AZS2KDancer

I'm wondering if there is any one sealant, wax or combination that will get Silverstone paint to really have that wet, mirror-like finish.

GSteg

I have Gtechniq Serum Light and EXO on my silverstone and I like it more than any other coating I've tried.

Vanishing Point

Assuming the paint isn't "aged" from being outside I would make sure the clear coat is completely clean before any paint correction, polishing or waxing. A Deionizing cleaner will remove all the embedded fallout from brake dust, etc. from all the surfaces that car soap or clay bar will not remove. Then start with paint correction, polish and finally a wax or sealant.

AZS2KDancer

My paint is actually in pretty good shape, except for some unavoidable rock chips. It’s garaged at home and work when I take it there. I used some carbuna wax on it last time and while nice, I was disappointed, to be truthful. Or is that carnuba?

Please tell me more about this Deionizing cleaner?

GSteg

Carnauba wax. These were the shiznats back then due to their nice warm glow. Most didn't last long (less 3 months) so I shy away from using them again.

He is probably referring to something similar to CarPro IronX. It decontaminates your paint but dissolving tiny embedded rust particles. It's less invasive than using a clay bar (although I find it's best to use both). It works VERY well to your wheels. I use it once every 3 months for a deep clean. There are tons of videos out there showing its application.

To get that mirror finish, you need to polish the paint. No wax/sealant/coating may give you that extra edge in shine, but not without the paint surface being prepped. Imagine a jet black phone cover with very tiny scratches all over the place. It's going to look dull. Our silverstone hides swirls pretty well so it may look good at first glance, but once you polish it, the metallic pearls really pops.

s2ka

IMO, the best and easiest route to a deep shine is an orbital machine. The best wax in the world won't be that great unless you get the surface shiny with an orbital machine. I held off getting one for way too long, thinking I didn't really need it. Wrong. It does things you just can't do by hand (color sand followed by polish etc). And it makes polishing/waxing a lot easier and faster. And it gives you a swirl free deep shine you can't get by hand. I went with the tried-and-true Porter Cable 7424XP ($100) and Mequiars DA Microfiber set ($75). The orbital snobs will say you should spend 4x as much to get their favorite machine, but unless you do detailing for a living or have too much money, you can't really go wrong with the Porter Cable, and the microfiber pads are super easy to use.

IronX is pretty amazing at getting the fallout off your car if it sits outside a lot. I'd do that first, then clay bar, then orbital, then wax.

AZS2KDancer

Wow! I’m impressed with the help and knowledge of this group. What might be routine for some is news to others.
I’ll be ordering some Iron and Fallout Remover soon, and include that step in my big cleaning project, when I get a whole day to devote to it. I picked up the Griot’s Random Orbital polisher a while back, yet haven’t used it yet. I’m going to practice first on my Odyssey before I tackle the S. It’s amazing what kind of fortune you can invest in for keeping your car clean and looking good. We’ve come a long way from an old fashioned wash and wax.

Vanishing Point

When you order next, get some MF cleaner and polishing pad cleaner. They do far better than soap/water.

AZS2KDancer

I’ve been using Griot's Garage MF cleaner with good results on my MF towels. I just ran out of that and am planning to use a jug of another brand that was getting dusty on the bottle in the garage.

calerouxz

I also have a silverstone S2000. I mainly 'protect' it using AMMO Reflex and AMMO Skin. Reflex is a sort-of coating/sealant, which brings A LOT (yes, A LOT) of shine to the car. Skin is a sealant, it's good for protecting both Reflex and the car itself. I layer them, haven't tried carnauba wax on top of it, but it must look great. My paint isn't exactly perfect (there's some swirls and small scratches, as far as I know never actually been corrected), but I'm pretty happy with how it looks. Probably a little late to this thread, but might as well put in my 2 cents .