Detailed my "New" '03 Vette...

I

imported_Luster

New member
This is the 2003 Spiral Gray Corvette that I bought earlier this week.

It was raining all day, so no outdoor shots!

I've taken some before and after pictures.

I can't believe I bought a car that was this dirty!!!! Completely UN-detailed!

But there is one very curious thing about the car... With 20,000 miles on it, there were NO swirl marks! How can that be!

Anyway, I loved detailing it. I also did my "trademark" brake caliper and rotor painting, which I do to every car I buy... gave me a chance to clean up the wheel wells with the wheels off too!;)

PROCESS:

Exterior:
Washed with Meg's Gold Class
Clay with Meg's Quick Clay
Polished with M205/White pad/PC 7424XP (didn't really need much!)
Blackfire Wet Diamond x2
Z8

Wheels/Tires/Wheelwells/Brakes:
Pulled off wheels/ cleaned wheelwells/ painted rotors and calipers/ cleaned, polished wheels
Polished exhaust tips with Simichrome polish
Polished wheels by hand with M205 and a microfiber towel (they are high polished/clearcoated)
Dressed tires with PBB&B

Interior:
Vacuumed interior/trunk
Cleaned/treated rubber and vinyl with PBB&B
Cleaned/treated leather with Z9/Z10

Engine bay:
I saturated everything with APC diluted with water. The scrubbed with a long handle tire brush, rinsed with a gentle stream of water. Then I dried with an old towel, and sprayed everything with Stoner Trim Shine. Wiped off excess.

Did some touch up painting with Medium Spiral Gray Metallic from the Chevy dealer. Then lightly wetsanded with 1500, followed by M205/white pad.

So far I've got about 16 hours in the detail... not finished yet!:D

I'll get you some nice outdoor shots when it stops raining!!!

BEFORE: (Pretty nasty for a "Luster" car!!!)

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WHEELS/BRAKES BEFORE CLEANUP/PAINTING:

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WHEELS/BRAKES AFTER PAINTING/CLEANUP:

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AFTER SHOTS:

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These shots are with the Brinkman... trying to show the lack of swirls; like I said there weren't any!

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CamoZ71 said:
Very nice Bill :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Whats left to do??
Click to expand...

I need to get it out in the sunlight and take some Q-tips and get down in some of the crevices of the engine bay...

I also need to do the door jambs and check the trunk jamb for dirt in the corners.

Interior glass...

Last - - - Some nice outdoor shots with top up and top down!:thumbup:
 
Man I want to detail an engine to that perfection but Im to worried of messing something up :D

Looking foward to full sun shots very soon, it looks great! :clap:
 
John M. said:
Man I want to detail an engine to that perfection but Im to worried of messing something up :D

:
Click to expand...

I started cleaning engine bays years ago (way too many years!).

There really not a whole lot to mess up.

Here's my number one recommendation:

NEVER use high pressure water!!!

Just be sure to keep the water a delicate stream and keep it to a minimum.
 
I cleaned the engine of my Prelude with a pressure washer when I first got it. BIG MISTAKE! Water somehow got into the sparkplug holes and it kept stuttering every time I gave it gas. I wound up paying a mechanic to clean the water out. Live & learn.:rolleyes:
 
Termigator said:
I cleaned the engine of my Prelude with a pressure washer when I first got it. BIG MISTAKE! Water somehow got into the sparkplug holes and it kept stuttering every time I gave it gas. I wound up paying a mechanic to clean the water out. Live & learn.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've learned that you can clean an engine bay just as effectively (probably better) by using APC and a slight stream of water, as you can by pressure. Again... water pressure + dirty engine = BAD.:cursing:
 
The car looks great, Bill!! I'm thinking about painting my brakes also. What paint did you use and what did you use to clean the parts before painting them?
 
Yeah what did you clean the brakes with! Man I could eat off of them they look so clean! Did you clean the disc too?
 
RustyBumper said:
The car looks great, Bill!! I'm thinking about painting my brakes also. What paint did you use and what did you use to clean the parts before painting them?
Click to expand...

I used DupliColor Hi-Temp Engine Paint... Aluminum Cast Coat and Iron Cast Coat. Both have a satin finish and give you a factory look.

John M. said:
Yeah what did you clean the brakes with! Man I could eat off of them they look so clean! Did you clean the disc too?
Click to expand...

I wire brushed them first... mostly on the "hat" and outside edge of the rotor and the caliper.

Then I used "Brake Parts Cleaner" from Advance Auto Parts. (not sure of the brand name... comes in a black and gold spray can).

I sprayed some APC on them to rinse off the cleaner, dried with a towel and spray painted them after drying completely. I don't mask anything off with tape... I just throw an old t-shirt over the rotor to paint the caliper and vice versa.

I know it sounds like kind of an odd methodology, but I've been doing it that way since the '80's and it works for me.

P.S. Be careful with brake parts cleaner!!! Don't let it get on your vehicle paint!
 
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