I've been a member since 2011 but, I purchased my latest Corvette in October and I'm making great progress with it. It is a 2004 Z06, with 13,900 miles when I bought it. As the mileage would suggest, it is in mint condition. The only issues being some "California Bling" being removed and repair of damage caused by the shipping company.

This Z06 had been lowered 3" and, I think most will agree, that is too much for driving on the street. The rear was still at factory ride height giving it a "California Rake" with 18's up front and 20's in back. The back was lowered and the front lifted to make this Z06 almost level. This has restored the braking to what it should be and handling as well. It still sits very low but looks fantastic. It no longer has any issues with my driveway.

I had the paint rubbed out this week and a clear bra was added to the front, rockers, mirrors and behind the rear wheels. Some of the bling removed being Mercedes SL500 spears from the vents and chrome trim around the rear marker lights. That chrome had been attached using gorilla glue and had to be ground off the lenses. I thought the lenses would have to be replaced but, after it was done, they look better than new.

Blaine, from Excalibur International in Englewood, Colorado, performed the magic on my Z06 and it literally looks better than new. The paint had never been rubbed out and now looks like glass. He removed and polished all the lenses and the difference is huge. It is amazing how much this guy knows about every aspect of the car. His focus is Ferrari, Porsche and high end vehicles I can barely afford to look at but, being the owner of a 1971 LT1 Corvette Convertible, he has always been a huge fan of Corvette.

Blaine also removed the aftermarket chrome shifter, E-brake handle and radio ***** in order to restore the cockpit to more of what you would expect inside a Z06. The shifter handle and brake cover were sanded down so several coats of flat black, baked on enamel could be added for durability AND looks. He did the same to the antenna as well. Before I pick it up, he'll give me lessons on how to keep it looking great. He already taught me how to keep from damaging the rear lenses and paint when washing the vehicle. I can't tell you how important it is to invest in an air compressor to use for washing and drying ANY vehicle. This Z06 only has 14,800 miles and you'd be surprised at the damage that had been done to the paint and rear lenses, JUST FROM WASHING AND DRYING. Luckily, all of the scratches buffed out and some of them were pretty deep!

I pick it up from Excalibur International on 5 Dec 15, I'm looking forward to the drive home, taking the back way through the hills - weather permitting!

 

Sounds like your car is going to look really good. Post up some pics when you get it back.

 

 

 

BUT, I plan to take pictures as soon as I pick it up tomorrow evening followed by adding before and after pictures when I get home.

 

 

My Z06 had just arrived from California. Notice the Mercedes SL500 spears. It has since been lowered 1.75" in back resulting in a 1/2" rise up front. I need to raise it another 1/2" for better protection. I imagine the braking was severely impacted by the rear being factory ride height with the nose dropped 3". It certainly handles far better now! The paint was just rubbed out last week and a clear bra added to the front, mirrors, rockers and rear quarters. The interior chrome (radio *****, shift **** and E-brake handle) was sanded with baked on satin black enamel added. With a black interior, the chrome looked out of place and was annoying when the sun reflected off of it.

 

Looks great
Very nice low mileage Z06.

 

Finished last week and ready to come home. In nice company with a yellow Ferrari 360 on the left and gorgeous 348TS on the right. A 2004 Commemorative Convertible behind. I should have taken pics of the 71 LT1 Convertible, 67 427 Convertible and 1960 Convertible that were just out of the picture. Although not a Vette, there was also a 100 point 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX w/ factory 426 Hemi, 4Spd with Dana 60 w/ Trac Pack rear.[/I]

 

Looks clean, not digging those wheels though

 

I'm not a fan of them either! The stagger is a bit odd with 18's up front and 20's in back which only added to the rear high/nose very low situation. I'd be happier with 18/19's or possibly 19/20's. It costs nothing to stick with these for awhile as opposed to spending several thousand dollars to get what I want in the same size or even more if I change sizes.

The owner of the Lemans Blue C5 next to my car offered to trade because he hate his wheels due to time consuming cleaning sessions. I doubt he'd really trade because is are no longer available and mine are even more difficult to clean.

As for how clean it is, the pictures don't do it justice! It is in awesome condition! I'm quite happy with the dealer I purchased it from (California Car Company in Brea, CA) but wouldn't recommend the trucking company to ship a tire let alone a nice car. I found a broker on line that unfortunately used them. They were not equipped to handle such a low Corvette and caused a fair amount of damage during loading and unloading. The damage has all been repaired and they have yet to pay for it.

 

Very sharp! Congrats!

how do you use an air comperssor in the wash process? thx

 

I like the wheels.
Not every one has the same taste

 

Yes.....Like The Wheels for Sure....Looks Like a Nice Find

 

Nice

 

The short answer is for aiding the wash process. Dirt gets into places where the water hose might not rinse the dirt out completely. Use caution around any damaged paint, chrome, etc. that a high pressure air hose might aggravate.

The compressor and hose come in very handy for areas like, around tail lights, mirrors, hood, headlights, wheels, etc. The list is long. Rinse, air hose, rinse and then wash the car. You're main thing during rinse is to loosen the grit and grime. The air hose should get whatever the water hose did not. When it is time to dry, the air hose comes in VERY handy with getting the water out of places your rags won't. The same places where the dirt hides, water will as well and won't show up until you've finished drying and go for a spin! Think about how much water keeps draining from the mirrors after you've washed and are now attempting to dry the car. Other areas won't allow any drainage until air pressure forces the water out.

The rear window is a great place to hold water. While the seal does not hold the window in, it does a great job holding in water until the air flow of going down the road causes the water to start flowing over your nicely washed car. Believe me, water is trapped everywhere until you blow it out. An air hose attached to the compressor will work wonders on all those areas that seemingly cling to water.

Of course, the correct rags are really important and they need to be clean. I was amazed at how nice the car looked in the sunlight only to be mortified at how bad the scratches were under the shop lights. One of them on the hood must have been four feet long! Fortunately, they all rubbed out. The previous owner apparently didn't use due diligence when wiping down the car.

Using the correct methods to wash and dry, along with good rags and materials will keep your paint lasting a long time and save you loads of cash in the long run!

 

How true! the previous owner certainly didn't buy them with me in mind. I actually like how they look but I don't care for them when time to wash the car. There are other wheel styles I'd rather have but it is very costly to change. These won't cost me anything to keep.

 

Here is a better angle.