Tough C5 Correction

Todd@RUPES

Todd@RUPES

Just a regular guy
*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...



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



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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.



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



http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m194/tropicaldetail/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...



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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...



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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...



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



100_07071.jpg




and virtually flawless



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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...



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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



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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.
 
Excellent job!! Looks fantastic. :xyxthumbs



I am on my second C5 (Z06 2004) and I can personally attest how difficult the clearcoat can be. Fortunately my Z06 came from a collection and the paint (Millenium Yellow) was new car perfect. The trick will be now keeping it that way. :D
 
Let me say thanks for all the compliments. That color blue (I believe its Electron Blue?) is probably the shapest color in the GM line up. Dark and wet yet light and reflective all in one.



zippymbr said:
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.
Click to expand...



It took between one and two passes with Meguiars #84 via rotary with a cutting pad, then one pass with Meguiars #84 via rotary and a polishing pad, then #83/rotary with a polishing pad BEFORE I went to #80 on the PC. There was very faint holograming in direct sun in a couple of the tougher angles of the body after the DACP/rotary, so I finished down with the PC.
 
blkZ28Conv said:
Excellent job!! Looks fantastic. :xyxthumbs



I am on my second C5 (Z06 2004) and I can personally attest how difficult the clearcoat can be. Fortunately my Z06 came from a collection and the paint (Millenium Yellow) was new car perfect. The trick will be now keeping it that way. :D
Click to expand...



A customer of mine has a Yellow Z06. For some reason though, his car is the easiest C5 I have ever buffed. One pass of #83 and its perfect. I have a couple pics I'll throw up, but it was cloudy out. It has a cowl hood and a Magunson (sp) supercharger. Scary...



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Here it is after just #83/rotary and two quick coats of #16. Next time I'm going to try #21 to amp up the shine...
 
[quote name='TH0001']A customer of mine has a Yellow Z06. For some reason though, his car is the easiest C5 I have ever buffed. One pass of #83 and its perfect.



Cool, because my Torch Red C5 was a bear to keep perfect/correct after any marring occurred.:woot:
 
I had a navy blue metallic vette and it was nerly impossible to get the defects out without some serious effort. I am thankful that I was not REALLY into detailing when I had that car. One coat of oil-rich NXT made it *look* great...until I washed it.



Good job on that car!
 
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