Any Differences Painting Models?
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Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Cedar Falls Iowa
Any Differences Painting Models?
Does anybody know if there are any differences in paint application processes used for building the C6 Base, Z06, and ZR1 models?
I'm curious as to the type of paint used and the number of coats applied --- both base and clearcoat --- and whether there is anything different done to the cars between applications and/or follow-up prior to release.
I'm curious as to the type of paint used and the number of coats applied --- both base and clearcoat --- and whether there is anything different done to the cars between applications and/or follow-up prior to release.
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There are no differences in how the cars are painted. The coupe, convertible, Z06 and ZR1 all go through the same paint shop and the same process. They are all painted using DuPont automotive paints. Each car gets a primer coat (will be one of a couple of different color primers depending upon the final color of the car) a color coat and a clear coat. The clear can either be conventional clear or tinted clear depending again upon the final color of the car.
The cars are painted on a sled that moves through the paint shop. The panels are arranged on the sled in the orientation and location that they are to be placed on the car. Horizontal panels are painted horizontally and vertical panels are painted vertically. The headlights, side mirrors and roof panels are painted by their supplier and arrive at the plant painted ready to be assembled. The hood, front fenders, rear quarters, side mirrors and rear hatch or trunk are painted together on one sled. The front fascia and rear fascia are painted together but separate from the other panels on a different sled.
The panels are painted about a week to 10 days ahead of the production of the car. The panels arrive with a conductive primer applied to them from the supplier. The paint process is an electrostatic process. The panels are washed prior to the paint process but that is all. The panels will be painted and baked to a partial cure and then are inspected. Some touch-up can be done depending upon the nature and type of defect that is found. There is no wet-sanding or the like done to the painted panels.
The cars are painted on a sled that moves through the paint shop. The panels are arranged on the sled in the orientation and location that they are to be placed on the car. Horizontal panels are painted horizontally and vertical panels are painted vertically. The headlights, side mirrors and roof panels are painted by their supplier and arrive at the plant painted ready to be assembled. The hood, front fenders, rear quarters, side mirrors and rear hatch or trunk are painted together on one sled. The front fascia and rear fascia are painted together but separate from the other panels on a different sled.
The panels are painted about a week to 10 days ahead of the production of the car. The panels arrive with a conductive primer applied to them from the supplier. The paint process is an electrostatic process. The panels are washed prior to the paint process but that is all. The panels will be painted and baked to a partial cure and then are inspected. Some touch-up can be done depending upon the nature and type of defect that is found. There is no wet-sanding or the like done to the painted panels.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,950
Likes: 263
From: Cedar Falls Iowa
Thanks so much for the info! 
I am absolutely fascinated with how GM is able to make these fine cars and offer them to us at the price points that they have selected. I gotta get myself down to BG and watch it all happen.
I am absolutely fascinated with how GM is able to make these fine cars and offer them to us at the price points that they have selected. I gotta get myself down to BG and watch it all happen.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Chatsworth California
There are no differences in how the cars are painted. The coupe, convertible, Z06 and ZR1 all go through the same paint shop and the same process. They are all painted using DuPont automotive paints. Each car gets a primer coat (will be one of a couple of different color primers depending upon the final color of the car) a color coat and a clear coat. The clear can either be conventional clear or tinted clear depending again upon the final color of the car.
The cars are painted on a sled that moves through the paint shop. The panels are arranged on the sled in the orientation and location that they are to be placed on the car. Horizontal panels are painted horizontally and vertical panels are painted vertically. The headlights, side mirrors and roof panels are painted by their supplier and arrive at the plant painted ready to be assembled. The hood, front fenders, rear quarters, side mirrors and rear hatch or trunk are painted together on one sled. The front fascia and rear fascia are painted together but separate from
the other panels on a different sled.
The panels are painted about a week to 10 days ahead of the production of the car. The panels arrive with a conductive primer applied to them from the supplier. The paint process is an electrostatic process. The panels are washed prior to the paint process but that is all. The panels will be painted and baked to a partial cure and then are inspected. Some touch-up can be done depending upon the nature and type of defect that is found. There is no wet-sanding or the like done to the painted panels.
The cars are painted on a sled that moves through the paint shop. The panels are arranged on the sled in the orientation and location that they are to be placed on the car. Horizontal panels are painted horizontally and vertical panels are painted vertically. The headlights, side mirrors and roof panels are painted by their supplier and arrive at the plant painted ready to be assembled. The hood, front fenders, rear quarters, side mirrors and rear hatch or trunk are painted together on one sled. The front fascia and rear fascia are painted together but separate from
the other panels on a different sled.
The panels are painted about a week to 10 days ahead of the production of the car. The panels arrive with a conductive primer applied to them from the supplier. The paint process is an electrostatic process. The panels are washed prior to the paint process but that is all. The panels will be painted and baked to a partial cure and then are inspected. Some touch-up can be done depending upon the nature and type of defect that is found. There is no wet-sanding or the like done to the painted panels.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: La Center WA
Thanks for the info, Paul. Based on your understanding of the process, do you have any thoughts as to why GM doesn't offer the Z06 in Arctic White or CRM? Is there a reason other than trying to maintain exclusivity for the Ron Fellows and 427 editions?
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What I know along with what I'm willing to guess at tells me that you are exactly right. The development timeline for the Corvette is planned well in advance. As such, they would have had the RF Z06 and the WC Z06 on the board for a fair amount of time. In knowing that they would have wanted to maintain that exclusivity for those two releases.
There is no limiting factor that I can think of surrounding the paint operation. While the paint shop is space limited in so much as they only have room available for a fixed amount of painted panels and spares as well as equipment limited which currently prevents a greater number of colors from being offered. This as well as a limited number of tint coat colors due to the changeover required from conventional clear to tinted clear. I don't see either of those affecting the decision to not offer white or crystal red on a Z06.
