At last, the perfect weather to review the kit Black Diamond Car Care sent us. After what seemed like weeks of dull, overcast or rainy days, we finally get a break in the weather. Time to break out The Works Exterior Car Care Kit and get one filthy car gleaming again.

First off, the price. Normally around £38, it’s still very well priced for the amount of products you are getting. Take a look at the photo above (click to enlarge), and have a read on the side of the box to see what the contents are. As you’ll see, you’re getting a decent amount of products for your cash.

Overall, our thoughts are that the kit is definitely aimed at valeters, rather than detailers. The difference being, we think, that detailers are generally looked upon as using finer products on vehicles. For instance, a valeter may use a strong acidic wheel cleaner on a set of alloys, whereas a detailer would perhaps use a non-acicic, low-to-zero Alkali, pH-neutral wheel cleaner instead. You get the overall idea.

The products in general didn’t really have any smell to them, apart from the Alloy Shine wheel cleaner which had a powerful acidic odour. Talking of the wheel cleaner, it certainly did a good job and cleaned well, but we doubt that it would be suitable as a regular-use wheel cleaner, with it being so acidic, it would probably have a negative effect after a while. Also, although it didn’t say it on the bottle, as it is so acidic we’d definitely avoid using it on some types of wheels such as split-rims, or chrome or polished finishes.

The Black Diamond Wax Wash shampoo cleaned well enough, and there was plenty of foam there too (not that foam is overly important, remember folks), although there were no instruction on how to dilute it - ‘Add a generous squeeze’ was all that was mentioned. There was also no mention of whether the shampoo was wax-safe either – and some car wash products are known to actually strip off wax you’ve previously applied to paintwork, due to certain ingredients being used.

Moving onto the High Wax Car Polish, we think the ‘wax’ bit of the name refers to the shine it gives, rather than wax being included in it. It’s described as ‘An easy to apply polish which gives a long lasting, deep shine’. The polish was not overly easy to apply, and it took a fair amount of effort – however, removal was simple and the product left a good shine to the paintwork. Although water sheeting was slightly improved, beading was really non-existant. We’d follow this product up with a wax, as it actually gave a decent base for a layer or two of the good stuff!

Sliding over to the next product, Black Diamond Tyre & Trims, we’re split on this one. Okay, so the negative points first (we have to – we’re a review site). Whilst applying it, this product smells seriously strong, and is almost overpowering at times – headache territory in fact. We wouldn’t use this on a car’s interior, as the odour is just too powerful, even if it does fade after a while. If you did decide to use it on inside trim though, make sure all you car doors and windows are wide open. Another drawback was that if there is even a slight breeze, because the Tyre & Trims sprays out so finely, there tended to be quite a few places on the paint and glass where it had settled, meaning we had to re-go over the car checking for it afterwards.

Positive stuff now! The sprayer nozzle gave a good and even spread, and the finish we got on both tyres and exterior trim was actually pretty decent. It doesn’t look too slick or shiny, and didn’t leave behind any sticky or dirty residue. We checked a few days later after it had been raining and the Honda had been driven a few times, and the appearance was still the same as when we’d first applied it. There were no runs, and it was an even covering too. Thumbs up on those details!

Finally, and onto the last product we used – Black Diamond Glass Shine. Let us say from the off, we officially think this product is outstanding! Simply pout it onto a microfibre cloth, give the glass a quick wipe over, then wipe it off with a clean microfibre cloth and that’s it. A truly perfect finish on both interior and exterior glass. The Honda’s glass a real mess from months of not being cleaned – and it was filthy with smears and fine dust. the Glass Shine removed it all without fuss, and with real ease too. Definitely the best product out of The Works kit. In fact, it’s one of the top two glass cleaners we’ve ever used and deserves a good 9/10 score on that front!

Final Thoughts

Black Diamond’s The Works Exterior Car Care Kit’s pricing ensures you are getting a good deal of products for your cash. However, it is definitely aimed more at valeters rather than those into their vehicle detailing, and products such as the highly acidic Alloy Shine show this.

A bit of a surprise was how good the Tyre & Trims product’s finish and longevity was, and we did come across a really Diamond item (‘scuse the bad pun), namely the Glass Shine Cream Glass Polish, which genuinely worked and performed brilliantly – in fact, we think it’s one of the best glass cleaners we’ve ever tested!

To buy the Black Diamond The Works Exterior Car Care Kit, visit www.blackdiamondproducts.co.uk

CarWax  Preparation Product Test: Valet PRO Achilles Prep  500 ml – £9.20 / 5 litres – £46.00

As a paint preparation product, this stuff is truly excellent. It can be used as an ‘after claying’ product or on its own if you’re in a rush.

We put only a small amount on a foam applicator pad and went over panels until we had covered a full car. The paint was in bad condition and the vehicle had not been washed properly or waxed in a long time and it had plenty of swirl marks and light scratches in the paintwork.

After we’d removed the Achilles Prep from half of each panel we were astounded at the results. The paint went from a dull and lifeless look to a glossy and fresh-faced youth again. Nice.

The lighter scratches were almost removed and the swirl marks were a lot less obvious. On a machine polisher, we think this stuff will be even better to use. It’s much like T-Cut, only better as it shines as it goes.

9/10 A little effort produces great results. Much like T-Cut, only better as it shines as it goes

Valet PRO

ValetPRO Achilles Prep 50ml Sample

Achilles Prep - we used this product not long back and were vastly impressed with the results. Use it prior to waxing your car. It removes micro-marring in paintwork and will enhance the look of your bodywork and add a glossy look to it.

Price: £2.10

ValetPRO

ValetPRO Citrus Bling – 1 litre – £17.

As a clay lube, this works well. We’d use it either 1:1 parts water or neat. Pump the trigger of your spray bottle only 2 or 3 times so there’s a decent amount of product to work with in an area of around 30 cm x 30 cm (12 inches x 12 inches). It doesn’t destroy clay bars and also lubricates the paintwork very well, meaning it’s easier to move the clay around the bodywork. Can also be used as a glass cleaner and a wax detailer (see Glass Cleaner and Wax Detailer reviews).

9/10 A good product which is cheap to buy and easy to use.

Buy a Citrus Bling sample bottle from our Sample Shop

Buy a full size bottle of Citrus Bling from ValetPRO

Dodo Juice Supernatural Detailing Clay 240g – £17.95

& Dodo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube 500ml – £6.95

Dodo Juice products are usually excellent. And we weren’t disappointed by these two beauties either. The Supernatural Clay was extremely soft and supple and was easy to use. Using the Born Slippy Clay Lube along with it worked wonders too. Only use a small amount of the lube though as it can, weirdly, make things a little too slippery. We’d also recommend both of these products to those of you that are new to claying a car, as they are ridiculously easy to use.

Both products – 10/10 Amazing job done. High quality products priced well.
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Buy Dodo Juice products from Amazon (USA)
Buy Dodo Juice Supernatural Detailing Clay From Amazon (UK)
Buy Dodo Juice Born Slippy Clay Lube from Amazon (UK)