Newb Questions For People Who Have Detailed Metallic Silver Cars.

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Offender_Mullet1

New member
Hi everyone. My car is a metallic silver (a.k.a. Silverstone) Nissan 350Z. Itâ€â„¢s not a light, or dark color. Itâ€â„¢s in the middle. I don't have oxidization or anything of the sort. The paint is still perfect.



For my 1st time trying to wax her, I used my âہ“lazy methodâ€Â�. It is: Getting the car washed at the dealer, driving home on the highway to get most of the water off, then drying the rest of it with a terry. When thatâ€â„¢s done, I applied some NXT Tech Wax. I waited about 2 days, then put a second coat on. I don't care for the NXT too much. I think itâ€â„¢s time I did things the right way and used more higher-end products.



Step 1:



Washing.......I want to remove the NXT wax, so I should use Dawn (the blue bottle). Is there anything else that works better than Dawn?



After that process, should I apply Klasse All-In-One? Or, does Klasse remove old wax?





Step 2:

Glazing.......In one of the guides, it says that if youâ€â„¢re paint is clean and free of oxidization, then there is no need to put a glaze on. I figured since Iâ€â„¢m already going to use the Klasse All-In-One, that putting Klasse Sealant Glaze on top of the All-In-One couldnâ€â„¢t hurt?





Step 3:

Waxing.......Like I stated above, I put 2 coats of NXT, but I'm not happy with it. Please recommend another wax.





Quick Detailing:

For future quick detailing, I'll use the Four Star Ultimate Gloss Enhancer.





Towels, Polishing Mitts, etc:

I'm going to purchase the towels listed in the "The Perfect Shine" guide, so if there are any better products than those listed, please let me know.
 
Offender_Mullet - Welcome to Autopia!



The AIO will remove the NXT. Dawn's stripping abilities are over-rated. Just use a regular car shampoo and work at not marring the finish.



The KSG isn't a "glaze" in the conventional sense, it's a sealant. Yeah, use it over the AIO. I get the best appearance (and good protection) from three-four coats of the SG. You might like how it looks all by itself (I've used it on a few silver vehicles that way). If not, topping with a good carnauba always makes it look better (at least to me). I'd recommend Meg's #16 but it's no longer available. I also like Souveran, but it's a little pricey. See what others recommend. P21S/S100, Natty's, and FK Pink come to mind...



The 4* QD will work fine over the SG, but I'd probably use a carnauba-based QD like Pinnacle Crystal Mist or Griot's Speed Shine or EF Clear Pearl over a carnauba.
 
For the Metallic Silver, I'd recommend either Pinnacle Signature Series, or P21S/S100.



I personally like the 4* UGE a lot.



Like Accumulator said, Klasse Sealant Glaze is a sealant, not a glaze. AIO plus SG will be good, and then add a layer or two of wax on top for the best look.

And don't bother with Dawn. It's harsh on your rubber seals. Just use AIO to clean off the old NXT.
 
I have a silverstone 350z as well, relatively new. My last detail I went with a combo of Klass All In One, Poorboys EXP topped with Pinnacle Souv. Looked great. Before that effort I had just clayed then used Mother's glaze and wax which wasn't all that impressive (before I found this site, but that's another story). The AIO is definitely worth it, it makes a big difference. I'd also suggest you take the time to clay, that is definitely worth the effort as well. The Pinnacle looks incredible, but it is a dust magnet. I'm planning on trying a VM, EXP, CMW combo in a few weeks.
 
I personally love the way Z2Pro looks on silver. AIO/Z2Pro on silver is amazing. Really brings out the sparkle. Then all you gotta do is maintain it with the Zaino Gloss Enhancer spray.
 
BlackSunshine said:
I personally love the way Z2Pro looks on silver. AIO/Z2Pro on silver is amazing. Really brings out the sparkle. Then all you gotta do is maintain it with the Zaino Gloss Enhancer spray.
Click to expand...





Z2 will make your silver look really bright.



I know many people love using AIO before Zaino. But to me it seems like AIO make drying time for Zaino Longer AND for some reason, it kinda make the paint less bright compare doing an Alcohol wipe prior to applying Zaino.



Its just my observation thats all.
 
I find the following process works very well on silver:



1. Wash with P21S soap.

2. Clay with Sonus Block & Glyde.

3. Light wash with P21S soap.

4. Apply AIO with Lake Country finishing pad if paints in good shape (or before apply Poorboys SSR2.5)

5. Top with either P21S or Pinnacle Souveran.

6. QD with Pinnacle Crystal Mist or Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl.



The AIO and Souveran really make the silver flakes pop out and the AIO leaves a nice layer of protection.



I recommend microfibers from PakShak and Waynes Towels.
 
Choices choices. It's very hard taking a guess with all this, because I don't want to end up spending hundreds of $'s to find the 'perfect' detailing combination.



Seems like Zaino has a huge following, bordering on obsession. I've heard mostly good things about it, but I'm going to give other products a try first.



holland_patrick & 1 Clean WS6, very sweet pics! I'll try your combos if my 1st one doesn't work out.



Accumulator, You said you get the best results from 3-4 coats of Klasse SG. Exactly how long did you wait in-between coats?



I'll do the AIO + SG process first.



As far as quick-detailing sprays go, is the one that I listed & the ones you guys have listed compatible with Klasse SG?
 
When I do the KSG I'll wait 24 hours if it's a vehicle that can stay off the road. If it needs to be in daily service I'll cheat a little for the second coat by doing it the next morning (usually works out more like 18 hours) but then I just add another coat after each wash for a while. If I'm unsure as to the cleanliness of the panesl after the wash I'll do a very gentle claying.



Actually, on the MPV (which I don't top with wax these days) I just clay and add SG whenever I have the time and inclination.



IIRC, I've used Sonus, BF, and QuikShine (sp?) on KSG without any trouble. I would expect the 4# UGE to work OK too. But I really don't use these things much. I usually just add SG (or whatever LSP) if I think there's something lacking.



NO way I can overstate the need to apply the SG *THIN*. On silver, if you can see it you used *way* too much. Go by feel (areas you've covered will feel different than areas you haven't).



The bottle oughta last you many years. I use *far* less than an ounce to do the minivan. My 1 liter bottle of SG has lasted me for years and will last for at least five more. That's dozens of applications (and a few spills :o ) and it's still well over 2/3 full.
 
I didn't think I had oxidization until I clayed the whole car (year old). Only afterwards, did I realise what was hidden underneath all this time! :cool:



I think silver is a tough color to get looking good, and in my (albeit quite recent) experience, surface preparation is king. Time spent in the early stages of the detail, cleaning/polishing the paint surface multiplies the effect of the finished product.



Wash -> Strip -> Clay -> Wash -> Polish -> Seal -> Wax



(I use Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover for the 'Strip' stage)



I would post some pictures, but my 'rice rollerskate' isn't as fancy as some of the wild rides pictured here. :o
 
I have two silver cars....the Bug is done with VM/EX-P X 2 after a wash with PB's SSS and Sonus clay. Polish with PB's Pro Polish. I use the wash solution as a lube...and topped with two coats of Natty's. Maintain with S&W and S&G. The car glows. My silver mist CR-V is currently getting the same wash and clay routine followed by Pro Polish, VM and UPP. I am trying out the VM/UPP combo for the first time and have only one coat of UPP so far. It's going to get 3 coats. I'm not sure if I will add any Natty's. It would be interesting to try a little Souveran, but I don't have any and it's a bit spendy.
 
wannafbody,



You read my mind. I decided not to go with SG, so I ordered UPP instead.



First is AIO, then UPP on top of that, finally when I need a quick detail the 'Ultimate Gloss Enhancer' will be used.



I'm all set to go:

Handi-Grip Applicator (3)

Concours Buffing Towel

Sonüs Der Wunder Drying Towel

Sonüs Der Wunder Polishing Towel

OXO Autotive Wash Bucket (2)



Four Star Ultimate Auto Wash Shampoo

Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection

Four Star Ultimate Gloss Enhancer

Klasse All-In-One



$154 well spent :D Am I missing anything? :rolleyes:
 
Washed my car w/ Dawn to get the NXT wax off.



Then, I applyied Klasse AIO. I think I did it right, because the car feels smooth-as-hell! This stuff is awesome! I used the Sonus polishing towel & it removed it flawlessly. The directions said not to let it sit, but I waited about 30 seconds after applying it to buff it off.



Unfortunately I ran out of daylight, so I couldn't apply the first (of 4) coats of UPP. That will be tomorrow.



I just got a digital camera, so I'll wait a few more days until I'm done detailing to take pictures.
 
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