2002 - 2004 corvette, how's the CC like?

It would be nice to have a thread that we could add info about how the clearCoats reacts, soft, hard, you know?

I have to do a 2002 - 2004 corvette in 3 weeks. I'd like to know in advance how the clearcoat reacts to polishing?

Thanks in advance,

Marc

 

Hard / Soft Clear Coats:

• Each vehicle assembly plant uses different clear coat paint from one of three major paint suppliers; PPG, DuPont, and BASF products and each of these companies have a range of several differing paints
• Most vehicle manufacturers will issue a painting specification that denotes amongst other things paint to hardener ratio, dependent upon quality control this spec may or may not be strictly adhered to
• Some vehicle manufacturers have more than one plant assembling the same model of a vehicle; each plant will often use a different supplier for the clear coat paints.
• Each assembly plant may elect to use one of several OEM paints from PPG, DuPont or BASF clear coat product lines.
There are other factors that will have an effect; the composition of the clear coat used (single, duel component, or powder) this generally reflects the trade off the OEM is prepared to accept between scratch resistance and gloss level considered acceptable, oven drying time and its temperature, the relevant age (i.e. how long ago was the paint applied) spot panel repairs (refinish) that are carried out either at the assembly plant or the rail head or port of entry. Soft paint could also be caused if it was polished before the paint had time to fully cure

This is also true of imports assembled in the US; usually one paint supplier is approved for all plants; however each plant may modify the application/bake process in order to meet production demand. This may also affect which has the harder or softer clear.
• Hard paint - paint requires a more aggressive abrasive polish and takes more time to correct
• Soft paint- responds to abrasives more readily and makes polishing easier, but it’s easier to induce surface marring.
• Water-based paint is generally more porous and softer
• Solvent-based clear coat paint is usually harder than a water-based paint and not as porous
• As always generalizing carries a degree of risk as a panel(s) may have been re-painted

Diagnosis is the key, not guess work; before deciding on what products to use ascertain the
paint surface conditions

Paint thickness

New or Aged, Single stage or Clear coat, Oxidized, Soft or Hard or CeramiClear etc choose a panel and test your proposed foam pad / polish / machine speed process. Once you are satisfied that this process will give you the finish required, proceed to polish the rest of the paint surface. The more abrasive combination you have to use to see results, the harder the paint.
Using the least aggressive pad / polish combination followed, if necessary by an incrementally more aggressive approach until you find what works.


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Thanks for the explanation, I wanted to have an idea of what to expect since I've never worked on corvettes from that year.

I mostly do imports.

 

Rennes..that's part of the adventure, man! You will have to experiment with different pad/polish combos to see what accomplishes your goal for that car. I would think a garage queen '04 'vette would have thicker cc than an outside one for instance. Get yourself a ptg if you don't have one already to take the guess work away (that can be dangerous) and then it's just a matter of experimenting, which I said, to me is the fun part.

 

^^^ Thanks Richy. Actually, I have plans to buy a highline paint measuring tool.

 

Generally it's VERY VERY hard. But there was a case of Todd (not Helme) who worked on a black vette that he documented as being incredibly soft. So as Richy said, experiment, but don't be afraid to break out the wool.

 

Cheers dude!

 

Just treat every car like you have no idea how it will be. Start with the least aggressive polish and pad combination and go up until you have achieved the level of correction you desire.

 

I agree.

I have an 02' Z06 and the paint is very hard. But you never know,that's why this is good advice.

The one Todd did,might have been a repaint?

 

Nope, brand new

 

mine is very very hard as well 2001 (generally 97-04 are seen as having very hard paint)

 

My Vette paint is as hard as Chinese Arithmetic :yikes: