Rapid Fred

"Application of aftermarket clearcoat sealant/wax materials is not recommended."

And

"Occasional hand waxing or mild polishing should be done to remove residue from the paint finish."

OK -- these are verbatim quotes (10-84/85) from my 2015 Owner's Manual. How are we supposed to interpret that?

Did anybody else scratch their heads reading those words? Now I am not a show car guy; DD which is in the garage when not in use; hand wash now and then: and do a couple Zaino coats every spring. Car shines up nice and always gets compliments -- just no show trophies haha. But are they REALLY telling me I ought to use polish and than wax (say carnauba) only? Have all you guys achieving wonderful results with correction, ceramic, etc. committed some egregious offense?

Now, I suspect nobody takes thet advice I reprinted literally (and I really don't intend to change my approach) -- but I am prone to confusion now and then and this certainly caused some...

Spitfire Mk1

Depends on what rocks someone’s boat. 95 percent cannot not tell a perfect finish from one foot. Admire those that don’t and enjoy their rides.

Me, I polish, sometimes clay the car once a year to remove all residue, then wax. Pay special attending to swirls, chips, etc. Do the same with one car that has PPF. Ceramic coating is another level that provides annual maintenance too for daily drivers. Lots of discussion in recent thread.

Frodo

I think its a CYA statement. Cover Your ***. If they say don't put aftermarket products on their paint they have 1: an excuse to deny warranty work on the paint if you screw it up, and 2: A possible chance of selling their products to a wary customer. With all the years of research and trial and error testing the products sold are pretty good and won't harm the paint when used as instructed. But some people don't read instructions or have their own ideas that aren't quite right so GM has to write a CYA statement. That's my take on it. Your mileage may vary.

dvilin

Just legal mumble jumble to protect themselves. Bottom line polish, wax, claybar, ceramic coat whatever makes you happy and think is the best.

fourmat

Just a disclaimer to avoid warranty payments if you put something on that screws up your paint

edweiler

I have used Lucas Speed Wax for years on all of my cars and trucks and our Jeep without issue. I also use their marine version on my Skeeter bass boat after every use. I also really like their tire shine and interior detail products. What a disclaimer GM has in their owners manual! LOL! Maybe they should pay closer attention to the automatic transmission fluid fix instead.

Vetteman Jack

I just wash and wax the car - looks very good to me. I have been using Turtle Wax Ice on my last few cars and the shine is great and no messy white residue to clean off the car.

Mad*Max

For that stop and stare look - water beads for weeks and never damaged any paint on my cars.

99mallett

I have had multiple Corvettes for show and pleasure. I have three now (two are mine and one is my wife's) and I can tell you that I am more than picky about my vehicles. I have found the best results by using a clay bar once a year and a putting on a good wax job. I prefer a "hard" wax like Zaino over a soft or carnuba wax. The Zaino has an additive that you put in and makes the wax "set up" or harden when applied. Carnuba waxes show finger prints and the shine doesn't last as long, but it's a little easier to apply. Honestly, the paint on my '17 GS isn't that great (one of the poorest of any Corvettes that I have owned and quite disappointing), and I don't feel that the ceramic coating would be worth the cost and effort needed to apply it. I get good results just putting a little work into it.