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I'll be taking delivery of a C8 in a few months and want to develop a plan for detailing the vehicle including the engine bay composite material, carbon fiber and rubber/vinyl.
What do folks recommend for the engine bay?
I have always liked Adams Polishes, they make a product for every surface and are satisfaction guaranteed.
Depending on money a ceramic coat is a great option providing protection for 1-10 years and makes the paint surface more durable.
Better than any product is your cleaning methods, using two buckets, only using fresh clean microfiber towels on the glass and paint that get regularly washed. Never use a towel on paint that has touched a wheel/ exterior plastic or worse the ground.
Dont forget a fender cover vs avoid wearing a belt buckle when reaching over the fender to clean the engine
Although I've obviously never used it on a C8, Polish Angel Engine has always been nice for me. Won't be applicable for a really grimy 4x4 pickup that just came outta the mud but quick and easy cleaning tasks it handles quite well:
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
My C8 will be built March 16th. I have already detailed the engine cover, which sits in my living room . For plastic underhood surfaces I really like C-Magic (Museum Store sells it.) Gives a nice matte finish. Sure can't go wrong with Polish Angel as Budget said.
I'll be taking delivery of a C8 in a few months and want to develop a plan for detailing the vehicle including the engine bay composite material, carbon fiber and rubber/vinyl.
What do folks recommend for the engine bay?
On the C7Z while the engine is cold I will typically :
cover my alternator with a plastic bag.
get in there with a pressure washer to free any loose debris and dust- but don't turn the area into a swimming pool. Keep the stream flowing over all of the engine compartment and try not to hover too long over any one area. Don't panic many modern cars have the engine compartment sealed up nicely. If you are too concerned, you may want to cover the fuse box, but I don't. The battery is in the back or else I'd cover that too.
To cut any grease and grime and dirt I use Superclean @3:1 with some boar's hair detailer brushes. You can put it in a foamer or out of a spray bottle. I've even used it full strength out of an aerosol can. The foam clings better and gives you better dwell time.
hose off with the pressure washer making sure you didn't leave any residue.
while wet -simply spray from a bottle Meguiar's Hyper Dressing D170 cut anywhere from 5:1 to 3:1. Hit everything with it - yes it is safe. I immediately thought at first, before I ever tried it, that this will create problems with belt slippage - it has not. Now don't empty half the 32 oz. spray bottle either but give it a good covering.
close the hood and let sit overnight. Since applied to wet surfaces, D170 is self-leveling so in the morning there will not be any spray patterns all over. You can always go in with a MF towel and knock it back if you don't like what you see in any area.
I like to do this step before I wash the car. Typically I will do it a day or so before I wash the car
Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.
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C8 Engine Bay Detailing
. For plastic underhood surfaces I really like C-Magic (Museum Store sells it.) Gives a nice matte finish. Sure can't go wrong with Polish Angel as Budget said.
