BLAAAAAACK baby. Awesome product from a true DYI guy who knows just enough to know when it is, as is said........... it is. High recommend !!