One of the major distinctions among those in the Corvette hobby essentially classifies owners on whether they are drivers or polishers. We have met a lot of folks in the Corvette hobby who are polishers. Not that there is anything wrong with being a polisher. You know the type, those that get to the Corvette show and then spend half the day cleaning and wiping down their vehicles while everyone else is walking around and enjoying the event.
Earlier this week we received a note from professional polisher Todd Cooperider of ESOTERICabout their video of a 100+ hour detail of a C7 Corvette Z06. After watching it and reading the accompanying article, we’ve got a new champion of the polishers that will most likely put your cleaning process to shame.
So why would someone spend over 100 hours on detailing a new Corvette fresh from the factory?
Cooperider says that it’s all about the ability to take a car’s finish and protection to levels that factories aren’t capable of. A proper highline detail isn’t just about making the car clean and shiny. It’s about making permanent changes to the paint and then adding a very high level of protection in the form of quartz coatings and paint protection film.
The article that goes with the video is very detailed and features many before and after photos. ESOTERIC does a great job in describing the condition of the factory paint on various parts of the cars, from fenders to the carbon fiber roof and then showing the after photos to see how much the optics of the paint’s finish have improved.
In addition to the detail treatment, the Corvette Z06 also received a new exhaust system from Akrapovic as well as HRE’s P101 wheels. Not only does the new exhaust system sound great, but Akrapovic’s exhaust system weights 37 pounds less than the standard Z06 exhaust and the HRE Wheels offer a weight savings of 26.9 lbs for all four wheels vs the stock Z06 Black Aluminum Wheels.
ESOTERIC says their proprietary 5-step machine polish process allows them to remove all the texture, reduce orange peel and bring out the clarity in the paint. To accomplish this, they use a DeFelsko 200B model paint thickness gauge to determine the thickness of the base and clearcoat layers so they know exactly how much of the clear coat they have to work with.
Another part of the process involves disassembling much of the trim and carbon fiber pieces from the car for better access. And of course, it helps to have a lift available to reach those hard to get areas as well.
And just to show how over-the-top this detail process was, we see the competition sports seats were removed from the car so that the backs of the seats could receive the same polish treatment as the rest of the car.
Once the car has undergone the paint correction process, ESOTERIC covered the car with Suntek paint protection film and then added a protective quartz coating by Gyeon Quartz. Copperider says that while waxes and sealants might last a few months, coatings will last for years as they bond with the surface and cannot be washed away like other products. The quartz coating forms a hard, durable barrier that protects the paint from the elements and airborne contaminants.
Here are some photos from ESOTERIC showing their completed highline detail of their Torch Red Corvette Z06:
Within a few days of this video being public, ESOTERIC and their Corvette Z06 Coupe were invited to display the car at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Mid March. Congratulations Todd on that honor. After watching this video, we believe the invitation to show the Corvette Z06 at Amelia Island is very well deserved.
If you would like to give your Corvette the ESOTERIC treatment, you can find the New Albany, OH. based detailer online at www.ESOTERICDetail.com or call them at 614-855-6855.