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Z06 Z07 100+ hour detail by ESOTERIC. Article and Video!
C7 Z06 / Z07 Corvette in Torch Red. 100+ hour detail by ESOTERIC, featuring HRE Wheels, Akrapovic Exhaust, Gyeon Quartz Coatings, and Suntek Paint Protection Film!
Given the size of this article and the amount of photos, I will not be able to post up the entire piece here on the Corvette Forum. Here is a direct link for those who wish to go straight to the article. It includes over 80 photos, lots of details, and a video as well. Additionally, the photo quality looks better on our blog. C7 Z06 / Z07 Corvette. Torch Red. 100-Hour Detail.
We started working on this project back in December, and are very glad to finally have it done. This not only showcases all of the services we are capable, and the brands we offer, but also acts as a perfect example of the turnkey show cars that we can create.
We at ESOTERIC have detailed a lot of Z06 / Z07 Corvettes, and have also published articles outlining the tremendous amount of work we have done in order to give them a finish that equals the amazing performance that they are capable of. The C7 Corvette has become a specialty of ours over the last couple of years…it’s a car that we know well, and a community that we have strongly embraced. As a part of that commitment to the Corvette community, we decided to purchase our own Z07 Corvette in Torch Red to use as a tool to showcase the finest level of detailing and protection that is available…anywhere! We invested 100+ hours in the detail to create the absolute best looking Corvette in existence, and based off of the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received, we far surpassed that goal.
100+ Hours to Detail a Brand New Corvette? Really?!
Yes!
Why? Because we have the ability to take the finish to entirely new levels that factories aren’t capable of, and to add high levels of protection to the paint in the form of Quartz Coatings and Paint Protection Film (aka Clear Bra). This protection aspect of the detail is the most important, as well as the most popular service(s) in the lineup. Even if one is happy with the looks of the vehicle straight from the factory, it won’t stay looking that way unless the finish is properly protected. While a wax may last a month or so, quartz coatings will protect the finish for years from airborne contaminants, and paint protection film will protect from rock chips for a very long time.
It is common mistake by those who don’t understand what highline detailing is all about to say: “Why would you spend that much time detailing…it will just get dirty after your first drive?!”. If we were spending that much time doing simple cleaning, then that statement might hold some validity. But the fact is that what we are doing is making permanent changes (for the better) to the paint, and then adding a very high level of protection in the form of quartz coatings and paint protection film. Driving your car and getting it “dirty” has no negative impact to the work that is being done here (provide you clean / maintain it properly afterwards). “Highly detailed” and “driver car” are not mutually exclusive terms. You CAN have a highly detailed car that is regularly driven. One of our best long-term customers always has us perform a high level detail and protection package on his new Ferraris. He drives them about 20k miles per year, even in the snow. And when you see his cars at events, you’ll agree that the paint looks better than just about every car there!
Granted, it’s rare to put this much time into a new car detail (or an old car detail for that matter), but the goal here was to showcase all that is possible, and to set the standards by which every other detail / protection package is measured. We at ESOTERIC offer turnkey show-car AND track day solutions for those who wish to have the absolute best of the best, and this project is a thorough representative of that level of bespoke services.
Our Ultimate New Car Prep is our most popular new car service, and that usually requires 30 hours or so of work…just to put it into perspective.
As with pretty much any brand / new car, there are many areas where we can make improvements to the OEM finish. We can always find haze, sanding marks, swirls, and light scratches that will prevent the true clarity and gloss from coming through, and by using proper and modern polishing techniques, we can safely get rid of all of this to bring the finish to its true potential.
Here are a few examples of what we found on our new Z06 / Z07 Corvette that needed to be addressed. This isn’t a knock against GM / Chevrolet, it’s just the reality of automotive manufacturing.
Sanding marks:
Swirl marks:
Fine texture:
Orange peel and texture:
Scratches and swirls in carbon flash painted areas:
The game plan and goals:
Before getting started on a project of this magnitude, it’s a good idea to break it down to smaller components to make it easier to manage. If you work on it one segment at a time, it makes the job run much more smoothly.
So let’s take a look at our plan / goals / objectives:
Installation of the Akrapovic Exhaust System
Apply multiple layers of protective coating to new HRE Wheels, then install new tires
Measure paint thicknesses to establish safe levels of paint polishing / correction.
Disassemble trim pieces and other items that will make polishing / paint protection film more efficient
Perform multiple step paint polishing
Remove seats, polish seat backs, and apply Gyeon coating
Further disassemble car for paint protection film so that all edges can be tucked in
Apply paint protection film…full front end, A-pillars, mirrors, rocker panels, side skirts, front splitter, rear impact area, custom door protectors.
Re-assemble vehicle.
Apply Gyeon Mohs+ Coating (total of 4 coats)
Finishing details
As you can see, we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, so let’s get busy!
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared)
C3 of Year Winner (track prepared) 2019
Question semi related to what was done to your car but also just detailing in general - I have been told by a detailer I have come to trust that it isn't entirely necessary to do paint correction on a fresh paint job that will be immediately, and entirely, covered in Suntek or Xpel. His reasoning is that unless you have major issues with the paint, the PPF will hide many if not all paint blemishes to include swirls and halos left from the dealer prep. He also said it will do a decent job of hiding orange peel, or at least make it less noticeable.
I was completely caught off guard as my plan was to have paint correction done of my new car before getting PPF and finally opti-coated.
Obviously the better surface you have to start with the better the final product but does this sound reasonable?
Edit - oh and I read the entire blog. Very neat read and something I wish I could dedicate the money toward!
Question semi related to what was done to your car but also just detailing in general - I have been told by a detailer I have come to trust that it isn't entirely necessary to do paint correction on a fresh paint job that will be immediately, and entirely, covered in Suntek or Xpel. His reasoning is that unless you have major issues with the paint, the PPF will hide many if not all paint blemishes to include swirls and halos left from the dealer prep. He also said it will do a decent job of hiding orange peel, or at least make it less noticeable.
I was completely caught off guard as my plan was to have paint correction done of my new car before getting PPF and finally opti-coated.
Obviously the better surface you have to start with the better the final product but does this sound reasonable?
Edit - oh and I read the entire blog. Very neat read and something I wish I could dedicate the money toward!
It really comes down to what you want. Most of my customers want to know that the the paint underneath the film is as good as the paint not covered by film.
A good detailer can make a significant difference even with brand new paint in "good" condition...
Can you apply film and have it hide light defects? Sure you can, if that's what you want.
The better the looks of the paint underneath the film, the better the film will look (provided you're using high clarity film like Suntek). And if you're polishing the rest of the car, you don't want the covered part to look different. If everything is polished out properly, and you're using good film like Suntek, it should be very hard to tell the difference between the covered areas, and the non-covered areas.
I'm glad you found the blog post to be helpful. We'll be adding a lot more, so be sure to stop by often.
As always, don't hesitate to let us know how we can help.
Many of my friends who purchase high end vehicles take them straight from the dealership and have them wet sanded by qualified detailers. Then they apply protective coatings, clear wraps, or both as per their needs.
Is there a specific reason you don't take this approach? I know it takes some of the clear coat off but from what I understand if the person doing it is qualified it's the best way to get the paint looking as correct as possible before proceeding to protecting it. (I'm not an expert on this stuff btw, I just trust your opinion based on the level of craftsmanship you demonstrate)
Many of my friends who purchase high end vehicles take them straight from the dealership and have them wet sanded by qualified detailers. Then they apply protective coatings, clear wraps, or both as per their needs.
Is there a specific reason you don't take this approach? I know it takes some of the clear coat off but from what I understand if the person doing it is qualified it's the best way to get the paint looking as correct as possible before proceeding to protecting it. (I'm not an expert on this stuff btw, I just trust your opinion based on the level of craftsmanship you demonstrate)
Thanks.
We don't sand down OEM paint on the body because it's the right and responsible thing to do. We do consulting work and training with OEM manufacturers, so we get insight and technical data on paint that other detailers will never be exposed to. And with that the story is the same...removal of more than a few microns of clear coat can result in instability and failure. Cracking, peeling, fading, etc are all high risks you run when removing that much clear coat that is required during orange peel removal.
On our Z07, we only sanded a few of the carbon flash parts. If they were to fail, it's much easier to paint / match a small piece than it is an entire body panel.
Here are a few excerpts from one of my previous Z06 articles:
Owners of cars that have a lot of orange peel in it want to ask a simple question: can you remove orange peel? Well, the answer isn’t as simple since it is both yes and no. Yes, it can be removed, but no, it shouldn’t be removed. Manufacturers are finding ways to significantly reduce the amount of paint and clearcoat they put on cars they’re building…less paint means less cost…simple economics. And with thinner paint, it means there’s even less material for detailers to work with. In order to flatten a surface and remove orange peel, you need to remove a significant amount of clearcoat…more than is recommended by the manufacturer over the life of the car! So when you take a vehicle with original factory paint, and remove that much material, you expose yourself to potential clearcoat failure, cracking, peeling, fading, etc. The clearcoat loses its UV protection with that much material removed, thus becoming unstable.
If you’re having a car re-painted, you can apply enough material to where you can safely sand it down to achieve a flat finish, and then polish it out without the same kind of risks that you’d experience with OEM painted finishes. So the moral of the story here is this…it is NOT advisable to sand down your OEM paint to get rid of orange peel. There are way too many risks, and the manufacturer will not issue any kinds of warranties on your paint if you do so and have problems down the road. At our Elite Detailer Academy, we teach all of our professional detailer-students from around the world about our responsibility to preserve paint, and NOT to sand down OEM finishes. If somebody offers to sand down your OEM finish to remove orange peel…say “no thank you”!!
Awesome video. The first thing I noticed about your shop is that it's spotless. I only saw one watch in your video, and that was on someone working underneath the car. Unfortunately, I have OCD and think about things like jewelry, belt buckles, etc., when people work on my car. You folks do amazing work and if I lived closer my new Z06 would be at your shop in a heartbeat. Great job!
Awesome video. The first thing I noticed about your shop is that it's spotless. I only saw one watch in your video, and that was on someone working underneath the car. Unfortunately, I have OCD and think about things like jewelry, belt buckles, etc., when people work on my car. You folks do amazing work and if I lived closer my new Z06 would be at your shop in a heartbeat. Great job!
Thank you. Jewelry and such stay away from our customer cars indeed. This is my personal car, and that was me wearing the watch! You won't find anybody nearly as careful and protective around cars than we are...we're used to working on multi-million dollar vehicles.
Originally Posted by jr9170
Thanks.
Originally Posted by ChrisTinaBruce
Wow...amazing.
Thank you!
Originally Posted by LimeyC5
Yes, amazing work, but wouldn't this have been easier to do at the factory, before the body was assembled?
I had a question what did you do for the z07 clear wicker it had tons of swirls in it from the factory any way to polish it to look good and protect it from getting more swirls after every wash?
We don't sand down OEM paint on the body because it's the right and responsible thing to do. We do consulting work and training with OEM manufacturers, so we get insight and technical data on paint that other detailers will never be exposed to. And with that the story is the same...removal of more than a few microns of clear coat can result in instability and failure. Cracking, peeling, fading, etc are all high risks you run when removing that much clear coat that is required during orange peel removal.
On our Z07, we only sanded a few of the carbon flash parts. If they were to fail, it's much easier to paint / match a small piece than it is an entire body panel.
Here are a few excerpts from one of my previous Z06 articles:
Owners of cars that have a lot of orange peel in it want to ask a simple question: can you remove orange peel? Well, the answer isn’t as simple since it is both yes and no. Yes, it can be removed, but no, it shouldn’t be removed. Manufacturers are finding ways to significantly reduce the amount of paint and clearcoat they put on cars they’re building…less paint means less cost…simple economics. And with thinner paint, it means there’s even less material for detailers to work with. In order to flatten a surface and remove orange peel, you need to remove a significant amount of clearcoat…more than is recommended by the manufacturer over the life of the car! So when you take a vehicle with original factory paint, and remove that much material, you expose yourself to potential clearcoat failure, cracking, peeling, fading, etc. The clearcoat loses its UV protection with that much material removed, thus becoming unstable.
If you’re having a car re-painted, you can apply enough material to where you can safely sand it down to achieve a flat finish, and then polish it out without the same kind of risks that you’d experience with OEM painted finishes. So the moral of the story here is this…it is NOT advisable to sand down your OEM paint to get rid of orange peel. There are way too many risks, and the manufacturer will not issue any kinds of warranties on your paint if you do so and have problems down the road. At our Elite Detailer Academy, we teach all of our professional detailer-students from around the world about our responsibility to preserve paint, and NOT to sand down OEM finishes. If somebody offers to sand down your OEM finish to remove orange peel…say “no thank you”!!
I hope this helps!
This rite here is exactly what I would be afraid of. I've asked numerous times about this particular situation and had answers all over the board but in my mind I suspected exactly what you stated, THANK YOU
NSF
stunning! i had about 50 hours in my last new corvette. I just took delivery of a new Z06 all black it was a feb 8th build so I'm giving it 30 days before i start my program.... looking at the car i just bought......it needs plenty of correction ....only has six miles on it built 15 days ago. i really think wrapping the cars in that white covering hurts the paint !
This rite here is exactly what I would be afraid of. I've asked numerous times about this particular situation and had answers all over the board but in my mind I suspected exactly what you stated, THANK YOU
NSF
Thanks, and glad you were able to get clarification on it! Don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else we can for you or help you with.
Originally Posted by londonk
stunning! i had about 50 hours in my last new corvette. I just took delivery of a new Z06 all black it was a feb 8th build so I'm giving it 30 days before i start my program.... looking at the car i just bought......it needs plenty of correction ....only has six miles on it built 15 days ago. i really think wrapping the cars in that white covering hurts the paint !
I guess in the end the wrap is better than nothing, particularly when they ship them in open trailers. I'm sure a bit of it just happens during the build process as well. We're working with one OEM manufacturer on this right now as a part of their manufacturing process...it's incredibly challenging to build a car without it getting a few bumps and bruises here and there.
02-04-2016, 09:27 AM
Z06 Z07 100+ hour detail by ESOTERIC. Article and Video!
