BrianKim

Hey guys... I've been wondering if theres nething that can really make my silver car shine... Been thinkin about polishing and etc... But is all that really worth it?

stormkenny3

i have heard very good things about new mcguire's car wax. will try and get link to it.

GL Troll

At the very least, you should clay the entire car (after washing) then wax or seal. Polishing isn't totally needed unless you've got a lot lots of swirls.

If you want to get fancy, Pinnacle Signature Series II wax is supposed to be good for metallic paint. I'm giving this a try. I'll be layering this over sealer next time around. But expensive wax won't make up for lack of preparation.

Greg@DI

Determining what is "worth it" is always a personal decision. Darker colors are easier to make look deep and glossy in my experiences. I think it's very difficult to make silver look equally deep. However I think with the right steps you can make the paint look excellent. Darker colors highlight imperfections more, so restoring them often looks more dramatic. I think you would have a noticeable improvement in the depth and gloss if you clay, polish and then protect the paint. Here is some information about what each step should do for you.

Clay Bar - Remove surface contamination bonded to clear coat or stuck in the micro ridges of the clear coat. You can also use these products on coated wheels, metals, coated plastic, glass and more.

Polish - Polishes are designed to remove surface imperfections such as swirls, fine scratches and oxidation. When you polish you want to use the least aggressive polish possible and only use more aggressive options if needed. We categorize polishes in to three categories: compounds, cutting, finishing. Compounds are the most aggressive polishes and can buff out the deepest imperfection in the clear coat but will leave a haze that must be buffed out by lighter polishes. Cutting polishes have strong cutting power and will generally leave a light haze on the surface. Finishing polishes will help buff out the haze left from more aggressive polishes, correct very light surface imperfections and leave the surface very smooth and glossy.

Glaze - Glazes use oils that cling to surface imperfections and help fill them in and reflect the surrounding paint. This gives the illusion of flawless paint and adds a lot of gloss to the surface.

Paint Sealant - Sealants are created in labs to replicate what waxes by extracting any properties that don’t add to increased shine, protection, ease of use, etc. Sealants typically provide the longest lasting form of protection which lasts 3 – 6 months depending on conditions. Sealants generally apply extremely thin, wipe on and off very easy and add a fantastic shine to any color paint.

Wax - Waxes are a strong form of protection but do not last as long as sealants (approximately 2 – 8 weeks). Waxes provide a very deep reflection with lots of gloss for maximum shine. Waxes are commonly layered over sealants for the ideal combination of protection and shine. We have some waxes like the Poorboy's World Natty's Red and P21S Carnauba Wax that I think look great on silver!

At a bare minimum I would suggest polishing and sealing the paint, but the more steps you do the better the results, generally speaking. Let me know if you'd like help selecting a routine or products, I'd be happy to help.

Greg @ Detailed Image

GL Troll

I guess we should also ask: what have you been doing up now?

alphad

try meguiars quick detailer every few days after u dust the car with a California car duster

dnegri

My C230 is Iridium Silver so hopefully this will help you........

First off, if you have any imperfections then...

1)clean car with dish soap to strip any wax etc. on vehicle
2)claybar your entire car
3)polish with Menzerna PO106FF (designed for Mercedes Ceramic Clearcoat) by hand or Porter Cable
4)rewash
5)apply Menzerna FMJ sealant (give at least 24hrs to cure)
6)apply either Poorboys Nattys Red or P21S wax as your topper (I like Nattys red better for I feel the longevity is much better but both offer the same shine)

Remember, you definitely want to rid the paint surface of any imperfections since it will distort the quality of shine that you may be trying to acheive. Other than that, I feel that for a silver car the shine I get using the same process is AMAZING! I get comments everyday from people never seen a silver car glow the way mine does.

BlackLiquorish8

i would clay and apply caruaba wax for the wet look

Jay9722

The first thing I did with mine (brilliant silver) was strip the surface with Dawn dish soap. It is super harsh but for a one-time wash with a clay bar it will remove EVERY bit of sap, bugs, cloudiness. Shammy the car dry and let it get very cool...out of the sun for awhile...and then apply a heavy coat of Zymol. Leave it on in the car parked in the garage for 24 hours and then buff off the next day by hand. Apply a second coat of Zymol and remove after a couple of hours. I maintain an awesome shine with a spray wax called Crystal wax. It is a fairly cheap product and I like it because it doesn't dry super fast like the other spray waxes. It looks fantastic.

BrianKim

Wow thanks for the great responses guys

BlackLiquorish8

make sure you post before and after pics

BrianKim

alright soon!! l0l i bet there will be no diff X_X hahaha

beverlykasper

do the three step process.. rub, polish then wax. that will surely bring shine to your car.

sack5000

I would not dust the car dry with a CA car duster. Dragging the dust across the car creates fine scratches in the clear coat.

I do use Mcguiars quick detailer to remove dust and clean the entire car. Mcguiars has a newer product called the "ultimate detailer" that seems to work better. It puts a better glow to the car and a smoother feel to the finish. Just my .02.

GL Troll

Absolutely right.

Buellwinkle

Silver as well as white is a tough color to get shiny but here's the scoop. Most wax products, especially the newer synthetic products are designed for a good depth of shine, have color enhancers and fill in micro-scratches to make clearcoats look their best. BUT, light colors like your silver or white don't have any depth no matter what you do, it's hard to see these micro-scratches and there's no color to enhance so they don't help you much, hence your poor experience. So what do I do on our white and silver cars, I use and old school hard past wax from Meguiars which has been outlawed, #16, if you find it great, if not their #26 is a reasonable, albeit not as good alternative. This is more of a purer wax without the cleaners, fillers, enhancers and it's best for reflectivity which is what you need. Do 2 coats and I guaranttee your car will look a lot shinier. You may want to clay the car first to give it that smooth feel, won't make the car shine anymore but it will give it that glossy feel and remove ground in dirt like bug splatter that glued itself on. Only takes a half hour at most to clay, another hour per wax coat if you take your time.

Not convinced, put masking tape down the center of your hood, do one side and tell us if there's any difference after you wax.

GL Troll

[QUOTE=Buellwinkle;2554124]You may want to clay the car first to give it that smooth feel, won't make the car shine anymore but it will give it that glossy feel and remove ground in dirt like bug splatter that glued itself on. Only takes a half hour at most to clay, another hour per wax coat if you take your time.[QUOTE]

Use of clay is more for the long term health of your paint. So, I don’t recommend skipping that step.

Last week I put on Wolfgang sealant and topped it with a coat of the Pinnacle Signature Series II wax I mentioned in an earlier post. I’m very impressed with the results on my Desert Silver Metallic paint. I got both of these on sale so the cost wasn’t too bad either.

TOGWT

" 3)polish with Menzerna PO106FF (designed for Mercedes Ceramic Clearcoat) by hand or Porter Cable"

Menzerna PO106FF is formulated with diminishing abrasives that require friction to activate them; they should not finish up dry (dusting) but will always have a hazy film to them. Wet polishes eliminate the friction heat caused by buffing; heat causes gloss loss. Polish to a haze- when a polish "flashes" from a liquid paste to a light semi-dry haze; its colour changes from the polish colour to almost transparent; the polish has then broken down and is ready for removal.

It is important to know when a polish has broken down because if you take it too far you (dry polishing) will re-introduce surface marring conversely if you don’t work diminishing abrasives sufficiently they will cause surface marring (this is due to the size of the abrasive and its cutting ability, once an abrasive has broken down it will burnish the surface as opposed to cutting it)

Comment- this polish is made for use with a Rotary polisher due to its friction requirements, some are of the opinion that this can be accomplished with a PC, but polishing by hand cannot produce the friction required and you will add surface marring not remove it (See para 3 above)

See also Menzerna Polishes- http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=893305

grane

on my Silver NSX and on my AMG (black). Their products are inexpensive and I am very pleased with the results. They are easy to apply and just takes a few hours to do both cars. I wash by hand often, wax every 3rd or so wash. The wash also removes what little brake dust there is. (I use a different mitt and one of those plastic non-abrasive pot scubbers to wash the wheels.)

It's critical to keep the mitt very clean - put it in the solution and rinse it out continuously as you do a new section so no particles or grit sticks and scratches.

My cars are garaged and the NSX is off the road in the winter and covered with a cheap car cover. I primarily drive the G500 in the winter. That I put thru one of those touchless car washes where I know the owner and I know that they change the water often, clean the traps, etc.

(I have all the cars detailed once a year by Jay at ABS in Manchester. He prepares and builds/restores cars that get sold at Barrett-Jackson so he know a little bit about body work and paint. He has no problem with the BM products.)

People ask me how I keep the cars so shiny so I guess I am doing something right.

My girlfriend uses the entire McGuiar suite of products on her Miata. She spends days working on the car.

I can't see the difference, in fact I think the Black Magic is better. And the time factor is very important. I've had sports cars for over 30 years and I've done the Zymol and the hard carnuba stuff, claybars and so on and I just can't be bothered if there is an easy solution like the Black Magic products. I don't sell them so I am disinterested.

FWIW, I just saw where Consumer Reports rated BM in the top 2 washes/waxes. I'm not a CR fanatic (remember they recommended the original VW Rabbit aaargh) but they seem to have gotten this right.

I look at car care products the way I look at dog food. I run expensive bird dogs and my hunting buddy is a vet. He says if the food has the right set of ingredients it doesn't matter who makes it or how cheap it is. He sells special vet only dog foods for special situations and says you just don't need them otherwise.Purina is a lot cheaper than Science Diet and P. have a much larger R&D budget. And, the ingredients/ratios are the same if you look around.

BM is a speciality product from Turtle Wax to capture the enthusiast market. I got free samples at a NOPI (!) show. The BM reps there were very savvy about their products and those of competitors like the high end stuff. But they too have a huge R&D budget so they can afford to formulate and sell a high end product that is easy to use and inexpensive.

Have fun,
Grane

UKEvo

Pinnacle Souveran or Signature are both good on Silver. Favour of the month for me at the moment is Swissvax Best of Show, great gloss, depth and flake pop. Time will tell about longevity. For the money, the Signature is great on Iridium.

Brad G

On a Silver car, the shine comes from the top clear coat.
If your car's paint is in good, smooth condition,

first hand polish (after completly washing and drying), Meguires Mirror Glaze
H5. Use only clean, 100 percent cotton t-Shirt material for all polishing.

Next, apply and polish w/ 3M Imperial Hand Glaze.

Follow w/ One Grand Blitz Wax.

This won't be the longest lasting protection but I believe you'll be very impressed.

You won't need the clay bar unless when right after you wash and dry your car, when you feel the paint with your finger tips, you feel it not being smooth.

If your car has many superficial scratches or is just a bit too dull and you really want more shine, you should consider using the H5 with a lambs wool buffer pad and high speed polisher. Do not attempt this yourself however if you are not experienced.

Hire a trusted auto body/ paint shop or detailer to do the high speeed polishing for you.

I have used this process for years and it rocks!

GL Troll

I’d have to disagree with using a t-shirt or lambs wool pad.

Brad G

I knew someone would comment on this. Yes, may seem old school however, still works excellent.

You just need to keep the pad clean. The Meguires polish is designed to completly break down.


Here is the pad I use. TCP Global > Detailsupplydepot > Schlegel Heavy to Medium Duty Cutting and Compounding Pads


Heavy to Medium Duty Cutting and Compounding Pads
Fast Change Pad
This pad cuts fast and runs cool to produce consistently high gloss on today's automotive finishes. This pad features Schlegel's Round-Up® design to protect against burning and Schlegel's Fast Change hook and loop to make changing pads quick and easy. 100% twisted wool yarn, 1 1/2" pile height.



The 100 percent cotton cloth just needs to be turned and changed. I also recommend using a separate cloth for each step, applying, wiping, next application, next polishing off.

What do you recommend for each of these instead?

I haven't tried any of the newer Microfiber clothes.

Looking for your recommendation on that!

GL Troll

Foam pads for any polishing.

The problem with old school is we now know there are better ways to protect the paint in the long run and reduce swirls thereby reducing polishing down the road. Sure you can get it to look good right now, but it’s like wearing ear plugs – you won’t know what damage is being done until it’s too late. In the last 20 years or so we have taken huge leaps forward in paint care knowledge and technology. So it’s a good time to reconsider the old wisdom.

I highly recommend microfiber towels. I use the Meguiars towels because they’re nice and thick. There are other brands that are good. I also have some smaller, cheaper different color MF towels for ‘dirty jobs’ or applying dressings/ chemicals that I don’t use on paint.

I used to wash my cars with old t-shirts and dishwashing liquid. Eventually I figured out that old bath towels were a heck of a lot easier. Of course I was removing my wax a week or two after I put it on by using dish soap. And I’d never heard of clay.

Brad G

Thanks for your recommendation on using Meguire's Microfiber cloths. I will try them.

Again, I have never had a problem to this day with 100 percent cotton material however so not sure if any of this is "hype"?

You did not answer my question on what you prefer over the lambs wool pads used for high speed polishing.

To my knowledge, there is no way to achieve as high a gloss by hand nor to remove slight surface scratching as by machine as also mentioned by someone else earlier on this thread.

Yes, I do try to avoid high speed polishing by never allowing my finish to become inundated with pollution contaminants or surface scratches in the first place.

However, the whole purpose for this thread was a person asking how they can make their silver car have a deeper shine.

High speed polishing will achieve greater depth by energy and friction than can be achieved by hand.

The Meguires #5 (New Car Glaze) is awesome for this and the swirls left behind are minimal. Yes, sorry, I did forget too mention, after the high speed polish process, one will need to remove the swirls by rubbing by hand in the long direction of the swirls using Meguire's #7 (Show car Glaze). This will take a bit of elbow grease. Completely wipe off all polish residue. Follow this up with the one Grand Blitz was or your favorite pure wax to seal, enhance and protect.

If you let the wax go and slight swirls reappear, you can repolish again with the H5 by hand, then rerub against the swirls with the H& and rewax.

Eventually, the swirls will pretty much disappear for good. (They are in the very top of the paint only and are much shallower than the original scratching). The overall benefit is a much deeper shine.

Great point on not using the dishwasher detergent on your car washing. It does definitely strip the wax.

However, I have found it useful to use a separate bucket and sponge w/ dishwasher liquid and warm water, to wash only the insides of the wheel wells and tire sidewalls where things get quite grungy.

The Clay is a God's send and I highly recommend using the clay bar to remove rough feeling contaminants on the paint before polishing.
This includes removing air contaminants and paint over spray.

Yes, we used to have to high speed buff these off and that could be tough on the paint because you had to work it so hard to remove them however, thanks to the Clay, the high speed buffing is now reserved more for removing oxidation, surface scratches and other dulling variables.

For drying, I use a Water Sprite synthetic Chamois (available through your local Napa Auto Parts store).

What I like about the Water Sprite is that it is quick, won't scratch plus you can ring it out and your not left with heavy wet towels to deal with.