centennialgirl

Hey guys, I just picked up a Centennial Grand Sport and the paint is ROUGH. It has a bunch of scuffs and a couple scratches, I almost left without it but they lowered the price and I figured some paint correction would get rid of most of the scuffs. Everything else about the car is exactly what I was looking for.

I know some black paints are soft and you need to be careful about using the polisher on them. Is there anything in particular I need to know about carbon flash? And how do I detail around the stripes?

The headlights are also cloudy and scratched but they're scratched on the inside which is a little weird. They aren't yellowed. I'll probably replace those eventually but is there anything I should do about them now?

S.C. vette

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...bar-clean.html

Read this thread for solid advise, remember this, around here everyone has their own opinions how to go about such things. Use your own mind and gut, free advice is just that. Good luck and welcome aboard!

Z0SIS

This is a much longer discussion but in short, and without seeing any pictures, grab yourself a dual action polisher (I like the ol standby Porter Cable 7424), a polishing or cutting pad and some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and get to polishing. The DA does not create heat so you run no risk of burning your paint. You can lightly polish over the stripes - they will not come off.

centennialgirl

Thank you so much! I honestly didn't know there was so much to different clays. Never thought about it, I just buy Meguiar's California Gold. I always wash > clay > compound/polish > wax, and I use my DA polisher to compound/polish and wax. I know some products, like wax I believe, can haze plastics. I'm worried about hazing the stripes since they are a matte black.

centennialgirl

Gotcha. Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and a DA are exactly what I use. Will wax ruin my stripes?

BadAV

I would not polish over the stripes. They are matte black and scuff and scratch extremely easily. The polisher will absolutely trash them. If you aren't confident you can stay off the edges of the stripes with the polisher, the best thing you can do is tape them off on the edges with painters tape.

BadAV

I try to get all of the dirt/dust off the stripes by washing the car, and use detail spray to refresh them. They will lightly scratch from dust, even using a fresh microfiber towel with the detail spray. Use a very light touch, get all the dust off with the first towel and light touch. Get a new towel, spray again, then buff them out. I have used Mothers spray wax on them a few times without any negative effects. I have seen people on the forum reference a special product that is made especially for stripes but have not felt the need to seek it out yet.

Edit: I've owned my Centennial for almost 3 years now so I have been dealing with the stripes for a while.

S.C. vette

centennialgirl

My stripes are already scratched, and there is a tiny chunk missing from one stripe. Are there places that can re-stripe my car or is that a bad idea? Will those buff out? I don't have an accurate picture of the scratches, but I'll try to grab one when it stops raining. They're not deep.

Edit: Obviously the chip will not buff out haha, but I am willing to overlook that for the time being if I can do something about the scratches.

BadAV

You can buy a replacement kit from GM but they are pricey. When/if the time comes, I plan to find a local shop that can duplicate the OEM stripes and install them. I don't know for certain, but I suspect aftermarket matte stripes might be more durable/less susceptible to scratching than the OEM stripes.

rkj427

good info. above on the stripes............. if they are in good condition and you do want to add some "protection" to them, Adam's has a MATTE Detailer that you can use on them......... video below

windyC6

I may have missed an explanation, but just what is "carbon flash" in relation to auto paint? Is this simply a new name for some old school technology ?.......

Tech

It's the name of a heavy metallic dark charcoal (almost black) color that came on Centennial cars. It was also used on accents for non-Centennial cars in later years.

windyC6

OH....OK. Heck, this day and age I thought it may have meant that you can somehow "Flash your car with some carbon..........

Z0SIS

If matte black then yes avoid polishing over them. However on glossy stripes I would not have an issue - have done it before many times.

Joey D

Just replace them and cover them with expel stealth or another paint protection film. I did that with mine and they are perfect.

FAUEE

It was used on quite a few other cars. You could actually get it on trucks and other stuff. It' very similar to black granite metallic GM used to use. It's just a metallic black, with silver and blue flakes in it.

It's a very nice color...but I'm biased.

gliot1

While using a dual action is awesome for dullness or swirls, it typically doesn't do heavy oxidation or really troubled paint as well as a good old buff out. I have a friend in this boat, and I told him to just go to a body shop and spend $100 for the initial buffing. Also beware that even buffing wont take deep scratches out. My body man's rule is if you can catch it with a finger nail, it cannot be buffed out.......

windyC6

While this is a good rule of thumb, it really boils down to just how deep the scratch is and how much clear you have to work with. Experience is key in this area.

Hwyknight

Welcome to the Centennial club! Lots of great advice on this thread. I picked up my Centennial GS last summer, and the stripes do take a beating. Armor All came out with a product for matte finish surfaces, and it seems to have helped a bit. I’m considering removing my stripes and painting gloss black stripes with a super thin red pinstripe painted around them. Hmmmm.... or I might have them replaced, paint corrected, then film the whole car. Haven’t decided yet.

Why are Centennials the fastest Corvettes........because our speedometers start at 100!! Lol!