My 03 AE Vert Vette sit outside 24/7. Have it professionally detailed every two years besides doing it myself. Last detailer used Rejex, not happy with the jb at all. Still very shiny but thinking a Color Correction is about due. May even consider a 2-3 year Ceramic Coating possibly 5 year but serious doubt I will have it that long due to failing eyesight.

what should I expect to pay for a GOOD color correction and then a ceramic coating. Please price each out not total. Been told if a ceramic coating be done a color correction must be done first.

I have been quoted over phone after answering questions the each would cost $300. each and can be done outside under a canopy in the ceramic is done, not if only correction done.

have searched the net for pricing, ranges from 300-600 for correction and 300. - 3,000. for coating.
total for both 600-5800, totally confused.

Vette looks great except for a little dullness in areas and marks. No paint missing at all.
most recent photo.
First photo today, second, today showing driver side rear fender with markings on the top of it. Last photo taken a month after last detail I did.
Thanks for any suggestions or replies.

Sorry guys, she is dirty the last two days. Had a tornado event a few miles away. Heavy winds to say the least. 75 mph. Washing for Xmas day 😀👍

 

Ceramic coated front clips of 2 cars and have to say its a waste of $. Just a good wax, clay bar is all you need.
Couple G to apply ceramic is hialrious

 

Two additional photos just now for sunlight change to match the one after detail. Might show better.

 

I used to work in a body shop and I still practice detailing and paint correction

The term “color” correction is a method of the removing the top surface of the paint thats severely damaged. So much so that the only way to disguise the damage is to cut polish or sand down the damaged paint so its less noticable.

Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m only going off what the photos portray which for your sake I hope don’t look as bad in person but;

From what the photos show: you have no topcoat left which also shows the base paint spotting thru. Whoever detailed your car ate right thru the clear exposing the base paint. If you have it re detailed like it is shown; from a less than reputable detailer they will either end up completely burning thru the clear and never have decent looking fender or stop and leave it partially spotty and slightly cloudy or they will tell you its already toast and cant be touched up
From what you show (maybe it looks savable in person but the photos make it look unsavable) the best and final option is a respray
If you want the truth, take it to a couple body shops and ask what your best option is
Good Luck

 

That "detailer" should be hung by the ***** if the top of that quarter panel did not look like that before they touched it.

 

Poor vette.

 

Glad someone else said this first. Every time you buff your car it can remove a tiny bit of clear/paint
Had a 5.0 mustang I waxed all the time I eventually wore right though. Factory doesnt put a ton of paint on

That spot is probably from years of doing a little too much/often Id bet. At some point thats bound to happen

 

I agree that the top of that fender looks like it needs to be redone. Best bet is to speak with a good body shop (or several shops) and see what they recommend. Good luck with this.

 

re-paint

 

Thank you all very much for your input. Correct the second to last detailer did this along with another small area on passenger side right below rag top. He used Rejex on it without my knowledge, I was pissed. Did not pay for job and took finish off front and rear logos and a few pieces of both logos. Last detailer did the best he could and helped some. Does not nearly look as bad in person as it does in photos. Have to really have to get up close to notice it. OCD about the Vette and boat. 😀👍

 

Curious on why the hate on Rejex?

 

Make the most from an unfortunate situation even if it's only the understanding of what and how best to handle paint correction.
Yeah it hurts a little when you focus on it but like you say, from a distance it isn't even that noticeable. Hell I'd drive it for a year or two before having it repainted cause you know sun can damage a metallic colored car enough to be very noticeable if it's a partial job.
Enjoy the car. Paint is only part of the car and it will drive as good as any other car.

FWIW Try a high quality spray on Graphene coating like Adams or 303. They "can" give bit of liquid or clear type surface coverage making it less noticeably hazed
Good Luck

 

Seems that alot of people are looking for a silver bullet when it comes to damaged surfaces or trying to get paint look more reflective.
No top coat only treatments like Ceramics and Graphene can fix a scratched car. Some; used properly can remove some small amounts of micro scratches only after light to medium scratches have been dealt with first.
Personally I wouldn't recommend clay bars. Results are poor at best and unless you really know what your doing you can make deeper scratches by forcing the clay into an existing scratch.
There's absolutely no substitute for good paint preparation and a good top coat. Problem is alot of guys don't stick with a single brand of material and they're never intended to be compatible with one another.
Then we get to where names and labels become misused. There are now products that blur the lines between prep, strippers, cut polish, swirl removers, surface correction, wax and the ever popular "coatings".
Somebody asked why the hate for Rejex?
My guess would be Rejex is classed as a sealant. Sealant give a fabulous top layer of protection. They also leave all the scratches exactly how they are for everyone to see sealed beneath a super tough expoy or other chemical layer that you either have to let wear off or damn near ruin your paint job generally by a heavy abrasive method

 

Explain please how it "happens" you applying wax "removes" paint.
Removal of last wax coat with a new wax coat... Removes the clear coat ?
Removes some of the "3 coats" of clear by waxing surface ?
Afterwhich the color coat is "removed" by applying wax ?
Perhaps the power tools is the culprit for ruining your paint/clear surface!

 

[QUOTE=Hary Gahtoe;160449822
Personally I wouldn't recommend clay bars. Results are poor at best and unless you really know what your doing you can make deeper scratches by forcing the clay into an existing scratch.

I have had nothing but good results with a clay bar, and really don't think it takes any sort of unusual skill, if one applies craft.

The main thing with clay bar polishing is lubrication, patience, and a light touch. You want to skim the clay across the lubricated surface, so lightly that only a high sport gets worked. Gm used a nice hard clear coat on the C5 but one always has to remember that all polishing is removing material, and that is why you want a lot of repetitive low friction passes over time to gradually achieve a glossy surface.

A gradual erosion of the high sports is the goal, treating the final polish as another sanding step towards a flat reflective surface won't measure up. The main thing is lubrication , you can't be accurate without it, and check your work often, the less material removed , the better.

Personally, I would avoid any power tool as unneeded for a car this small and smooth, I feel the potential for damage is not worth the risk, handwork here will do just fine, and avoid the kind of stuff shown above, where a guy is on the clock, so is understandably using a power tools and buzzes off a valuable section of clear coat before he knew it. . By hand, polishing completely through the first protective coating would have to be intentional.


I use the spay bottle that comes with the kit , and then switch to continuous running water across the work area to keep the abrasive material from biting to deeply, when the spray bottle runs out.

Step one with a clay bar is to cut the clay in half, so that when you drop the clay later on , you still have the ability to keep working.

 

Clay bar treatment isn’t used for polishing. It’s for removing debris, things like tree sap. If you’re using it for polishing chances are the results will be worse than original. It’s physically impossible to “skim lightly across the high spots”. The difference between high/low is less than a thousandth of an inch. You can’t use a clay bar for removing scratches properly. It’s purpose is for pulling off contaminants from the surface. If you think you are removing the higher or smaller scratches you are sadly mistaken.
A lot of people do the wrong thing for the right reason when it comes to paint and polishing. Understanding the basics and how to correctly achieve it while leaving the paint pristine is the ultimate goal.
What happened to the Corvette here is somebody going too far and not caring/understanding detailing. Power tools are your friend and the ultimate key to perfecting paint detailing but the best tool is knowledge.
The best detailers all use power polishing tools in conjunction with the best cut, buffing polish, materials used as described by the manufacturers method of use. Bar none

 

Paint Correction (sometimes referred to as Color Correction) is *generally* used to describe the process of removing defects through the use of abrasion. This can take the form of wet sanding in some extreme cases (which we DO NOT recommend with factory clear coat) followed by compounding and polishing. Clay (synthetic or actual clay) is used in the physical decontamination phase (along with chemical decontamination) that occurs prior to the paint correction process. Clay is used to remove surface contamination and IS abrasive so it is always recommended to NOT clay unless you are polishing afterwards.

Some videos from our library to further illustrate the above items:

Chemical vs. Mechanical Decontamination


Should I clay my car?


Camaro ZL1 1LE series by ESOTERIC. Part 3 - Paint Correction


DO NOT wet sand | FAQ series by ESOTERIC!


DO NOT try to correct orange peel! | FAQ series by ESOTERIC!


The best way to be SURE it is safe to correct is through the use of a Paint Thickness Gauge.

Paint Thickness Gauge

 

Arlen its basically abrasion over time.
Never used power tools on my paint, always by hand