The 2002 Camaro SS with GTechniq CSL + Exo V3

[The Guz]

Since I have had some time off it has allowed me to catch up on a few write ups such as this one for my Camaro.

This is the one that I drive on occasion. The daily driver is the Grand Prix and the write up for that one is here The daily with CQUK 3.0 + Gliss V1

My 2002 Camaro SS is currently sitting at 14K miles. I have owned it since around 2006 when I originally purchased it with 3K miles. Should give all of you an idea of how often I drive it.

It has been three years since I last polished and coated this one. The coating it had on was Americana Car Care`s Ameriarmour. In the end it was ok. Nothing special about this coating. It was acrylic based but it was on the soft side of things so it would marr relatively easy. It spends a lot of time in the garage so that is why I was not in a hurry to redo it.

After three years it was time to give it a good polishing and coat it with something different. I chose to go with the combination of GTechniq Crystal Serum Light topped with Exo V3. Exo V4 had just been announced after I finished it. Go figure.

I did this back in May and completed the coating process on May 13th.

I did not take too many photos but it received the typical prep wash. Using Ironx, a wash and claying with Optimum Opti-clay using Immolube as clay lube.



Here is what I was working with on the paint. Not horrible but after 3 years it was time.



After a test spot with Sonax Perfect Finish on a Rupes yellow foam pad on the Rupes LHR15 MKII it was looking like this would be the combo to go with. It did leave a little micro marring that was fixed with Shine Supply Slick Back Primer Polish. More on that later.



The sail panel and these little triangle pieces are soft. They marr easily. Yikes after 3 years



A test spot with Sonax Perfect Finish on a Rupes yellow on the ibrid nano removed the defects but left a lot of haze. I came back with a Rupes white pad and Sine Supply Slick Back Primer Polish and that cleared things up. Image is rather blurry but the idea is there lol.



As I mentioned I used this combination of polishes. For those wondering, the primer polish is similar to CarPro Essence and Gyeon Primer Polish. More so like Gyeon as it has no fillers. There are those that will freak out because another member on Autopia had issues with the same GTechniq coating combo failing early when used with Essence. Well this is the fun part of testing. I treated this primer polish just like the others. I let it sit overnight after the initial wipe off and then came back the next day with a light prep wipe. Then proceeded to coat with CSL.



Finally the coating combo. This was my first time using CSL and the second time using Exo V3. I have used Exo V3 on a previous occasion but only on wheels over C5 Wheel Armour. CSL is such an easy coating to work with. Easy to apply and easy to level. It is also slick upon removal. Similar to Mohs but with CSL feeling slightly slicker. Exo V3 was not as forgiving as CSL. It required a little more effort in removal. Upon leveling it tends to be pushed around with the towel. So more focus is needed when leveling it out. Essentially wiping a larger area than what was worked and with multiple towels. This is important on those edges like on the door or the hood. Perhaps Exo V4 addressed that issue.

But after one coat of CSL topped with two coats of Exo V3 the surface did feel slick after it had cured overnight. Nothing like Gyeon Syncro but right up there with it. Not tacky like some coatings. The look it leaves is more reflective and it just looks good on white but I am biased .



Some random images I have.



Best photos I have and they are in direct sun light.





A couple other things I did.

One was to coat the plastic trim on the door jambs. They were coated with CarPro DLUX. It has already helped with the water not staying during a wash. I will eventually coat the door jambs.



The taillights received the following treatment.



I have had this coating combination coming up to 4 months. It has seen one two bucket wash and Exo is indeed hydrophobic. It is not as hydrophobic as Skin from the Gyeon Syncro kit but it is just as good. It does seem to not attract as much dust when it sits in the garage. It does clean up well with a wash and rinseless wash.

The bad news is that I am more than likely selling it in the next year or so. So this will be the last polish I give it unless something happens and the coating fails for some odd reason.

[DAC17]

Wow! I had a 2002 in red with tan leather interior. Never looked as good as yours!

[DaveT435]

It turned out great. I was never really a fan if white until I polished my first one. Really glossy white looks incredible. You`ll love EXOv4. It`s one of the easiest coatings I`ve ever used. I did two coats as a stand alone. Only a 12 hour wait before it can get wet also. I`m going to be putting a coating on tomorrow that has to stay dry for 3 days.

[The Guz]

Wow! I had a 2002 in red with tan leather interior. Never looked as good as yours!

Thanks. Red with the tan interior is a nice combination.

It turned out great. I was never really a fan if white until I polished my first one. Really glossy white looks incredible. You`ll love EXOv4. It`s one of the easiest coatings I`ve ever used. I did two coats as a stand alone. Only a 12 hour wait before it can get wet also. I`m going to be putting a coating on tomorrow that has to stay dry for 3 days.

Thanks. White doesn`t give that pop that other colors give but the color just grows on you. I don`t know when I will try Exo V4. Maybe on the next vehicle I own or when it is time to re-coat the other car down the road.

[Sizzle Chest]

Awesome Camaro Guz! LOVE it. Auto or manual? All stock?

Looks so good!

[The Guz]

Awesome Camaro Guz! LOVE it. Auto or manual? All stock?

Looks so good!

Thanks. It is an auto. I could not pass it up when I bought it years ago with the very low mileage. The motor is all stock. I did add the 35th anniversary take off wheels, the hotchkis suspension (lowering springs, trailing arms, sway bars, pan hard bar) on koni adjustable shocks. I did find the original SLP rear lower valence for the center exhaust with a Magnaflow cat back exhaust that I converted to the center mount style.

[SWETM]

It looking amazing Guz! Great work and write up as always!

White is growing on me too. It has a clean look when well maintained. The Camaro is awesome looking and with the low mileage is great.

/Tony

[The Guz]

It looking amazing Guz! Great work and write up as always!

White is growing on me too. It has a clean look when well maintained. The Camaro is awesome looking and with the low mileage is great.

/Tony

As always thanks for reading. This was the car that made me like white.

[Ronkh]

Great review
Thanks

[The Guz]

Great review
Thanks

Thanks Ron.

[Stokdgs]

Just Beautiful Work, Mike !!!! It looks like I just finished laying down the last wet coat of clear acrylic lacquer on it and its still wet and drying...
Hard to believe your race car is 16 years old !!!
No one has a cleaner more perfect, paintwork, etc., than this car - Your car !!!!
Love all the mods you have done to it to make even more beautiful and handle much better..
And thank YOU for all that you do to move the main purpose of this Forum Forward....

Having been born and raised in Texas, white cars is what everyone wants to have, to help reflect the constant heat...
My 1969 Camaro SS/RS Indy500 pace car was white with hugger orange racing stripes....
Dan F

[The Guz]

Just Beautiful Work, Mike !!!! It looks like I just finished laying down the last wet coat of clear acrylic lacquer on it and its still wet and drying...
Hard to believe your race car is 16 years old !!!
No one has a cleaner more perfect, paintwork, etc., than this car - Your car !!!!
Love all the mods you have done to it to make even more beautiful and handle much better..
And thank YOU for all that you do to move the main purpose of this Forum Forward....

Having been born and raised in Texas, white cars is what everyone wants to have, to help reflect the constant heat...
My 1969 Camaro SS/RS Indy500 pace car was white with hugger orange racing stripes....
Dan F

Dan thanks for the kind words. It’s hard to believe how much gloss the paint lost in those 3 years. Once I started to polish it I was like so this how it looks cleaned up.

I originally wanted the red 35th anniversary edition and I came across this white one. I never wanted black especially on those hot days here. White was not the color I envisioned but it just spoke to me.

One thing I did not want to do is go crazy with the motor so I left it stock. It’s plenty powerful.

[GearHead_1]

Very nice results, very nice write up. What more could we ask?

[Justins00ss]

Looking great brother. Something about a clean low miles SS.

[BudgetPlan1]

White was not the color I envisioned but it just spoke to me.

I never thought I`d want a white car, always seemed too nondescript. After hanging around this place I`d definately consider white now. Done right, like folks do around here, it is a very compelling and classy color that I`d like to have.

One thing I did not want to do is go crazy with the motor so I left it stock. It’s plenty powerful.

Have you ever changed the spark plugs? Have heard that can be quite an adventure with the back ones.