New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

[Robflys]

Hi all. I'm new to detailing my car. I know its sad, I have a 2006 Corvette C6 in Victory Red. I've been using a competitor's liquid "cold" stuff and washing it every couple of weeks since new but unfortunately it has been living outside in the Florida sun for about a year now since the garage has been filled with life's things

Lately the water spots and swirls on it have been driving me absolutely crazy and I am on the road as a pilot alot and it sits....the water spots were etched everywhere.

In a sudden bout of inspiration by a neighbor who swears by Meguiars, I went out and bought :

- Gold Class Car Wash/Conditioner
- Claybar
- Clear Coat Safe Rubbing Compound
- Clear Coat Safe Polishing Compound
- Scratch X 2.0
- Gold Class Clear Coat Car Wax
- Quick Detailer
- Quick Wax

Here is what I did: Wash car, dry, clay bar, used rubbing compound with Terry cloth towels, used polishing compound with terry cloth towels, used scratch x sparingly on three or four areas, Waxed with Gold Class. I intend to use the Quick Detailer/Wax every few days or soo....The car looks absolutely stunning. The water spots and swirls are all gone and I can't believe how good it looks and it never looked this good even on the day that I got it, new.

Here is my question: I used light to firm pressure on rubbing/polishing compound and used one thin coat of each on the car. Of course no paint came off or anything like that. I am just wondering how often I can use this stuff on the Corvette without worrying about wearing down the clear coat.

I know that cans say "clear coat safe" but for how long? I'm worried the water spots will try to come back, so i'm going to try to be vigilant with the quick detail/quick wax, but if they come back can I feel comfortable about using the rubbing/polishing compound again?

Sorry if I'm being OCD about this, but I am! I have gotten the car to the point that it DESERVES to look like and I'm just concerned about possibly damaging it by over-doing it.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I appreciate any responses!

Rob

[Murr1525]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

Hi all. I'm new to detailing my car. I know its sad,

Oh child....

Here is my question: I used light to firm pressure on rubbing/polishing compound and used one thin coat of each on the car. Of course no paint came off or anything like that. I am just wondering how often I can use this stuff on the Corvette without worrying about wearing down the clear coat.

Well, hopefully you will not need the stronger compound too much now. The Polishing Compound could be used often, certainly every couple months. Hopefully with regular washing/qd-ing, and then a spray wax, you will get a coule/few months at a time from your wax. Did you get the 2.0 version wax?

I know that cans say "clear coat safe" but for how long? I'm worried the water spots will try to come back, so i'm going to try to be vigilant with the quick detail/quick wax, but if they come back can I feel comfortable about using the rubbing/polishing compound again?

Just be carefull, dont want to add swirls by using a QD when the car is closer to dirty than dusty. Better off with a good wash and a coat of Spray Wax at that point.

[Robflys]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

wanted to add a pic...not best resolution from iPhone...
[IMG][/IMG]

[Shawn T.]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

As a rule, you could try to do a swirl removal/full detail once a year. If this is a daily driver then it will be impossible to maintain a swirl free finish for very long. I would say to use the rubbing compound less than the polishing compound which is much more gentle on the paint. Did you really need the Scratchx after using rubbing and polishing comounds?

And you are remocing paint, believe you me. If you had a single stage paint finish you would see your terry towels coming off red from the car. By removing scratches, you are leveling the paint to the point where the paint is at the bottom level of where the scratch was. This should not stop you from doing your swirl removal though once or twice a year becasue the amount of clear coat you are removing is negligible compared to the amount coming out of the factory.

Like Murr1525 said though, be careful using the QD as you do not want to inflict more than the usual scratching from being driven. Use a good plush microfiber, do not press down and do not grind the dust in circles as you wipe it off. Go in one direction, in a straight line to minimize any swirls that may appear. Remember, be gentle.

Anyway, good luck with the car! Hope everything works out!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

Congrats on getting your vette in show car shape. The hard part is over. By getting your finish up to par. There is no need for rubbing compound every time you wax. Use proper techniques and the car will continue to look great,

Even due to the fact that you did not see it. You did remove paint. We all do, when doing paint correction.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

Rob, do yourself a favor and ditch the terry cloth towels. Pick up some soft foam wax applicator pads and a bunch of microfiber towels instead - your paint will thank you in the long run.

As has been mentioned, if you regularly use a product like Ultimate Quik Detailer and a couple of microfiber towels to routinely wipe down the vehicle, you can go a long way towards preventing water spotting in the future. Since the car sits outside all the time it will be darn near impossible to avoid them fully, so keeping on top of things will be critical. Understanding, of course, that work often gets in the way of our car hobby.

Keeping the car well waxed is going to help you a lot as well. With Florida's regular mix of sun and rain, this is even more critical for you. Pick up some Ultimate Quik Wax and use it every time you wash your car, but use it when drying the car. Yes, when drying the car. After your final rinse just spray some Ultimate Quik Wax onto a panel and then dry it. Move onto the next panel and do the same thing. The boost in wax protection, shine and slickness will amaze you, and it's so simple to use. Your list of products includes Quik Wax, but UQW is a huge leap in technology and we highly recommend it.

Good to see you giving that 'Vette the TLC it deserves!

[Robflys]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

Thanks for all your input. I really appreciate it!

Gonna try to keep it looking good!

[searle]

Re: New to Detailing my 2006 Vette...how much is too much??

Also keep in mind that ColorX can be a wonderful friend in-between full detailing sessions. It has a respectable cleaner +glaze +wax, and a single ColorX application topped with NXT2 as the 2nd wax coat will do wonders for a car that is not getting as much attention as you would otherwise like.

Not a replacement for full detailing sessions, but wonderful for in-between.