BMadden

I'll be getting my new Torch Red C7 in a little less than a month and I'm trying to gather some information ahead of time so I'll be ready to tackle the paint as soon as I get it. By the way, I'll be taking the car directly from the dealership without letting them wash it or do anything to the paint.

Now, I know a question like this is somewhat "loaded" because everyone has their preferences and there is bound to be some disagreement on the subject, but I'm just trying to get a rough idea of what would be best for this particular color. I still have some Pinnacle Souveran paste wax that I've always felt was the ultimate wax for red and black cars, but I'm wondering what polish and sealant should be applied prior to that. I've read a lot of positive comments about Wolfgang, Blackfire and Adam's....would any of those be acceptable to apply before the Pinnacle and is there one that stands out from the rest? Also, are paint protection items like Opti-Coat and CQuartz necessary if the car won't spend a lot of time outside?

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

IndyBlue

I would search for threads that include the detailing procedure recommend by Glen E. I used this procedure to detail my car this past weekend and the car is incredible. I will post some pics tomorrow night.
The process uses mostly Blackfire products and you won't be disappointed with the results.

H2LS3

I just did my TR on Sunday! I've always been an Adams fan, but I tried Wolfgang for the first time. I thought it was fantastic, I think the polishes were very similar, but the Wolfgang sealant was amazing. I still use and love other Adams products like the towels and detail spray, but I think I definitely prefer the wolfgang polish (swirl remover and glaze) and especially the sealant. I also picked up some 3m perfect-it for some of the spots where the travel cover left marks in the clear coat, I thought it was incredible.

I haven't tried blackfire, but have heard good things as well.

I dont think think you can go wrong with any of the products they are all good. From everything I've read the process is the most important part of detailing.

I'll be interested in how you think the pinnacle works as a final step, I might need to add that next time.

Have fun! Love the TR on the C7.

RichmondC7

I agree. Glen E is THE man. He shows us all how it's done with his own C7. Here is my Torch Red C7

tractman

I brought my Torch Red/Adrenaline Red 3LT coupe home last week. I found some scratches from the transit cover which I expected (65 mph wind buffeting the cover with a little dust under it....works like sandpaper). Dealer did a decent job but nowhere what I wanted. So now I have about 12 hours into it and few more to go before I'm happy.

What I use.....

1. Washed the car with a heavy foam suds from Mothers California Gold
2. Clayed the car with the new American made Adams Detailing Clay...great stuff.
3. Polished with Blackfire Finishing Polish to remove the scratches....used a white pad on my Flex Random Orbital Polisher.....this process got most the scratches out of the clear coat...couple areas I did have to go to Menzerna Nano and the orange pad.....but did manage to get them all out without too much fuss. Checked out the work with the Brinkman Swirl Finder light to made sure I did not miss anything.
4. First coat of Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paints Sealant (I've used about everything over the years I love this product better than any of the others I've tried....applied with a red pad on the Flex. Looked awesome after this step....
5. Second coat of Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paints Sealant.....this coat really made a difference.....most would have stopped with the first coat, but I've used this product many times and have found by layering it just gets better and better.

I plan to add 2 additional layers of Blackfire Sealant then I might apply either the Blackfire Carnuba, or use the Wolfgang Fuzion which I've used on red before and does an awesome job.

I will post a couple of photos later when I'm finished. But I can say the car looks and feels sensational with where I am at this point in my process.

Adding two photos...this is after the second coat of Blackfire Wet Diamond All Paints Sealant as note in the above process.

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BMadden

I just PM'ed Glen E. and within 5 minutes he had already e-mailed me his step by step procedure. What a great guy!

I plan to follow his instructions to the letter and hopefully that will result in my C7 looking as great as some of the others I've seen on here.

gtragitt

Get OptiCoat Pro

BMadden

If you use something like Opticoat or CQuartz, can that be applied after the polish/sealant/wax process or does it take the place of any of those steps? Honestly, for my situation I'm not even sure something like that would be necessary as the car won't be exposed to the elements very often.

Glen e

The coatings go over bare Virgin paint after the car is polished to make it defect free. If you are not experienced using a polisher, pads and diff polishes, best left to a professional. A full coating treatment is 500-800 bucks.

If you do it yourself it's under 100 but the coating is a bit weaker than what a authorized detailer will use.

If you are just starting out, you can get great results with claying washing polishing and sealing.

BMadden

Thanks, Glen. I'm going to follow the procedure you sent me and I think that will work wonderfully.

Glen e

It will, it's made for great durability without breaking your back.

metal

Please post this for the rest of us who own a new TR..many thanks!

c6rod

I am impressed with the photos of cars that Glen E either did himself or were done per his instructions.
One question: Did Glen remove, or need to remove, the orange peel? I find it hard to believe he started with a stock factory paint job and got results that look so flat and glossy. Did he get the best one off the line or do something to it?

Glen e

no need to talk about me like I'm dead......LOL

many posts here about wetsanding my sides....but that came quite a while later than this detailing schedule...NO other person that has put up pics of "my" method has wetsanded, it is a simple clay, polish and seal step method, along with about 10 tweaks and tips I give oyu when you call before you start.

note--don't PM me without an email address...the pdf docs are lengthy and not going out on PM...

Mecholova

I remember good ol Glen. He had great taste in mods and hated the fish badges...

coupeguyz51

fmlaxer80

Looks GREAT! How long does the entire process take?

tractman

I currently have invested about 12 hours......but I'm in no hurry as I take my time because I really honestly enjoy doing it. The final two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond will take about 2 hours......I put a coat on and let it cure for 24 hours before I put the next one on it. These are done with my Flex and some hand work around the vents and the mirrors, etc. The final waxing....depending on how many coats I put on it.....each layer will be put on by hand and removed by hand......each will take about an hour.

The longest part of the process was the polishing and taking out the fine scratches from the transit cover. That took time and some of the panels I had to go over 2-3 times to get them out. I really dislike that transit cover....not a good idea in my humble opinion.

The Blackfire products are really awesome to work with......the results are amazing and the products are really easy to use. I've tried about everything that has come along and I keep coming back to Blackfire.

Glen e

after being a zaino/rejex freak and others for years, I too still come back to blackfire and recommend in my "method" - why? because they are so easy to work with, the haze off from WD and TPnS that you buff off comes off in ONE SWIPE, no laborious white powder crusty stuff you have to scrub off like others. It's just easier with the same fantastic results..and nothing I've found (except maybe Ultima) is as easy and glassy as crystal seal to finish...and since it's a clear spray, no white powder haze in your cracks and badges....

Steve Garrett

Great shots of your C7. Blackfire products are awesome.