White Corvette...

Bobbykart

Bobbykart

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White Corvette...


Hi gang

I have an Arctic White Chevrolet Corvette convertible arriving soon.It is my wife’s, any suggestions to make the white look good?

I usually polish and wax, should I ceramic coat it?

Any input is great, I know white is tough to really pop like colors


:buffing:
 
Polish properly. Mote important.... maintain carefully. I know everyone will give a bunch of answers here for coatings and the newer technology..... but if it’s a garage queen, try Pinnacle signature seriess II wax.
 
Hard to say what degree of work you'll have on hand once getting the vehicle? I would assume one wouldn't need to run the gamut with clays, iron removers or aggressive polishing, but also, I reckon one can never say never?

Over the years how members here have touched upon the dreaded dealer "Swirl Option".

If choosing a conventional product, your choice of course, there's tons of nice waxes and sealants to be had here. And many are Autogeek's House Brands. Any paste or liquid wax from the Pinnacle-Wolfgang Line will work wonderfully.

Collinite #845 is another that looks great on white paint. Very nice glow and depth.

If desiring a "harder" looking more "glassy" dripping wet shine-gloss, I might suggest Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0. It's a really great sealant, I've always praised this product, and it is also a very easy one to use I'll add. Comes off so nicely.
 
I've only worked on a couple white cars, but from that experience I like to go with the most reflective product possible to make the white really shine. On darker colors, or sometimes even silver, you can get some interesting differences in appearance depending on the LSP, but I don't think so with white. Going with something more glassy and reflective will bring out all of the style creases and edges on the Vette (I'm assuming a C8) which might not highlight quite as well with other LSP's.

All that said, I'd look at a coating like those offered by CQuartz or Wolfgang's SiO2 Paint Sealant if you want to go the sealant route.

Even if the car is brand new, I'd still probably give it a light polishing with a mild pad and a finishing polish to amp up the shine and remove any dealer/factory swirls.
 
If you want to keep it simple, fast and easy. Use a product that will last a long time and make the paint on the Corvette look glassy and feel slippery then use what I show here,

Coated under 15 minutes using PBL Surface Coating

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Here's what to get,

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Coating $80.00

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Surface Coating - $130.00


Cobra Forrest Green Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloths - 12 Pack - $20.00


That's $230.00 for both coatings and more than enough towels to take care of a brand new car including washing it using the multiple towel technique I share here.


When you get the Corvette home, wash the car and then do the Baggie Test. If it needs to be clayed, clay it.

If you have a favorite fine cut polish or a primer polish, machine or hand apply this product to perfectly clean and prepare the paint for the coating.

Next use a simple foam applicator pad to apply the PBL Paint Coating. This is your basecoat. You can stop after this and the paint will look glassy and feel slippery.

Then, using a section of a microfiber towel, (cut a normal 16" by 16" microfiber towel into quarters), apply the PBL Surface Coating over the PBL Paint Coating. This will amp-up the slickness and it's really fast and easy to do.


Done.



Moving forward, simply wash gently and carefully. If it were me? After washing and drying, re-apply the PBL Paint coating to the top surfaces of the Corvette, basically the horizontal panels and the glass. This takes only a few minutes and maintains that super high gloss, super slippery feel to the paint and makes future washing and drying fast. It also maintains the self-cleaning effect if your car is outside in a hard rain storm.

The above is about as fast and easy as you can make coating your car and you'll love the slick, slippery feel left by both coatings.


Then simply cut up one of the Forrest Green Microfiber Towels into quarter sections.


:)
 
After the decontamination (Iron-X type
product; Claying); and washing/drying
steps are completed; I’ll inspect the paint
to determine how much, if any, “correction”
is needed—via polishing step(s).

•Once the “correction polishing” (if any) is
done, I’ll then use Finish Kare 303 Foam
Pad Glaze for enhancement; and follow
that up with a layer of Finish Kare BWM 101
(nee: Finish Kare 1000P Hi-Temp Paste Wax).

•I maintain this gloriously glowing Finish
Kare combo with Meguiar’s D114.
-Note: It’s been discontinued. If you don’t
have any, McKee’s 37 N-914 is the next best
alternative, IMO.


Bob
 
I really like Collinite 845 on white. I did my MIL's white Audi with the Finish Kare 1000P mentioned above, it looked great too.
 
I truly believe CarPro’s Essence gives white paint that pop that it usually doesn’t have.
Both of these cars were finished with Essence and coated with UK.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for all the replies, especially Mike P. It feels like the teacher picked you to answer when he replies. Mike probably does not remember, but you used my black 1996 Jaguar about 14 years ago at one of your classes in Irvine. I have learned so much from Mike, and all the info here. Keep you updated on the wife’s new vette (yes C8)
 
Really depends on your end goal.

White is not going to have the most pop. It needs the right light for it to look good. In bright sun it will give that bright blinding look.

I coated my 02 SS and it gets driven here and there. Recently polished with Carpro Reflect and wearing a triple stack of Cquartz. Base layer of Cquartz UK 3.0, followed by a layer of Cquartz TiO2 and finally topped of with Gliss. Are they all needed? Absolutely not. But the end result is great. I was primarily experimenting with all three coatings. Extremely easy maintenance.

5e83922ace837e11ed94aa839f1cc7f3.jpg


afc98049e77c9cc04a2c134ba5ef1afa.jpg
 
Bobbykart said:
Thanks for all the replies, especially Mike P. It feels like the teacher picked you to answer when he replies.

Mike probably does not remember, but you used my black 1996 Jaguar about 14 years ago at one of your classes in Irvine.

I have learned so much from Mike, and all the info here.
Click to expand...

I do remember that Jaguar and if I did a little cyber-digging, I could probably find the write-up for it on the MeguairsOnline.com discussion forum.

We're you a member on that forum and if so - what was your forum nickname?



Bobbykart said:
Keep you updated on the wife’s new vette (yes C8)
Click to expand...


2 things,

First - I don't want to take away from any of the great suggestions shared by all the other forum members so far. Each product and process recommendation I've read would give you great results.

Second - I've machine detailed 2 C8 Corvettes this year and couple of 2017 and 2019 Vettes and after the second C8 Corvette, I made a short video on my Facebook page sharing my thoughts.

Click LINK or the PICTURE to watch the video and hear what I have to say about buffing out a C8 Corvette. In the video I explain the issue with these body styles are all the PLANES.


C8 Corvette Tip - CHARGE accordingly!





Because you've been a long time member, here's my offer. I'll send you all the things I mentioned above to prep and coat your new C8 Corvette for free. All I ask from you is to share a few pictures and then share your thoughts on the products, ease of use and what you think of the paint after using the products.


Let me know and I'll get everything shipped out today.



:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
C8 Corvette Tip - CHARGE accordingly!





Because you've been a long time member, here's my offer. I'll send you all the things I mentioned above to prep and coat your new C8 Corvette for free. All I ask from you is to share a few pictures and then share your thoughts on the products, ease of use and what you think of the paint after using the products.


Let me know and I'll get everything shipped out today.



:)
Click to expand...
:wow: ...What a magnanimous gesture! :xyxthumbs:



Bob
 
Very generous offer Mike!! I have learned so much on this forum(Except how to take good pics) Just a home gamer but after being in the trades for 30+ years you got to have good tools to get good results and in this case lots of knowledge as well. Just coated my white 2012 F-150 with Wolfgang deep gloss Sio2 and topped that with 845.

1nIwazs.jpg


FK6LUZc.jpg
 
Mike Phillips said:
What's your normal regimen for your Vette Bob?
Click to expand...
•I’ve pretty much adhered to the Finish Kare/
Meguiar’s D114 regimen (as I outlined in Post
#6) ever since it was purchased new back in
April, 2015.

-So far, so good.



Bob
 
Wow, you remember Mike. That wasa long time ago. Generous offer you have given, I have tried my first ceramic coating in June on my daily driver. It turned out ok , I guess. Not sure if I an do that to my wife’s vette! I have only polished and waxed my black C7. Don’t have the nerve to try a coating on it.I can tell you Megs Ultimate polish was great on single stage paint (1973 Pantera). No so easy to remove on the C7. Gonna watch your C8 video now
 
I'm not sure what Mike used on this Black Vette, if it was Pinnacle Black Diamond PRO, or the Spray Coating?

If the latter, I have used this myself. This product may have changed to a newer version from when I bought it, as I bought this one I'll link to at the bottom when it first hit the market

My experience with it was that it is a much easier product to apply and work with than say another very durable coating made by Carpro, which was CQuartz UK.

But I also noted it was not near as durable either.

I think all will suggest, that with any coating, the paint will have to be properly prepped with some form of safe to use panel wipe product just prior to applying the coating for it to work and last its best. And of course with a spray-type coating, this is one which I found out that can be difficult to apply outdoors if there's even the slightest hint of a breeze.

We're all unsure how your vehicle will be used, but might guess with such a car, it will be a garage queen, be garage kept, and not a daily driver, not driven in snow perhaps? And even possibly stored for the winter if you live in a state further north than say Florida. LOL But these assumptions and comments I've made might also be incorrect?

(Florida might hold advantage, that in some parts of Florida, it can be mid 80's in January, but what's hard about Florida's climate, is a tropical Sun that does hammer most conventional paint protectant products also.)

Any paint protectant will last much longer on a garage kept car, and one that never sees harsh weather.

But as well, any and all cars do eventually get dirty if they are driven. Only those "trailered" to car shows may avoid such to a better degree, and I know such people who have classics, best of show winners which are never street driven.

Some may debate this claim I'm about to make, but what a highly durable coating (CQuartz) gives you versus any lesser products such as waxes and sealants, is greater hardness of paint finish surface, and less propensity of the paint finish to swirl, and sleek from repeated washings, or applications of topper products.

I say this because any time touching a paint finish, there is the potential to mar or sleek a paint. Even something as seemingly gentle as removing or replacing a perfectly clean Car Cover. The one advantage of White though, is less ability to see such.

Whereas Black, fougettaboutit, just looking sideways at the paint, and you got swirls! LOL

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Coating
 
Thank you Mike, for further clarifications on what product, and its application.

I've noted two aspects you mention, firstly, lighting and its importance. Not only for prior inspection to see what you're working with, but as well application of any products.

And I'd guess that White Paint might be the hardest of all to "see" what you are doing.

Tools definitely do make a large difference in what an alley "hack" can do, versus a seasoned and experienced detailer. That even a well lit garage-shop helps to some degree, but still often doesn't let one see the sides, and lower portions of a vehicle very well. Thus one should have at least one minimum Floor Stand Mounted Light.

Halogens are cheap enough, but downsides are they throw a lot of heat also. LED is the ticket and best option IMO. Some make their own, but simple enough to walk into any big box home improvement store for such a purchase, or here.

If you cannot "see" you cannot perform your best work.

As I conclude my comments, would I take Mike up on his very generous offer? I sure would! :dblthumb2:
 
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