honest advice RE silver

[02zx9r]

I use Griot's, very pricey. But the Duragloss stuff is supposed to be almost as good and (assuming you can find it up there) it oughta be a lot cheaper.



Even Meguiar's Gold Class or NXT is probably OK if you're using a foamgun. I used Meg's #62 for quite a while before going with Griot's, and it's not too expensive if you buy it in gallons.

So the Megs gold class or nxt is not as good without a foam gun?? Just asking and trying to learn is all! I use the gold class but not with a gun.



Mike

 

[gigondaz]

IMO, the most critical step in making any silver look its best, is multiple rounds of

compounding with wool pad. The more rounds you compound it, the "brighter" it looks.

Without compounding with rotary, and going straight to Zaino, Klasse etc can also give more than decent results. But IMO, that special "brightness" is just not there.



If I am only doing by hand (as you'll be doing), my favourite step is:



1. Klasse AIO thoroughly - cleans and adds a nice shimmer.

2. Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection. This adds a nice bright, wet look and super slick

feel. If you want, wait 12hrs and do another layer.

3. Collinite (optional) - cos EGP doesn't really last that long.



If you want the max, and decide to use a rotary in the future, compound thoroughly using megs 105with wool pad first as it'll bring out a nice bright look, remove residual swirls if any, and then proceed to Klasse etc. If your clearcoat is very soft, you might wanna use Megs 86 instead of 105.



Did a Merc S-class (Iridium Silver) today, and the owner said it looked fabulous.

 

[Accumulator]

So the Megs gold class or nxt is not as good without a foam gun?? Just asking and trying to learn is all! I use the gold class but not with a gun.

I switched to (exclusively) Griot's Car Wash before I started using the foamgun, so I dunno just how well other shampoos would work with it (and with *my* foamgun technique). But since it's all about encapsulation and lubricity, I'd expect shampoos that are decent in those areas to do OK.



OK, I'll admit that I'm really paranoid about this stuff, so I think I'd lean towards the Duragloss. I'm once again (it was on sale) using GC (never tried the NXT wash) for my wheels/wheelwells/etc. and it just doesn't seem to be as good as what I'd want for the paint. It's better than cheapie washes, and worlds better than something like Deep Crystal or Turtle Wax Zip Wash, but *IMO* it's just not a top-tier shampoo.



Since wash-induced marring is probably the #1 cause of swirls/etc., I'd rather spend a little more if the shampoo can help, and IMO it can. Still gotta do all the technique stuff right, but starting with the wrong product(s) can impose a huge handicap right from the git-go.

 

[02zx9r]

thanks for the input

 

[Cleaning Fool]

ill keep my dumb questionis here...lol



well, my products arrived from mike at zaino... 1 day..wow quick!!!



anyway, i HAD to try the leather cleaner and conditioner...smells pretty good...



now, is it like the paint produts, can be used sparringly?? i think i used too much, but i figured more is better on leather... but once my cotton cloth was damp it was almost like i didnt need to use more product...but i did..



thnaks

Theres only a couple things in life that are better than opening a box of new detailing products. Yeah, Zaino ships fast. Let us know how it goes.

 

[phatkid77]

man the leather smell is GOOOOD....



SO, is this like the paint stuff...apply pretty thin????



thanks