Need Help: Detailing Pewter Silver S430

S

sv7887

New member
Hi Everyone,

I just bought my dad this car for his birthday. We had a great looking Navy Blue LS430 before, but this was his dream car..



Problem is making it look as shiny as the blue car..



I tried the following Combo that worked really well on my Corolla:

1) Autoglym Super Resin Polish

2) Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection

3) Natty's Blue

4) Mother Advanced Top Coat 2X



Even after this it looked good but "dull." I haven't taken pictures yet, but here's what the car looked like at delivery on Monday. Now it looks a little brighter.



This is what it looked like at delivery. I'll post some more pictures of what it looked like after detail. Is there a LSP that I could add to make it gloss or glow better. I don't see how I can get a "Deep Shine" like I did on the navy blue, but feel free to advise!!





SExterior.JPG
 
This suggestion would be taking the process in a different direction, but I have seen a lot of great-looking silver cars with the Klasse twins, or Jeff's Werkstatt products.
 
Unfortunately, light color cars just cannot be made to look as good as dark colored cars. It's just the laws of physics. No way around it unfortunately. With a light color car you have to almost turn away from depth of shine and instead concentrate on wetness and flake pop.



If you want to kick up the shine on the S-Class a little more I would continue to experiment with different polishes/LSPs. BTW, really nice of you to buy your dad a car.



Here's a pic of my father's car (he bought it not me :D ) which is a similar color. I recently polished it with Menzerna FPII and it currently has a coat of DP Max Wax on it. The Menzerna I find gives paint a really wet look and the Max Wax kicked the wetness up another notch. The MW also really made the flake pop and gave very good reflections.

IMG_0795.jpg
 
I'd recommend Four Star UPP on that finish. I've done a couple of Mercedes (brilliant silver...not pewter, but my SUV is pewter and the results are awesome) with the stuff and have been really impressed.



Excuse the lack of close-ups as well as the change in lighting from start to finish, but this'll give you an idea:

03.jpg




04.jpg


07.jpg




It's the most awesome stuff I've found for light metallics. I also recently started using the UPP spray for a nice touch-up between topcoats. Good luck!
 
Nice son.



Hey - If I make your silver the way you want it, would you buy me a new gti? :D:D:D



If you don't think it is a fair deal, order FK1's #185 #303 #425 and Pink Wax. Make sure to put down several layers of Pink Wax on it.
 
Proper prep 1st using Menzerna PO106FF or Zaino Z-PC



3 coats of Zaino Z2Pro w/ZFX topped w/Z8



or



2 coats of Poorboys EX-P topped w/Nattys or Nattys Blue



Both of these combos will give you the depth you're looking for...
 
What year is that S? Looks to be '00 or '01. It might be the past history of the finish that is making it difficult to detail. How a car is maintained over five or six years can make a big difference on how it will clean up. I have an '00 S500 and have never had it professionally detailed, but have kept it clean and garaged and it looks beautiful today. I'm scheduled to have it detailed next month.

New_wheels_011_Medium_.jpg
 
ramp said:
What year is that S? Looks to be '00 or '01. It might be the past history of the finish that is making it difficult to detail. How a car is maintained over five or six years can make a big difference on how it will clean up. I have an '00 S500 and have never had it professionally detailed, but have kept it clean and garaged and it looks beautiful today. I'm scheduled to have it detailed next month.
Click to expand...

It's an 03-06. I can tell just by the headlights (clear, the older ones were a tad fogged) I'm amazed at how many S class owners are on here. My parents own a 2004 blue S430 which ironically I'll be cleaning up for them soon.
 
blueangelfightr said:
It's an 03-06. I can tell just by the headlights (clear, the older ones were a tad fogged) I'm amazed at how many S class owners are on here. My parents own a 2004 blue S430 which ironically I'll be cleaning up for them soon.
Click to expand...

Do you think? Here's a front shot of mine...



New_wheels_003_Medium_.jpg




Not as good a look at the headlights though...
 
fmodena said:
Proper prep 1st...
Click to expand...



Yeah, that's what I was thinking. While silver sorta makes light marring hard to spot, that same "invisible" light marring can keep it from looking good. I too like UPP on silver, but IMO it looks about as good as it's going to *before* the LSP goes on.
 
ramp said:
Do you think? Here's a front shot of mine...



Not as good a look at the headlights though...
Click to expand...

In person they look noticably different. Look at the bumper too. Notice a differance... More in the spilter area. Theres other slight differances too (like the clearer turn signals on the mirrors) but I'm a huge Mercedes-Benz guy so I look for this stuff. I'm pretty sure it's a 03-06 model. In 2003 the S class got a facelift with these differances. BTW I like your car alot. Those AMG rims look great on it! :xyxthumbs
 
blueangelfightr said:
In person they look noticably different. Look at the bumper too. Notice a differance... More in the spilter area. Theres other slight differances too (like the clearer turn signals on the mirrors) but I'm a huge Mercedes-Benz guy so I look for this stuff. I'm pretty sure it's a 03-06 model. In 2003 the S class got a facelift with these differances. BTW I like your car alot. Those AMG rims look great on it! :xyxthumbs
Click to expand...

Thanks! I went out and looked closer at my S, and you are correct. It's funny that someone who drives an S can't tell the difference, and someone who doesn't (?) can. Go job.
 
blueangelfightr said:
It's an 03-06. I can tell just by the headlights (clear, the older ones were a tad fogged) I'm amazed at how many S class owners are on here. My parents own a 2004 blue S430 which ironically I'll be cleaning up for them soon.
Click to expand...



ahem ahem..... :)



To be specific, the 02-05 S Class came with projector lenses both with and w/o HID (and they were clear like the original thread-starter's pix) The 00-01 came with reflector (cloudy) lenses both with and without HID





and no, I don't own one, but I
drool.gif
and almost nut on every single S55 that passes me.



I expect to have one in a couple years :work:
 
NT2SHBBY said:
ahem ahem..... :)



To be specific, the 02-05 S Class came with projector lenses both with and w/o HID (and they were clear like the original thread-starter's pix) The 00-01 came with reflector (cloudy) lenses both with and without HID





and no, I don't own one, but I
drool.gif
and almost nut on every single S55 that passes me.



I expect to have one in a couple years :work:
Click to expand...

What is HID? (High Intensity D????). Mine are Xenon (sp?).
 
ramp said:
What is HID? (High Intensity D????). Mine are Xenon (sp?).
Click to expand...





High Intensity Discharge which = Xenon....





HID is the "preferred" term esp with enthusiasts because:



1) Xenon became more the term associated with cheap halogen blue colored knockoff bulbs that burnout stock non-HID equipped wiring harnesses and actually reduce vision, not increase it as claimed (look around on ebay under Xenon sometime)



2) HID is the actual technology term. Xenon would be the gas that encapsulates each HID capsule (bulb)
 
NT2SHBBY said:
ahem ahem..... :)



To be specific, the 02-05 S Class came with projector lenses both with and w/o HID (and they were clear like the original thread-starter's pix) The 00-01 came with reflector (cloudy) lenses both with and without HID





and no, I don't own one, but I
drool.gif
and almost nut on every single S55 that passes me.



I expect to have one in a couple years :work:
Click to expand...

Really?



2002 S55 AMG with the 'zenon' lights. Notice the headlights?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/S55-...4624655266QQcategoryZ6336QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



2003 S55 AMG with the 'zenon' lights. Differance?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/493F...oryZ6336QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



I'm telling you. In 2003 when the S got the facelift THATS when it got the clear headlights. Unless they were aftermarket. :think2
 
blueangelfightr said:
Really?



2002 S55 AMG with the 'zenon' lights. Notice the headlights? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/S55-...4624655266QQcategoryZ6336QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



2003 S55 AMG with the 'zeon' lights. Differance?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/493F...oryZ6336QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



I'm telling you. In 2003 when the S got the facelift THATS when it got the clear headlights. Unless they were aftermarket. :think2
Click to expand...





I've seen 02's with the projectors (or as you call them "clears")....Now I am pretty sure an 03 headlight is directly swappable with 00-02's.....
 
NT2SHBBY said:
I've seen 02's with the projectors (or as you call them "clears")....Now I am pretty sure an 03 headlight is directly swappable with 00-02's.....
Click to expand...

I'm not doubting you've seen it... But I'm telling you the car didn't come like that. They probally are swappable. :xyxthumbs
 
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