[Georgio51]

This is my first Vette and I need the thoughts/advice of those who have successfully kept their cars in 'showroom or near-showroom' condition, even in adverse conditions. During my 5 yr tenure in auto sales, it was common to sell an exterior/interior protection package designed to keep the clearcoat free from damage from acid rain, sea salt, road salt, etc. in the Northeast. For the most part, the exterior product was a powerful/"teflon"-like wax. Now that I live in Florida, about 2 blocks from the ocean, the salty air/humidity is my primary concern. Other than a best-available wax, any suggestions? I imagine that most experienced owners do their own detailing. I would love to do the same but am concerned about creating swirls, hairline streaks, etc. Any ideas/approaches are greatfully accepted.

 

[Chip]

Georgio; I moved this thread here thinking it was a better fit. My advise is to wash it frequently, and use the best materials when you do. A good name brand premium wax applied a couple of times a year will help you keep it looking good. I would add my own question to yours. Has anyone that has used a "Synthetic" car wax found that they last longer in sunny / hot climates than do conventional "Carnauba" waxes? This thread might be a good place to talk about products everybody uses and their reviews of them.

 

[Sinner]

For the exterior I would get a full body clear bra or PPF. the materials have come a long way in the last few years and ill be having my car done.

 

[Georgio51]

Thanks Sinner. Unfortunately, I have no idea what either a full body clear bra is or PPF. I have seen after-market plastic sheeting that is applied to the very front of a vehicle. Is that what you mean? The entire vehicle?

 

[Sinner]

Thanks Sinner. Unfortunately, I have no idea what either a full body clear bra is or PPF. I have seen after-market plastic sheeting that is applied to the very front of a vehicle. Is that what you mean? The entire vehicle?

Yes sir, PPF means paint protection film and its a clear film that's usually applied to the bumper and lower part of the hood to prevent rock chips and bug damage. It's becoming more common to have it applied to the entire front clip ( bumper, entire hood, fenders and mirrors). New new material is usually warrantied for 10 years and will come off leaving the paint in perfect condition.

I'm still new with this process and I'm researching different companies and the materials used and ill keep this thread updated. IMO it's the best choice for true paint protection. Don't fall for the dealer applied Teflon or liquid type product. It's only temporary and is a waste of money.

 

[Chip]

Georgio; Look at this and you will get an idea about what Sinner is talking about. It's not cheap, but it does work.

 

[Sinner]

Georgio; Look at this and you will get an idea about what Sinner is talking about. It's not cheap, but it does work.

Great video chip.

 

[jsvette]

Yes sir, PPF means paint protection film and its a clear film that's usually applied to the bumper and lower part of the hood to prevent rock chips and bug damage. It's becoming more common to have it applied to the entire front clip ( bumper, entire hood, fenders and mirrors). New new material is usually warrantied for 10 years and will come off leaving the paint in perfect condition.

I'm still new with this process and I'm researching different companies and the materials used and ill keep this thread updated. IMO it's the best choice for true paint protection. Don't fall for the dealer applied Teflon or liquid type product. It's only temporary and is a waste of money.

If you are picking your C7 up at the Museum they offer several clear paint protection packages by XPEL. Check out the Museum site for specifics National Corvette Museum - Clearshield and Scotchgard Paint Protection . I haven't decided what I am doing with RedHot when I get her at the Museum. I know a lot of my car enthusiasts friends that swear by the clear bra (from just the bumper, to total front end coverage). My hang up is that under certain lighting in all applications I have seen, you can see some light distortion coming off of the clear protection, or you can see the line where the protection ends. In the past I have always detailed my own cars and have a whole bunch of related products though I am partial to P21S Concours Carnauba Wax. I tend to drive my cars enthusiastically (though never tracking them) especially out in the desert where you have some nice roads that stretch to the horizon and even allow you to exceed the speed limit if you were so inclined and as a result get the occasional rock chip. I have used Dr ColorChip to repair these without any problem. My cars tend to remain looking very good (they have won many awards such as Best in Class, Best of the Best at Concours d'Elegance and other judged events over the years). If you consider going with a clear bra and are not getting it done at the Museum on your new C7, I would caution you to do due diligence on whom ever you think you want to go with. Get references, go see actual customer cars, visit something like Cars and Coffee gatherings and ask around. IMHO nothing is worse on a car than a poor application of protective film.

 

[YllwStgr]

Yes sir, PPF means paint protection film and its a clear film that's usually applied to the bumper and lower part of the hood to prevent rock chips and bug damage. It's becoming more common to have it applied to the entire front clip ( bumper, entire hood, fenders and mirrors). New new material is usually warrantied for 10 years and will come off leaving the paint in perfect condition.

I'm still new with this process and I'm researching different companies and the materials used and ill keep this thread updated. IMO it's the best choice for true paint protection. Don't fall for the dealer applied Teflon or liquid type product. It's only temporary and is a waste of money.

Sinnner, who do you recommend? This looks like something I will want immediately after getting my vehicle.

 

[Sinner]

Sinnner, who do you recommend? This looks like something I will want immediately after getting my vehicle.

Ill get more info for you in a day or so. Like I said my friend is a 3m rep and ill ask him who he feels is a good shop. PPF is time consuming and a pain to install so you do get what you pay for to some degree.

 

[Chip]

Another thing to be mindful of if you go for a partial front clip cover is that the line between paint and film does show. It is more obvious on darker cars. Often wax residue will build up in the interface area if your not careful, and makes it even more apparent.

 

[Georgio51]

The previous post, by Chip, is absolutely accurate. When I was in the biz, our dealership had the distributor apply it to the front of a couple of showroom cars, for demo purposes. We only applied it to the front of the hood and fenders, similar to a traditional bra. After a while, dust and dirt did accumulate at the seam and it became fairly visible. If I were to apply this to my C7, I would go for the entire hood and fender treatment.

Since my experience is a few years old, the technology and application may have changed. As I recall, the film was smoothed on with water and air bubbles had to smoothed out. This is not appear to be a skill-free process and, with that in mind, I'll echo another members advice...get a pro to do it!

 

[Sinner]

I suggest full front clip so there's less lines. I hate when it only goes part way up the hood

 

[elegant]

The primary way, especially for dark colored cars to get swirl marks is through improper washing techniques. The best way to wash a car, to avoid creating swirl marks is to either use the two bucket, or a "separated bucket" technique. Using the two bucket method, in its most basic form, is creating one bucket exclusively for rinsing and a second one with the car wash soap. Every time I finishing washing a section, I take the microfiber wash mitt, squeeze it out, then put it first into the rinse bucket, swirl it around, then squeeze the mitt again to get off excess warer before placing it into the bucket with the car wash soap. This results in most of the dirt being rinsed out into the first bucket, and thus reduces the amount of dirt that then gets onto the wash mitt as it is placed back onto the car for washing the next section. The telltale "proof" of this method is that, when I am done, I pour out both buckets and always there is much more dirt in the bottom of the rinse bucket than the wash bucket. Every grain of dirt in the bottom of the rinse bucket had no possibility of getting onto the car mitt as the mitt was being returned to the car, thus reducing the abrasive, swirl-producing effects of the minute dirt particles in the car's paint. A good video showing this method, and other washing tips in detail is: Washing Your Vehicle Using The Two-Bucket Method - YouTube

 

[Rfong]

Auto Detailing

I have used the techniques from these guys for decades with fantastic success:

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides

I've had 20 years of all black cars until recently but prided myself on a swirl free finish that looked like luxurious black liquid. Now I have white and yellow cars, but I'm seriously thinking of making my C7 on deposit BLACK! I miss my Porter Cable buffer.

 

[Chip]

Out of personal curiosity; How many of you will clay bar your new car? If so, will you do it yourself or have a "pro" do it?

 

[jsvette]

Out of personal curiosity; How many of you will clay bar your new car? If so, will you do it yourself or have a "pro" do it?

I have never felt the need to clay one of my new cars. From the finishes I saw and felt at Laguna Seca I don't see any need to do it when I get RedHot.

 

[Rfong]

Clay bar

Out of personal curiosity; How many of you will clay bar your new car? If so, will you do it yourself or have a "pro" do it?

Claying a car is no harder than using a bar of soap to wash yourself in the shower. If you run your finger tips lightly over the paint surface of the car and you feel tiny dots, particles or bits of dirt stuck on the paint, it needs the clay bar. You can't see the dirt as it is so tiny but it is there.

The clay is a plasticine clay, soften it by kneading like baking dough, then flatten it out like a pancake. Spray some auto detailer on a 2ft x 2ft surface of your car, then smoothly and lightly run the clay pancake over the wetted area. You will feel the clay picking up the little bits of dirt. It just takes a few passes of the clay to do the job. Spray some more detailer on the spot, wipe and shine it. Then feel the difference with your finger tips. Your fingers will glide over the paint like velvet. Then do the rest of the car. The horizontal surfaces pick up the most dirt.

Anytime the car is outside it picks up contaminants. A good washing will remove most of them, but some bits are stubborn and stick to the paint. I try to wash my cars weekly and even on that schedule I clay bar my cars twice a year for meticulous maintenance.

Also recognize that 90% of the cars on the road have never seen a clay bar, so you will be joining a very select group of auto detailers if you clay your own car.

 

[elegant]

We've been consistently getting good comments from forum members and even the media about the paint jobs of the C7's. This is attributable to the Assembly Plant's new $20,000,000 paint shop. Let's hope that customer cars repeatedly echo the early positive reports we have been seeing.

 

[Chip]

As a rule I don't go beyond keeping my car clean and keeping a good quality wax on it. It always looked fine and felt slick to the touch. One day I had a friend over and we were talking about the merits of using clay to clean up a cars exterior. I told him I thought my car's surface was free of defects. He smiled and said, "go get a thin plastic sandwich bag." I did and boy did I get educated. The long and short of this test is that with your hand in the bag you to feel every bit of surface contaminate as you move your hand over your car's surface.