waddisme

Search junkman detailing on youtube. He has tons of vids on how to do compound, polish, glaze and wax. I think he has tips on which polisher to use etc. It will embolden you to do it yourself. It is a true labor of love and well worth it the first time. Also, you might want to spend some time in the "Car Care Discussion" section. Plenty of good threads there. Good luck with it.

groovyjay

I've done the full wet sanding treatment on several C5's and dozens of other cars as well. IMO it's the hardest part of the ground work on the way to a properly detailed ride. I usually start with 1500 then 2000 and finish it off with 3000 grit before I start cutting and buffing. After all the orange peel is off you can really have a show quality finish and the maintenance is more enjoyable there on.

Here's a shot of stock orange peel.



You can see how much orange peel there really is and no wax is going to make that go away



Buff Buff pass...

But all the hard work is well worth it in the end:







I love doing these projects, very rewarding. I just did an old C4 and I think it turned out pretty good too.

Starting point.



Getting there.


There.

hockeyspokes

Love the way it turns out ! Did you use a block and hand sanding or power sanding with flexible pad ? I am new at this so a little leary to go on my 03/C5 Vert as I have read here somewhere that C5's clear coat is very thin . Have you ecperienced this ? Wish I could do a hands on seminar with you or someone of equal experience before tackling mine . LOL

TOGWT

Google TOGWT® Autopia Detailing Wiki “How much would a full detail of my vehicle cost?”-

I hope the information in this article is of some help to you. If you have any further questions please let me know

bigblock427

I always wash and wax my own cars. A good quality detail like it sounds you want/need runs between $200 to $300.

The following process should bring an average 10 year car back to a very presentable look.

1. Wash with Blue Dawn dishwashing soap to remove the wax.

2. Clay bar the entire car using a quality detailing mist.

3. Polish the car with a good quality polish. Heavy than normal swirl marks may require a more aggressive polish. Apply the polish with a dual action polisher.

4. Apply a good quality wax with a dual action polisher. You can apply more than one coat of wax if you like.

I use Adams products and recommend them to many people. Their website will show you the products and methods via several short instructional videos. I bet if you watch a few of the videos you will get a good idea of what your finish really requires.

Their website is listed below.
http://www.adamspolishes.com/

Good luck.

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

Richard@Adams

I could not swap a cam and springs in a week let alone an afternoon, but I may be able to offer some help with your cars surface. Always consider going the route of less aggressive to more aggressive because you can't go in the other direction. Take a look at the videos on Adam'spolishes.com and I think that may help a lot saving you money and possibly a big headache. I have obviously not seen the surface of your car, but this may be easier than you think.
Richard Kashinsky
Adam's Premium Car Care Products
Distributor and Corvette Specialist
336 408 4433

C6ZR1RM

Coming from a picky owner of a Black Z who has had the car professionally buffed and wet sanded ect its waaaaaay easier to fill and hide swirls or scratches then it is to wet sand and buff. Although it will look amazing when finished you need to ask yourself what you are going to be doing with the car after. If its a car that is rarely driven and in the garage 90% of its life I would highly suggest a wet sand and buff by a pro. If you plan on driving it everyday or more then average make sure you take lots of pics after its buffed cause I dont care what wax you use its gonna slowly go back to what you had over time. Get yourself a good wax that can be applied quickly that comes off with little mess and give it a quick once over every other wash. Every wash I use a quick detailer which hides alot and I wax spots here and there. But its an ongoing battle especially with a black car.