Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
How to detail a 2014 Corvette Stingray
Actually, how to coat a new Corvette Stingray. Most people outside the forum world don't know what a paint coating is. They do understand what a car wax or synthetic paint sealant is but not a paint coating.
See my article here for the differences between car waxes, synthetic paint sealants and paint coatings.
3-Categories: Waxes, Paint Sealants and Coatings
Process
Step 1: Wash and dry car or wipe car clean
The owner washed his Corvette the night before and then next morning drove it to Autogeek. During the 3 hour trip to Stuart, Florida he hit a few showers and wet areas of the highway so after moving the Stingray into the garage we wiped it down using Detailer's Waterless Autowash.
Step 2: Inspect paint for swirls
For this we used the new Flex Swirl Finder Light. This Corvette is brand new and has been carefully hand washed by the owner using products purchased at Autogeek. There were no visible swirls or scratches in the finish.
Step 3: Inspect for above surface bonded contaminants
For this we first inspect using our clean, bare hand and felt no contamination. Next we used the Baggie Test and even with the baggie test we only felt nominal and sporadic contaminants. Not enough to justify claying or some other mechanical means of decontaminating.
Step 4: Chemically clean and polish paint to prep it for a coating
I used the Black Label Surface Cleansing Lotion on all the paint, hard smooth plastic and glass. Product was applied to the entire car at one time using a 5.5" Lake Country Black Flat Pad on the 5 speed setting of a Porter Cable 7424XP.
Step 5: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Paint Coating
For this step we wore black nitrile gloves and applied the coating using Lake Country Coating Applicators. We applied to all body panels at one time.
Step 6: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Glass Coating
For this I used round foam applicator pad.
Step 7: Hand applied Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating
For this we used the Gold Wax Finger Pockets.
Step 8: Removed coatings
After applying the last coating, (wheel coating), we carefully and methodically wiped the coatings off following our path of travel used to apply the coatings. That is start wiping off first where we applied first.
Here's a few pictures from this project...
Taping off Trim
There's some coarse or rough textured plastic trim pieces on the car as well as a few rubber gaskets that I would recommend covering with painter's tape to prevent staining them with any type of compound or polish.
Prep paint for coating
Here you can see the residue covering the car everywhere the Surface Cleansing Lotion was applied by machine. For a few of the tight ares like the fresh air intake louvers on the hood, around the tail lights in the back and the vent areas on the sides of the car.
Smoothing over a rock chip
The was a recent rock chip in the front clip. The edges were jagged and sharp. The owner asked if I could wetsand the chip out and I said "no" as the chip had penetrated past the clearcoat and the basecoat. He asked if I could sand the area to smooth over the jagged feel to the edges and I said "yes".
I then proceeded to lightly sand the area with a 3 inch 3M Trizact #5000 Sanding Disc and then removed the sanding marks using Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover, (Medium Cut Polish), and then re-polished to maximize gloss and clarity using the Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, (Fine Cut Polish).
Polishing work to remove the sanding marks was done using the Griot's 3" Mini Polisher and some small, thin 3.5" foam polishing pads. I found the paint on this new Corvette to be very easy to polish.
I recommended to the owner to get some factory touch-up paint and dab a tiny amount into the now cleaned out and smoothed over rock chip.
After pictures...
Wheels & Tires
Wheels are coated with Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating. Tires have three applications of TUF Shine Tire Clearcoat.
Step 6: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Glass Coating
For this I used round foam applicator pad.
The owner like my truck so before leaving we took a few pictures of his very cool Corvette in front of my daily driver...
Actually, how to coat a new Corvette Stingray. Most people outside the forum world don't know what a paint coating is. They do understand what a car wax or synthetic paint sealant is but not a paint coating.
See my article here for the differences between car waxes, synthetic paint sealants and paint coatings.
3-Categories: Waxes, Paint Sealants and Coatings
Process
Step 1: Wash and dry car or wipe car clean
The owner washed his Corvette the night before and then next morning drove it to Autogeek. During the 3 hour trip to Stuart, Florida he hit a few showers and wet areas of the highway so after moving the Stingray into the garage we wiped it down using Detailer's Waterless Autowash.
Step 2: Inspect paint for swirls
For this we used the new Flex Swirl Finder Light. This Corvette is brand new and has been carefully hand washed by the owner using products purchased at Autogeek. There were no visible swirls or scratches in the finish.
Step 3: Inspect for above surface bonded contaminants
For this we first inspect using our clean, bare hand and felt no contamination. Next we used the Baggie Test and even with the baggie test we only felt nominal and sporadic contaminants. Not enough to justify claying or some other mechanical means of decontaminating.
Step 4: Chemically clean and polish paint to prep it for a coating
I used the Black Label Surface Cleansing Lotion on all the paint, hard smooth plastic and glass. Product was applied to the entire car at one time using a 5.5" Lake Country Black Flat Pad on the 5 speed setting of a Porter Cable 7424XP.
Step 5: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Paint Coating
For this step we wore black nitrile gloves and applied the coating using Lake Country Coating Applicators. We applied to all body panels at one time.
Step 6: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Glass Coating
For this I used round foam applicator pad.
Step 7: Hand applied Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating
For this we used the Gold Wax Finger Pockets.
Step 8: Removed coatings
After applying the last coating, (wheel coating), we carefully and methodically wiped the coatings off following our path of travel used to apply the coatings. That is start wiping off first where we applied first.
Here's a few pictures from this project...
Taping off Trim
There's some coarse or rough textured plastic trim pieces on the car as well as a few rubber gaskets that I would recommend covering with painter's tape to prevent staining them with any type of compound or polish.
Prep paint for coating
Here you can see the residue covering the car everywhere the Surface Cleansing Lotion was applied by machine. For a few of the tight ares like the fresh air intake louvers on the hood, around the tail lights in the back and the vent areas on the sides of the car.
Smoothing over a rock chip
The was a recent rock chip in the front clip. The edges were jagged and sharp. The owner asked if I could wetsand the chip out and I said "no" as the chip had penetrated past the clearcoat and the basecoat. He asked if I could sand the area to smooth over the jagged feel to the edges and I said "yes".
I then proceeded to lightly sand the area with a 3 inch 3M Trizact #5000 Sanding Disc and then removed the sanding marks using Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover, (Medium Cut Polish), and then re-polished to maximize gloss and clarity using the Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish, (Fine Cut Polish).
Polishing work to remove the sanding marks was done using the Griot's 3" Mini Polisher and some small, thin 3.5" foam polishing pads. I found the paint on this new Corvette to be very easy to polish.
I recommended to the owner to get some factory touch-up paint and dab a tiny amount into the now cleaned out and smoothed over rock chip.
After pictures...
Wheels & Tires
Wheels are coated with Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating. Tires have three applications of TUF Shine Tire Clearcoat.
Step 6: Hand apply Black Label Diamond Glass Coating
For this I used round foam applicator pad.
The owner like my truck so before leaving we took a few pictures of his very cool Corvette in front of my daily driver...
