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Back Story:
I purchased my car used, it had been on the car lot for 6 months before I picked it up. So I’m sure it received many gentle washes during it’s time as a lot lizard plus whatever the pervious owner did. About a month after purchasing I took it to a well-known shop for paint correction and ceramic coating. The results were less than what I (or anyone else) would have expected. The paint correction was basically not done, but they did apply the 5 layers of ceramic. Obviously an eyesore and drove me bonkers... to the point of actually selling the car. These swirls were now under a 5 layer ceramic coating.See attached photos
In comes "DreamMakers Automotive". Their detailer (Dustin) was able to remove the ceramic and do a proper paint correction, leaving me a surface I could now work with. The car looked great and I’m very happy with what they did! I couldn’t believe it was the same car.
Can it be better? I started using BlackFire Si02 sealant on the work Dustin @ DreamMakers did and it is a good protectant/coating. Provides ceramic coating performance in an easy to apply spray. Worked good, looked okay for a spray and wipe but I felt like it could look better. Further down the hole we go!
I made the decision to learn how to truly polish so I can do these jobs myself. Made the investment in two Random Orbital Polishers (6 & 3 inch versions) with an array of pads for various cutting/polishing abilities, Wolfgang polish, finishing glaze, a butt load of other products and will top it all off with Wet Ice over Fire from BlackFire.
I was able to do most of the large surfaces with the 6 inch polisher and was able to get a good feel for how things work. The 3 inch polisher was DOA after 60 seconds of use (just my luck). AutoGeek stepped up and shipped me a replacement next day air, but I needed to keep moving on the paint correction. I took the backer plate off the dead 3” and installed on the larger 6” DA. It worked, but the throw is different and the machine is physically larger making getting into the smaller areas tougher. These are the results doing two steps (Light correction & polished). I’ll go back another day and really get into the curves I couldn’t get the larger machine into now that I've got the replaced 3" DA.
Once the paint correction and polishing was as good as I could get it, I moved on to applying the BlackFire Paint Sealant. First layer was applied with the 6” DA on a slow (#3) setting. Goes on very easily and wipes off effortlessly. After 5 hours I applied a second layer by hand, then left the sealant to cure as directed. Here are the results to this point.
After the sealant was cured (waited 10 hours) I applied a layer of BlackFire Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax (the last step in the Wet Ice over Fire). The wax is different to say the least. It’s very oily in it’s application and will not dry on the surface, so apply very thin and I found to give it a few minutes of dwell time before wiping off for a final hand buff to a shine. What was strange was the Paint Sealant was very slick, like much slicker than what a ceramic coating feels like, but the application of this paste wax has it back to a less slippery surface. I also noticed that I generated a lot of static while removing and buffing this paste wax. Honestly I’m not 100% sold on the paste wax and it’s benefit… but I’ll let the results speak for themselves.
I couldn’t let the wheels feel neglected, so the Vette went up on the lift it and each wheel received the same treatment the car did. Cleaned, prepped, corrected, polished and application of the paint sealant, but I skipped the wax to keep the extra slickness of the sealant. These came out way better than I ever thought they would! On to the trim and tires. I used the BlackFire Total Trim & Tire Sealant. This product is pretty cool, makes your tires black without having to apply heavy tire dressing. Also perfect for the poverty splitter and the plastic trim in the fender wells.
Over all? I'm very happy with the progress and I'm sure I'll keep at it. Don't be afraid to tackle this stuff yourself as you'll really appreciate the end results! I received a lot of comments on the condition of the car. Most people thought it was brand new or had a high dollar paint job, which to me was affirmation that I've done it! I've made what was the ugly paint Corvette into a real show stopper! Still have a few area's needing attention because of the 3" DA debacle, but we're on the path to perfection for sure!
NONE of these photos have been edited (other than cropping a few for size). No light or color adjustments, just basic raw images from my iPhone!
I purchased my car used, it had been on the car lot for 6 months before I picked it up. So I’m sure it received many gentle washes during it’s time as a lot lizard plus whatever the pervious owner did. About a month after purchasing I took it to a well-known shop for paint correction and ceramic coating. The results were less than what I (or anyone else) would have expected. The paint correction was basically not done, but they did apply the 5 layers of ceramic. Obviously an eyesore and drove me bonkers... to the point of actually selling the car. These swirls were now under a 5 layer ceramic coating.See attached photos
In comes "DreamMakers Automotive". Their detailer (Dustin) was able to remove the ceramic and do a proper paint correction, leaving me a surface I could now work with. The car looked great and I’m very happy with what they did! I couldn’t believe it was the same car.
Can it be better? I started using BlackFire Si02 sealant on the work Dustin @ DreamMakers did and it is a good protectant/coating. Provides ceramic coating performance in an easy to apply spray. Worked good, looked okay for a spray and wipe but I felt like it could look better. Further down the hole we go!
I made the decision to learn how to truly polish so I can do these jobs myself. Made the investment in two Random Orbital Polishers (6 & 3 inch versions) with an array of pads for various cutting/polishing abilities, Wolfgang polish, finishing glaze, a butt load of other products and will top it all off with Wet Ice over Fire from BlackFire.
I was able to do most of the large surfaces with the 6 inch polisher and was able to get a good feel for how things work. The 3 inch polisher was DOA after 60 seconds of use (just my luck). AutoGeek stepped up and shipped me a replacement next day air, but I needed to keep moving on the paint correction. I took the backer plate off the dead 3” and installed on the larger 6” DA. It worked, but the throw is different and the machine is physically larger making getting into the smaller areas tougher. These are the results doing two steps (Light correction & polished). I’ll go back another day and really get into the curves I couldn’t get the larger machine into now that I've got the replaced 3" DA.
Once the paint correction and polishing was as good as I could get it, I moved on to applying the BlackFire Paint Sealant. First layer was applied with the 6” DA on a slow (#3) setting. Goes on very easily and wipes off effortlessly. After 5 hours I applied a second layer by hand, then left the sealant to cure as directed. Here are the results to this point.
After the sealant was cured (waited 10 hours) I applied a layer of BlackFire Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax (the last step in the Wet Ice over Fire). The wax is different to say the least. It’s very oily in it’s application and will not dry on the surface, so apply very thin and I found to give it a few minutes of dwell time before wiping off for a final hand buff to a shine. What was strange was the Paint Sealant was very slick, like much slicker than what a ceramic coating feels like, but the application of this paste wax has it back to a less slippery surface. I also noticed that I generated a lot of static while removing and buffing this paste wax. Honestly I’m not 100% sold on the paste wax and it’s benefit… but I’ll let the results speak for themselves.
I couldn’t let the wheels feel neglected, so the Vette went up on the lift it and each wheel received the same treatment the car did. Cleaned, prepped, corrected, polished and application of the paint sealant, but I skipped the wax to keep the extra slickness of the sealant. These came out way better than I ever thought they would! On to the trim and tires. I used the BlackFire Total Trim & Tire Sealant. This product is pretty cool, makes your tires black without having to apply heavy tire dressing. Also perfect for the poverty splitter and the plastic trim in the fender wells.
Over all? I'm very happy with the progress and I'm sure I'll keep at it. Don't be afraid to tackle this stuff yourself as you'll really appreciate the end results! I received a lot of comments on the condition of the car. Most people thought it was brand new or had a high dollar paint job, which to me was affirmation that I've done it! I've made what was the ugly paint Corvette into a real show stopper! Still have a few area's needing attention because of the 3" DA debacle, but we're on the path to perfection for sure!
NONE of these photos have been edited (other than cropping a few for size). No light or color adjustments, just basic raw images from my iPhone!
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