Tough C5 Correction

[TH0001]

*Opps*thread should read C5 correction
This one was tough for a couple reasons.

1) After I washed it and clayed it, it had significant marring and tons of RIS (random isolated scratches). These where not visible until close inspection

2) The owner is excepting a baby (actually the baby should be here already) so I wanted to step it up. No infant can cruise in a less then perfect Vette.

3) The paint was significantly harder then other C5's I have worked on. Infact I am convinced that the 2001-2004 Vette's have the hardest clear coat known to man, but yet it still picks up light scratchs easily. ***?

Total time: 8-9 hours

Products used:

Meguiars Hyperwash
Meguiars Washmitt
Grit Guard
Absorber
Raggtop protecent
EagleOne Foaming Tire+Rim cleaner
Meguiars All Wheel Brush
Meguiars #84 Power Compound
Meguiars #83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish
Meguiars #80 Speed Glaze
Meguiars pads: 7006 Maroon Cutting pad
8006 Foam Polishing pad x3
9006 Final Polishing pad
Meguiars G100c (PC 7242)
Hitachi rotary buffer
Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealent
Meguiars #26 Hi-Tech Yellow wax
Meguiars Blue level Detailers Clay, professional grade
Meguiars NXT Window cleaner
Meguiars HotShine Tire Spray
Meguiars Hypershine, cut 3 parts water, 1 part dressing
Meguiars APC, 7:1
Meguiars Natural Shine protectent
Meguiars Exterior Trim Detaler
Meguiars NXT All Metal Poylsh
Asorted microfiber, applicator pads, Q-tips, carpet brushes, ect...


Day one, morning:

I met the owner, Carl, early (remember he on his way the hospital for his child) so I got an early start before my son woke up.

Washed with a two bucket method, clayed and dried...

Some pictures of the moderate swirling...



The marring was much worse in person then the pictures depict...



So I pulled the Vette inside and started working some areas. Here is the area after buffing with #83. You can see there is still hazing and light marring, though it looked much better.



I was running into problems with this paint, as it was so hard that I made this post here...

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m.../100_07301.jpg

By now the morning was and I had another detail to do... Also it was Halloween, so my 2 1/2 year old needed to go trick-or-treating...

Day one, late night...





I had just gotten in from trick-or treating with my son, so it was back to work.

Picking up the rotary and a 7006 cutting pad, I went to work making two to three passes over Corvette with #84.

Then I switched to a 8006 polishing pad and made one pass with the #84. It was about 1 a.m. by now and I was beat so it was off to sleep.

Day Two, Morning

Again I started early, making one pass over the entire car using Meguiars #83 and 8006 pad with the rotary.

Some early morning pictures...





Then I decieded to finish down using #80 Speedglaze on the PC... A picture of me in action, polishing out the mirror wit the PC...



This really seemed to do the trick, as after polishing with the M80, the surface was liquid wet and deep...



and virtually flawless



I wiped off the residue and applied a coat of #21 via PC. As the sealent cured I went to work on the interior, cleaning all the surfaces with APC. After vacumming I shampooed the carpets and floor mats and applied dressings to the apporiate surfaces.

Interior afters...

[TH0001]

I then wiped off the first coat of #21 and allowed it to air-cure for about 30 minutes while I took a quick break. By now, it was nearing 11:00 am.

Then it was back into it with another coat of #21. While this coat set up, it was time to clean the windows, clean residue out of cracks and body seems, polishing and seal the rims (using #80 and #21) and dress the tires, wheel wells, and exterior trim.

The I removed the #21 and called it a day (until night)

Day two, late night.

With the bulk of the work down, I applied a topper coat of Meguiars #26 for some of that carnuba depth to the body and door jambs and touched up some of areas. Called it a night

Day three, morning

Pulled the car out of the garage and took pictures, and here they are

[TH0001]

Okay final pictures, afters...

[[TRD]RoLLa]

absolutely amazing!!! great work!

[GregCavi]

Nice work! I know what a pain those corvettes can be to work on!

Greg

[ShineyWhiteRex]

Gosh that looks so wet! Lots of hard work, but it obviously paid off.....Great job!

[CSTMCLN]

That hood shot is sweet.

[Scottwax]

Very wet and deep, just like blue paint should be!

I agree about C5 clears, just brutal to polish out.

[Mr_Elusive]

Great job

We all know buffing C5's aren't a walk in the park. The paint looks extremely wet.

[BanditSRT]

Wow, awesome job!

[zippymbr]

Great job! I am amazed it came out that good with a PC. The newer vettes I have done a PC did not touch the swrils. I used a rotary on all. Again great work.

[OCD Nick]

where in FL are u located?