Topic: Just had the C4 detailed today. Pic's within...
in Forum: C4 Car Care
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I've gotta admit. The clean lines of a well maintained C4 still brings a smile to my face whenever I see one. 
Even though it's been over a decade since the last C4's rolled off the assembly line, they still look every bit as good as when they were first introduced (IMO)
Through a friend of a friend, I found a guy who does detailing work with a buddy of his and got an amazing price for an exterior/interior detailing job. They started working on my '92 around 9am this morning and finished at around 3pm this afternoon, stopping only for lunch break sometime in between. They did an awesome job on the car. The black paint looks so much "deeper" in color than it did before and it literally "pops" right off the car when you look at it. When it hits the sunlight, it's as if the car is made of glass.
It's amazing what a good cut/polish/buff will do for a paint job if the work is being done by someone who knows what they're doing.
On the way back home, I drove by about a half dozen Mustangs on the freeway (must have been a club or something) and the look on their faces as I drove up along side them was priceless. Probably the same look I had on my face when I was a kid and saw a Corvette for the first time. They had smiles and grins from ear to ear. ALL of them, gave me the thumbs up. Two of them even had passengers with them that snapped off a bunch of photo's of my car as I was driving along side them. I got off at my exit and they all waved, smiled and gave me thumbs up again as they continued on. It really made my day. See? Everybody loves these cars. Even the Mustang guys.
Just though I'd share.
Now I've just gotta find a place with some nice background scenery to get some really nice shots of the car. Only reason why the top is on in these photo's is because it started clouding over real quick and I was worried it was gonna start to rain, so after the job was done, I drove straight home. Hopefully this week I'll have time to take some better shot's with the top off.
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LT1*C4 2009-08-16 19:25:29

Even though it's been over a decade since the last C4's rolled off the assembly line, they still look every bit as good as when they were first introduced (IMO)

Through a friend of a friend, I found a guy who does detailing work with a buddy of his and got an amazing price for an exterior/interior detailing job. They started working on my '92 around 9am this morning and finished at around 3pm this afternoon, stopping only for lunch break sometime in between. They did an awesome job on the car. The black paint looks so much "deeper" in color than it did before and it literally "pops" right off the car when you look at it. When it hits the sunlight, it's as if the car is made of glass.
It's amazing what a good cut/polish/buff will do for a paint job if the work is being done by someone who knows what they're doing.

On the way back home, I drove by about a half dozen Mustangs on the freeway (must have been a club or something) and the look on their faces as I drove up along side them was priceless. Probably the same look I had on my face when I was a kid and saw a Corvette for the first time. They had smiles and grins from ear to ear. ALL of them, gave me the thumbs up. Two of them even had passengers with them that snapped off a bunch of photo's of my car as I was driving along side them. I got off at my exit and they all waved, smiled and gave me thumbs up again as they continued on. It really made my day. See? Everybody loves these cars. Even the Mustang guys.

Just though I'd share.
Now I've just gotta find a place with some nice background scenery to get some really nice shots of the car. Only reason why the top is on in these photo's is because it started clouding over real quick and I was worried it was gonna start to rain, so after the job was done, I drove straight home. Hopefully this week I'll have time to take some better shot's with the top off.





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That's what we'd call a spit-shine!!! Looking really slick, and SHINY!!!

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Is that the original paint?
Looks very deep.
good job!
Jim
Looks very deep.
good job!
Jim
[QUOTE=Strats-N-Vettes]Is that the original paint?
Looks very deep.
good job!
Jim
[/QUOTE]
The original owner made no mention of ever painting the car but did say that the side vent panels had been repainted a time or two over the years due to stone chips etc. off the front tires.
Never would have guessed it though, cause the panels looked great. No orange peel in the paint or streaks or anything. Whoever did the work, did a pretty darn good job
Don't get me wrong though, a 17 year old car pushing 200k on the odometer (km) will obviously have some stone chips and a scuff mark or two on the paint. That's to be expected. But for a car of this age, even the detailers were impressed at how good the paint had held up. They even made the comment that the 2006 VW they did the day before had paint in much worse shape than mine and it was only a 3 year old car.
Personally, I don't mind a scratch or two. Just proves that the car's actually being driven and enjoyed by the owner as apposed to some pampered trailer queen that spends all its life in heated garage and paraded around at local car shows
They snapped off a bunch of photo's and I'm pretty sure they're going to post them on their website. I'm going to have to check it out and see if they're up there.
LT1*C4 2009-08-18 10:29:03
Looks very deep.
good job!
Jim
[/QUOTE]
The original owner made no mention of ever painting the car but did say that the side vent panels had been repainted a time or two over the years due to stone chips etc. off the front tires.
Never would have guessed it though, cause the panels looked great. No orange peel in the paint or streaks or anything. Whoever did the work, did a pretty darn good job

Don't get me wrong though, a 17 year old car pushing 200k on the odometer (km) will obviously have some stone chips and a scuff mark or two on the paint. That's to be expected. But for a car of this age, even the detailers were impressed at how good the paint had held up. They even made the comment that the 2006 VW they did the day before had paint in much worse shape than mine and it was only a 3 year old car.
Personally, I don't mind a scratch or two. Just proves that the car's actually being driven and enjoyed by the owner as apposed to some pampered trailer queen that spends all its life in heated garage and paraded around at local car shows

They snapped off a bunch of photo's and I'm pretty sure they're going to post them on their website. I'm going to have to check it out and see if they're up there.
I'm confused, you said HAD it detailed......... Why would anyone that owns a corvette not want to detail it them self......... 





If we could make our cars look THAT good, we would all do it ourselves.
I'm not a waxer by any means, but I continue to try to do that good a job. That car looks pretty awesome on a cloudy day, imagine what it will look like on a nice one.

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[QUOTE=88Blackvette]I'm confused, you said HAD it detailed......... Why would anyone that owns a corvette not want to detail it them self......... 

[/QUOTE]
I am sure you was just kidding....but I have to tell all, a good job at detailing entails more than cleaning and waxing (most people know this, some dont)
Just about anybody can look online and get directions for correct detailing, they can comprehend the instructions, but....having all the necessary tools and supplies is another story.
Then there is water sanding for a mirror look, take that info and do it without sanding off all the clear coat, then getting to the polishing and not polishing off all the clear coat (or burning paint/CC)....after that its just a matter of waxing no matter how simple or what tools are-on hand.
Some paint requires no water sanding to revive the finish, some do or will.
When it comes to getting a good detail job, I would pay somebody; then, keep it up myself...and...I have done when I was in my 20's , I still have all the tools and knowledge...there is actually certain tool(s) I dont have and that is a selection of foam pads..
(I need to get a couple)
Even at that; I would still let/pay a professional to do the first detail on a finish that is rough.
Some people dont have:
> time
>tools
>supplies
>knowledge
>all the above
But they may have the $$$
As stated; I took it as 88blackvette as joking....I just wanted to shed light to others reading.
Jim



I am sure you was just kidding....but I have to tell all, a good job at detailing entails more than cleaning and waxing (most people know this, some dont)
Just about anybody can look online and get directions for correct detailing, they can comprehend the instructions, but....having all the necessary tools and supplies is another story.
Then there is water sanding for a mirror look, take that info and do it without sanding off all the clear coat, then getting to the polishing and not polishing off all the clear coat (or burning paint/CC)....after that its just a matter of waxing no matter how simple or what tools are-on hand.
Some paint requires no water sanding to revive the finish, some do or will.
When it comes to getting a good detail job, I would pay somebody; then, keep it up myself...and...I have done when I was in my 20's , I still have all the tools and knowledge...there is actually certain tool(s) I dont have and that is a selection of foam pads..
(I need to get a couple)
Even at that; I would still let/pay a professional to do the first detail on a finish that is rough.
Some people dont have:
> time
>tools
>supplies
>knowledge
>all the above
But they may have the $$$
As stated; I took it as 88blackvette as joking....I just wanted to shed light to others reading.
Jim
Wow, I've been detailing car's on the side for year's (No not just washing and waxing) but full blow detailing , and NEVER heard of anyone needing the car wet sanded for a detail job, If that be the case and the car was that neglected I think a detail job is the least of your worries. And as any car lover will tell you NEVER NEVER NEVER let anyone do a MEXICAN HAT DANCE on your vette with any type of BUFFER, HAND WASH
, CLAY BAR BY HAND
, POLISH BY HAND
, WAX BY HAND
.




I have seen many guy's get rooked by detail shops , there car looks great until it's under the lights at night. and let me tell you I've had the pleasure of correcting the swirl marks the day after the detail shop with the buffer (didn't cause them) yeah right.
This is my advise to all unless you are not going to keep your vette , invest in detailing tools, do it yourself. I bet within the amount you spend on 4 detail jobs you could have most of the tools and know your car is in good hands... YOURS.
SORRY but there is no machine that could replace a good hand job
(no pun intended).

One more thing to think about.... If the detail shops employees arrive in the morning by walking, bichael, or bus, humm THINK THINK THINK

PS. the car looks great in the pic's.
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tom (88BLACKVETTE) did my 90 for me and i can tell you he does a great job. it was in good hands and it showed. have to agree in part with what was said in a previous post though that there are different reasons to let someone else do it. mine is time mostly. i try to keep up with washing, waxing etc. but sometimes it gets away from me. the most important thing is knowing and trusting the people you leave your car (any car not just a vette) with. i can say for certain that when i left my vette with him i knew it was in good hands.
. the car was hit by an idiot and i am surprised he didn't use the excuse that it shined so much that it blinded him.
no matter who does the detailing, the most important thing is that it is done right and you trust the person or shop you bring it to. just my opinion.
BTW...your car does look great.

eddie20890 2009-08-22 05:42:18



no matter who does the detailing, the most important thing is that it is done right and you trust the person or shop you bring it to. just my opinion.

BTW...your car does look great.


the dynamic duo

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in Forum: C4 Car Care
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