Wax suggestions 4 heavy metallic, light silver

[xencloud]

Hey all, I`m new to the forums here and I`ve heard so many great suggestions about this forum, I had to come check it out. I`m looking for some wax suggestions for a silver color on my IS300. This color has very heavy metallic, and is a very light silver, almost looks like pearlized white....I`d call it platinum silver. I`ve heard some waxes look better on certain colors, so I`d be looking for a good match for this paint color......



Anyway, I`ve used zaino in the past, following the directions very carefully, letting each coat dry completely, and put 6 coats on my last IS300 (different car). It came out looking pretty good, but I`ve seen better, and I`m ready to move on to some different products.



If possible, I`m also looking for a wax that leaves little, if any, residue. That`s the only big plus I saw with Zaino, I really enjoyed not having to go back and clean residue off of it. I would really appreciate any suggestions you guys have as to what products can give me a great finish. Thanks in advance! Austin



:2thumbs:

[Pats300zx]

My recommendations for silver:



Klasse AIO

4* UPP



Another fav:



1Z Glanz Wax

[imported_series1]

Klasse AIO then SG ( 2 or 3 coats if possible) then P21S. My other choice is VM then EX-P

[jmsc]

1Z Einszett WaxPolish Soft (a mild polish contains carnauba easy on easy off no residue) will pop those metallics



1Z Einszett Glanz Wax to seal it in



Its my fav for metallic paint

[xencloud]

thanks for the quick suggestions guys!

[Accumulator]

xencloud- Welcome to Autopia!



Since you don`t like how the Zaino looks, two things come to mind: 1) Perhaps you don`t like the "sealant-type look" and/or 2) maybe you need more perfect prep before applying the LSP. Silver can be tricky to prep because it`s hard to see the flaws that make it look sorta "blah". I use multiple lighting sources (including bright sunlight and tungsten/incandescent) and sometimes even magnification.



The Klasse twins just don`t get it for me on silver (tried them on Subaru, Audi, and Mazda silver). I know they`re very popular, but that`s just my opinion. Adding a wax topper does help a bit, and I`ll say that the more "heavily metallic" the silver the better they look, so maybe you`d like this approach. Sorta similar to the Zaino, though, but the wax topper might be they key.



1Z WPS is OK, I just used it (topped with #16) on my wife`s A8, but my fave is 1Z Pro MP topped with UPP. I do a few light passes with the MP after it already looks perfect, just to lightly "burnish" the surface. Then I go straight to the UPP. Literally blinding in bright sun, the way it hits the metallic. Makes it hard to evaluate in that light. Best "metallic pop" I ever achieved.



Comparing our two silver Audis, the MP/UPP looks noticeably better to me. And IMO it also looks a lot better than the KSG on our silver Mazda.

[sbkang]

I see that UPP is often recommended here for silver. My new car is silver (BMW X3), and I currently have Zaino on it. What I love about Zaino, aside from the reflectivity, is the durability -- I don`t feel guilty if I don`t get around to adding another coat for a few months, and I know it`s still there doing its job and looking good.



But, I would also love to find something that`ll make the silver glow and give me that dripping wet shine, *without* reapplying monthly. (I have no problem applying a QD/spritz/booster product every few weeks, but not every week.) What is the durability (appearance, slickness, and beading) of UPP? My car is parked outdoors in sunny Los Angeles (though on workdays it`s usually in a covered open structure).



I put Mothers Reflections on the roommate`s silver SLK a week ago, and it`s possible the look is a little closer to what I want. It seems to have a hair more of the wet drippy look, but it could also just be the way the SLK`s panels flow. I have no idea about the durability, though, and I haven`t yet tried the TopCoat. I tried NXT and S100 on top of my Zaino on parts of the hood, and darned if I can see a difference. If anything the NXT has a slight edge, but durability is unacceptable. I also prefer to stick with an integrated LSP rather than a sealant+topper in which the topper is incompatible and needs to be stripped before refreshing the sealant (i.e. Zaino+anything else).



Does the product I want exist, and is it UPP?

[chevyguy28]

Hey James,

Sounds like we have very similar priorities. If you want to maintain compatibility, perhaps give Z8 a try. It takes a few days for the results to show, and even then, the difference may not be as dramatic as adding a coat of UPP. But it`s very easy to wipe the car down with it after every wash.



I use FMJ, and the looks are very similar to UPP. Wasn`t really happy with my titanium colored car until I added FMJ over three coats of Z2Pro + Z8. Now the metallic tends to pop a bit more.



Zaino as the base, I then add FMJ (UPP would do as well) whenever I feel like it. Slickness goes away faster than Zaino, but based on another car I have that soley has FMJ on it, durability is pretty decent. You can get 1-2 months easily.



I wash with Zaino Z7 and use Z6 or Menzerna Acrylic Shield after washes to maintain and it works just fine. Acryic Shield basically replenishes FMJ enough to the point where it feels like I just applied it, so it stradles the line between QD and spray sealant. You could do that every 2-4 weeks.



UPP/FMJ would give you that pop and you wouldn`t have to replenish it that often, only when you feel like it. Even if you left the car alone for 3 months, you would still have good protection IMO. FMJ applies and removes so easily, especially with a finishing pad and PC, that I`ve been reapplying WAY more often than I would with Zaino.



So in summary: 1-3 coats of Zaino for base protection, top with FMJ. Acrylic Shield every 2-4 weeks, with additional coats of FMJ whenever I`ve had time.



I didn`t intend to use this combo, but it was created by my laziness to strip Zaino before FMJ use and has worked out quite well.



- J

[AlexRuiz]

I see that UPP is often recommended here for silver. My new car is silver (BMW X3), and I currently have Zaino on it. What I love about Zaino, aside from the reflectivity, is the durability -- I don`t feel guilty if I don`t get around to adding another coat for a few months, and I know it`s still there doing its job and looking good.



But, I would also love to find something that`ll make the silver glow and give me that dripping wet shine, *without* reapplying monthly. (I have no problem applying a QD/spritz/booster product every few weeks, but not every week.) What is the durability (appearance, slickness, and beading) of UPP? My car is parked outdoors in sunny Los Angeles (though on workdays it`s usually in a covered open structure).



I put Mothers Reflections on the roommate`s silver SLK a week ago, and it`s possible the look is a little closer to what I want. It seems to have a hair more of the wet drippy look, but it could also just be the way the SLK`s panels flow. I have no idea about the durability, though, and I haven`t yet tried the TopCoat. I tried NXT and S100 on top of my Zaino on parts of the hood, and darned if I can see a difference. If anything the NXT has a slight edge, but durability is unacceptable. I also prefer to stick with an integrated LSP rather than a sealant+topper in which the topper is incompatible and needs to be stripped before refreshing the sealant (i.e. Zaino+anything else).



Does the product I want exist, and is it UPP?



If reflections didn`t convince you, I am not sure what to suggets other than a sealant topping a glaze, but durability gets compromised.



Personal suggestion: Get the top coat over that reflections, maintain every 3 weeks with the reflections spray wax. Reflections should give you 6-9 weeks by itself, a little more with the top coat. I strongly suggest to make sure the paint is in very good to flawless shape. This is the product I have found so far to have the least amount of cleaners of all the cleaner waxes / sealants. Polish well before applying to maximize the look.

Application / removal of this one is too easy. You will even think you applied it wrong of how easy it is.



Another one I can suggest to make the metallic flakes pop is Tropicare TC-3. Application / removal is not as easy as reflections but notyhing to worry about. Smell is intoxicatingly yummy, look is very sparkly and durability is also 6-9 weeks.



xencloud, try mothers reflections advanced wax, top it with reflections top coat, maintain with reflections spray wax every 3 weeks. This should please you. Make sure the paint is prepared well, as reflections cleaners will do almost nothing.

[sbkang]

I must say I was stunned by the ease of using Reflections, which I tried based on your comments in other threads. It is definitely my new favorite over the counter product, but I`m going to hold off on putting it on my car until I see it go through a few washes with my own eyes. If there`s one thing I hate it`s having a great look that disappears after the first or second wash. I`ll definitely try the TopCoat (on roomie`s car) as well.

[wannafbody]

every picture of silver with UPP I`ve seen looks great

[Thomas Dekany]

FK1`s #216 is awesome on light colors. I am about to order a gallon of it.

[Alfisti]

On metallic silver I have to say I really admire the Reflections duo. Although Reflections creates a carnauba look on dark colours, it makes metallics really float and dance, regardless if it`s light or dark paint.



FX is also good on light colours for the shiny reflective finish, but on metallics I want to see deeply into the flake and Reflections is as good as anything out there for achieving that.

[Accumulator]

I see that UPP is often recommended here for silver...What I love about Zaino, aside from the reflectivity, is the durability...

But, I would also love to find something that`ll make the silver glow and give me that dripping wet shine, *without* reapplying monthly. (I have no problem applying a QD/spritz/booster product every few weeks, but not every week.) What is the durability (appearance, slickness, and beading) of UPP?



Well, it won`t be as durable as Zaino, I`m sure of that. I really can`t say how long it`ll last because a) the S8 doesn`t get used as much as your car and it`s always garaged, and b) I reapply the UPP whenever it loses any slickness, which is long before it really *needs* redoing. I dunno if you`d be happy just using the 4-Star UGE spray or whether you`d end up reapplying the UPP every month (though that sounds awfully frequent to me).

[mtwedt]

My CR-V Satin Silver is very like the "pearlized, almost white" in certain types of light as well. My current combo on it is VM/UPPX3/Natty`s. Maintenence with S&W, QuikShine and S&G. I`ve quite happy with it thus far.