Can My car get shiny..? (Tan/Metallic Color) ~ Pic Inside

ImPulSe · 04-14-04, 07:58

Ok, I took pics of my car washed... What i used was Meguiars Car shampoo? Then, Used Mothers clay bar, and Mother wax.

Here are pics of my car after.

YES, I know my cars color isnt exactly the type to "shine" like a red or blue car... But, There should still be a way for it to shine more than what i have now... Like this...

What detailing stuff do I need to use?

And in what steps...

heres another pic...

I heard that Meguiars NXT is good... But, I want a glossy shinny look like these images... what exactly do I need? and what do I have to do to get it like this.

hondaguy2582 · 04-14-04, 08:01

You want glossy, try zaino or the klasse system. Both bring out the sparkles on light colored paints. Any oiled wax will give you more depth than shine.

Dinzdale40 · 04-14-04, 08:18

The only difference between the two cars is the lighting......if you take the show car and park it next to yours.....it will not look much better than yours......if at all.....it's all in the photography and lighting.....

ImPulSe · 04-14-04, 08:25

^ yea, i agree with that... But, Will gloss help make it shinny?

Postwood · 04-14-04, 08:55

Park your car in the shade at sunset. Pick a spot that gives you reflections of your house where the sun it hitting it. It's a great trick. I personally like cars with reflections of trees in them. I mostly have house though.

In the click n' Brag section, there's a little tutorial about how to take better pictures.

And I would also agree with those up there, to get a synthetic wax. It will give you a harder reflection. Your car looks good. But, bear in mind, you do have a light color.

ImPulSe · 04-14-04, 09:00

what wax do you guys recommend? what about glaze?

Postwood · 04-15-04, 11:27

Throw some NXT on it. You can get that off the shelf nearly anywhere.

onemansopinion · 04-15-04, 11:50

Help me understand ... why synthetic on lighter colors? Is it related to this comment: "Any oiled wax will give you more depth than shine". [i.e., lighter colors have less available depth (?), therefore focus on a purer shine?]

I just traded in my dark blue touareg for a sand dollar (~ light pearlized tan) lexus lx so I'd like some guidance on how best to adjust my products and/or process for this lighter color. for the touareg, the (full) process was

1) sonax shampoo
2) pinnacle poly clay
3) gepc
4) aio
5) p21s
6) wash weekly & reapply p21s monthly

Should I look to introduce sg topped with upp instead of finishing with p21s? My color looks somewhat similar to yours ImPulSe.

ImPulSe · 04-15-04, 12:54

do you have any pictures of your car done?

onemansopinion · 04-15-04, 01:26

ImPulSe: literally just took delivery of the new, lighter LX this week ... the lexus dealer claimed they had clayed the vehicle during their detail, but I'll have a better opinion of the condition once I wash it & go over it this weekend.

Regarding the process as applied to the Touareg, it worked great & was basically the process laid out by David in his Perfect Shine series.

4DSC · 04-15-04, 10:02

I would pick synthetic vs. carnauba options based on how often you like to apply it and if one of them fits into your personal tastes or schedules. They basically do the same job, but they are sometimes applied differently and have different qualities to them. How they "look" is often a matter of personal opinion.

In any case, maximizing the paint's appearance with good prep and polishing is most important first. Light coloured cars can look wet and glossy, but not terribly "reflective" the way dark colours do (under certain lighting conditions).