gbrtng

Noob here ... what's the accepted method for cleaning and preserving the CE Z16 appiiques? I have hard well water out here in the country and water spots are unavoidable.

Glenn

Z.youngg85@gmail.com

Have you looked into any of the ceramic coatings and other sealant options out there? This would give a nice barrier of protection against hard water stains and other outdoor problems.

Check out autogeek, detailedimage and a few other higher end detail/ car cleaning outlets will have options to fit your application.

Ron C!

I have always treated the stripes as I do the paint. Many coats of Zaino. Only issue I have had is that I got a dark spot on the hood stripe. I discovered that it was water dripping from the garage door when opened, it dripped on the car cover and the damp fabric allowed the stripe to absorb moisture. A few hours out in the sun a couple times and the spot dried out.

2TONE82

Same here, just wax along with the rest of the car. I have a rock chip in a stripe on the roof but other than that they are good. I'll admit, #165 hasn't seen much road time/sun lately; just over 45K miles on her now.

On another note, I've always thought that any good sign shop could recreate the roof and trunk decals...the hood not so much with the carbon fiber lettering and cross-hatch pattern. I was fortunate to pick up a spare set of hood stripes several years ago and keep them rolled up in the original box...hope I never have to use them!

S.C. vette

Nothing special here, I use Meguire products and am satisfied.

LIGHTNING

Be very careful with ceramic coatings! Many should NOT be applied over stripes / vinyl / decals.

radar502

Lots of wax and I also use the Zaino ,don't use any compound or anything like that and do not let the water stay on too long the sooner the better get the spots off.. The replacement strips are no more so be careful with them ..

Z0SIS

Light polishing on a regular basis...depending on your location 2-3 times a year. The polishing oils will help prevent the stripes from drying out and cracking, which is what I see on many cars with any type of vinyl decals/pinstripes. Then wax right over.

striper

I have a totally different suggestion. How about a water softener for your household water supply. It does wonders for keeping everything in good condition in your home when you have hard water, which is a problem where I live, too. I bought a WaterBoss unit from Home Depot, which is designed to use a minimal amount of salt to keep down problems for people with sodium problems. Uses much less salt than when I had a home with a Culligan system. Great for washing your car, too. Also, Griot's Garage sells something for washing your car which cuts down on the hard water problem. It adapts into your hose system.