Tips for a silver car

[tripperfx3]

I just purchased a LOT of stuff from AG for xmas and was wanting to do a full detail on my silver Evo. I was curious as to what process would be the best to go with with the supplies I have: Menz FP, IP, FG, Collinite 845, Poorboys pro. polish, SSR 2.5, SSR 1, EX-P and doing this with a UDM and LC CCS pads. I live in Reno, NV and we are getting pounded by snow, so I want to get the most gloss with the best protection. I've been told the poorboys pro. polish with the EX-P is a good combo for silver, but the EX-P doesn't last as long as the Collinite. So would the EX-P bond with the Collinite if i used the EX-P on top of it as a LSP? Also, when I went home to GA I brought some of my stuff home as a fellow Evo owner wanted a detail and I wanted to try out my new stuff and was VERY impressed with Menz products and Collinite (thats also all i was able to carry with me) and was just going to try that on my silver Evo (his was blue BTW), but i keep on hearing that the poorboys stuff is the way to go on silver from another friend. I know my selection is limited, but I tried to get the best stuff I could afford. Just looking for some input from the professionals here! :D

P.S. The condition of the paint isn't too bad. Not too many noticeable swirls/scratches and they are very light.

[sparkie]

Top the EX-P with Collinite it will do fine. Wait untill the next day for the Collinite wax.

[ScottB]

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2/1killerw.jpg

I use to find Wolfgang Concours or Pinnacle Souveran Paste made it look wet enough for me !

[Jimmie]

You ask about putting the EX-P over a carnauba. The rule of thumb is that you need to lay a sealant on clean paint. Most when layed over a carnauba will be a smear fest. NOW, there are exceptions and I think EX-P is one, or is it EX? Too confusing. Rather than trying to remember exceptions I just steer clear of putting it over carnauba or even glazes for that matter.

[budman3]

First off you'll want to remove as many swirls as possible, even though they may not be entirely visible on the silver. If SSR1 and Menz FP won't take them out (with a polishing pad), try Pro Polish with a LC orange light cut pad, if that doesn't work try Menz FP with a polishing pad or SSR2.5 and a polishing pad. If that doesn't work then bump up to an orange light cut pad with SSR2.5. After you do this step, depending on which one, it would be a good idea to finish off with SSR1 or Pro Polish with a polishing pad to prep the surface for your wax and sealants. I personally haven't noticed poor durability with EX-P but try to let the product sit on the paint for as long as you can (hours) and then come back and wipe it off. You'll still want to wait the 24 hours before topping as well, if you want maximum durability from the EX-P. The PP and EX-P combo is very nice, especially if you have any metal flake. Here is a picture of metal flake from that exact combo on a Ford Explorer:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/615/medium/Picture_026.jpg

After you top the EX-P with the Collinite (apply by hand so you don't remove the EX-P, very thin too) I would suggest getting some Optimum Car Wax to boost the shine. Many have noticed (myself included) that OCW seems to look its best on silver paint. It'll give that little extra look that you may be looking for.

[tripperfx3]

Thanks for the tips guys! Im still a newbie and learning. So do the EX-P 1st and then the Collinite. Ill be picking up another 50-100 bucks worth of stuff this month, so Ill pick up some of the Optimum Car Wax with that.

[Thejoyofdriving]

I own a silver car, and to be honest I do silver, as i would any other color car.

[tripperfx3]

I own a silver car, and to be honest I do silver, as i would any other color car.
That what i figured, but like i mentioned a friend of mine who has been detailing for a few years said the poorboy pro. polish and EX-P really make silver pop, so thats where the basis of my question was coming from.

[Thejoyofdriving]

That what i figured, but like i mentioned a friend of mine who has been detailing for a few years said the poorboy pro. polish and EX-P really make silver pop, so thats where the basis of my question was coming from.

In my opinion, using a different polish for a different color will not make a diffrence. I use menzerna polishes, and....they all work the same on all colors. I dont think i would be accurate to say that a specific polish would make a cretin color car "pop'' more. From a scientific stand point it doesnt make sense.

[budman3]

It's not so much that the polish/sealant work better on silver, it's that they end up being very clear and make metal flake stand out better. And where do you find the most metal flake? Silver vehicles. An oily polish would diminish the look of the flakes... as would certain waxes or sealants. EX-P is a very clear sealant which works better on vehicles with metal flake and lighter colors versus lets say EX which is a synthetic sealant with carnauba would produce more gloss and 'glow' and would look better on a dark vehicle with little to no metal flake. The same is true with waxes... Souveran offers the carnauba glow whereas P21S and SSII are more clear and let flakes stand out better. I find that the choice of LSP can change the look of a vehicle moreso than a polish. That is the way I think of it atleast...

[Dieseldan]

menz polish clearkote rmg pinnacle souveran

i have a silver MDX and this was the best my vehicle looked, you might also want to look into the new megs 21

[Thejoyofdriving]

It's not so much that the polish/sealant work better on silver, it's that they end up being very clear and make metal flake stand out better. And where do you find the most metal flake? Silver vehicles. An oily polish would diminish the look of the flakes... as would certain waxes or sealants. EX-P is a very clear sealant which works better on vehicles with metal flake and lighter colors versus lets say EX which is a synthetic sealant with carnauba would produce more gloss and 'glow' and would look better on a dark vehicle with little to no metal flake. The same is true with waxes... Souveran offers the carnauba glow whereas P21S and SSII are more clear and let flakes stand out better. I find that the choice of LSP can change the look of a vehicle moreso than a polish. That is the way I think of it atleast...

I hear what you are saying budman.....but isnt the objective of ALL waxes/sealants to be as clear as possible? You want the paint to stand out as much as possible, regardless if it has flakes or not? I mean you dont want to apply a wax.sealant thats not clear, right? because the objective of all waxes/sealant besides protecting is to make the car "look better". Im not trying to battle you in any way, I am interested to understand what you are saying, because to me it never made sense to use different waxes on different colored cars. I havent really worried to much about waxes because really its all in the prep, if waxes/sealants even do make a difference, its going to be at best minimal (2%-3% "better looking") in my opinion.

[jshillin]

Polish and apply 2 coats of 845IW. 845IW really looks good on silver.

[budman3]

I hear what you are saying budman.....but isnt the objective of ALL waxes/sealants to be as clear as possible? You want the paint to stand out as much as possible, regardless if it has flakes or not? I mean you dont want to apply a wax.sealant thats not clear, right? because the objective of all waxes/sealant besides protecting is to make the car "look better". Im not trying to battle you in any way, I am interested to understand what you are saying, because to me it never made sense to use different waxes on different colored cars. I havent really worried to much about waxes because really its all in the prep, if waxes/sealants even do make a difference, its going to be at best minimal (2%-3% "better looking") in my opinion.

I don't know what's in waxes and sealants that make them look different on a polished surface but I have found that they do. So say for example you take 5 silver BMWs side by side (hypothetical of course), polish them all to the same perfection using the machine and polish. They all should be identical in a perfect world. Now from my experiences and after doing a lot of reading/looking online you will get different looks for all of these LSPs- Zaino, Klasse SG, Souveran, SSII, and lets say Meguair's #26.

The Zaino will leave a highly reflective appearance and will lack depth. A highly reflective surface looks especailly nice on dark colors- dark blue and black.

The Klasse will leave a hard candy, plastic like appearance. I haven't used SG on a variety of vehicles so I can't personally say what colors it looks best on. It has that hard candy look but is still very clear.

The Souveran is going to make dark colors glow. It'll leave a glossy and reflective look, which could mute the look of metal flake.

SSII on the other hand, seems to be a clear wax that may lack the gloss but makes up for it by enhancing the look of the metal flake, found on lighter colors. You could use SSII on a dark vehicle and have great results but the results would look more impressive on light colors with metal flake.

Meg's #26 is tough to ID. It does darken paint yet it still looks great on metallic finishes. It does indeed have the reflective properties of a carnauba.

I don't think that LSPs are made to look better on certain colors, but the characteristics of the product makes them stand out better on certain colors. I didn't go into toppoing a sealant with a wax or spit shining, because that's way too complicated to describe. :) I agree 100% that a polished surface is more important than the choice of LSP, but there is a huge range of looks when it comes to waxes and sealants.

[Thejoyofdriving]

I never have experienced that different waxes have different looks to them, but i havent ever does a test to prove that there is no difference, to me though, it doesnt make sense that a wax can add more depth, but have less shine etc. to me if a wax is going to do something its going to increase surface gloss, i dont see how a layer of wax that is a few microns thick is going to "add depth".