Merlinii

2014 C7 convertible loaded w/lots of fine factory/dealership scratches.
When I received the vehicle it had less than 100 smiles on the ODO..

I had asked him to tell the dealership "Do Not Wash" it when it arrives.
When I got it, the paint was totally covered in a gummy "factory" glue.
Possibly, it was protective plastic coating residue used during shipping.

I also found there appears to be absolutely no factory paint protection.
When I washed it, I found the paint completely flat and totally lifeless.













He ordered the optional contrast package with the spoiler, mirrors and hood stripe.
I probably spent about 20-30 hours polishing the paint to a crisp high gloss.
I will be glad to list the products I used if you would like.

Thanks for looking.

Kevin Kuse

Gorgeous Car! The only Flaw I see! Is that it is not Mine!

Really Nice!

Merlinii

I hear that...all the ladies went totally crazy over this red one.

I'm not sure who (Factory/Dealership) did what to it before I got it.
It had lots of fine scratches when I got it but it left crisp and clear.

Dave1

It looks great….

20-30 hours on a new car….??

What did you have to use to shine up the clear coat…..?

Merlinii

There were lots of fine (factory installed) scratches that needed correction. I followed that with CarPro Reflect to jewel the paint (hence the time) and CQuartz Finest for LSP.

Beachhz

Wow, the orange peel on the fender pic is awful

tnvette7

Curious what you used on the duller contrast pieces like the hood scoop, spoiler, and mirrors. Did you use high gloss on them too or something different? Whatever you did, the Vette looks terrific though.

BSE1956

I agree. Mine has it too.
It's pitiful that this is an acceptable standard for paint at GM.
A complete wet sanding, compounding, polishing and fine polishing would be the only way to cure the OP.

0Adam's Polish

Looking good!

On the note of orange peel, the C7s have some of the absolute worst orange peel of any factory paint I've ever seen.

Merlinii

He ordered the optional contrast package with the spoiler, mirrors and hood stripe.
The hood stripe is not painted. It is a sticker that is applied on top of the OEM paint.
If you look at the bottom picture you'll see the hood center has no bright, clarity and gloss.
I used Reload sealant. Being a vinyl sticker there's no applying CQuartz Finest to achieve shine.

tnvette7

Oh ok, I thought the hood stripe was painted with a clear coat on it. Maybe not. I guess the sealant just protects it without adding any gloss or shine?

Sleper

Nice work and BEAUTIFUL Car. Enjoy it and drive it

Merlinii

No sadly, it's a $500 vinyl sticker that looks like carbon fiber.
Reload is a specially modified Silica (Sio2) super hydrophobic spray sealant that...
... can be used on Glass, Paint, Rubber and Plastic (does not stain trim).

Merlinii

Thank you!

tnvette7

Thanks. Mine has the stripe, but I have only had the Vette a couple of weeks and hadn't noticed that it was a $500 vinyl sticker yet So many other things to explore on this car

Merlinii

Very lightly (I mean very lightly) pick at the edge with your fingernail.
Don't get me wrong...I like the look, but it is a stick-on and not paint.
You can clean it and use a wax or sealant to add shine & hydrophobic.
Due to the nature of the product you won't be able be achieve clarity.
The reason I mention this is that you don't want to use a polisher on it.

tnvette7

Thanks. So much to learn on this Vette. My first one too Lovin it so far. Jerry