ZL1 Cleaning/Polishing/Waxing Questions - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

spen5151 · 05-22-2013, 08:05 AM

Hey group,

I have a couple questions for you. We purchased a new ZL1 a little over a week and a half ago, we upgraded from our 2011 SS. I have some questions about cleaning/polishing and waxing the vehicle.

First off the products I am using are all Adams products. I ordered the essentials detail kit with american wax upgrade along with the deep clean wheel & tire kit, invisible undercarriage spray dressing and 20" fender brush. I plan to order more but wanted to get this and try it out to see how I liked it.

I cleaned the tims, tires and fender liners last night before it stormed. The deep wheel cleaner worked amazing on the factory painted black rims. The all purpose cleaner cleaned the fender liners and tires very well also. My question regarding this is with the factory black painted rims can I use revive polish, brilliant glaze and americana wax on the rims to bring out the color and protect the rims?

Also, this weekend I plan on washing, claying, polishing, glazing and waxing the entire car. I have the exposed carbon fiber hood insert which is factory clear coated. I know you are allowed to was this insert like you do the rest of the car based on the information from forum. Can I also clay bar, polish and glaze the insert? I want the insert to shine like the rest of the car and I know there are special cleaning instructions for the inserts for the ZL1 and I do not want to damage mine. Does anyone have any information on this? Has anyone with the clearcoated exposed CF insert clayed, polished and glazed theirs yet?

Thanks for the info.

ZED SLED · 05-22-2013, 08:19 AM

Congrats on the upgrade. When I got my ZL1 in December, the dealer washed it while my back was turned. Needless to say, they scratched the crap out of it, including the ECF insert. I also use Adams products w/PC buffer so when I got it out early this spring, I started with Fine Machine Polish on the hood, insert, and deck lid. I had to go to Swirl & Haze Remover to get the scratches out of the hood and deck lid, but had to go to Severe Swirl & Scratch Remover on the insert and that worked. I was apprehensive about this since I had seen some recommendation's from GM about hand polishing the insert, but I knew that would never get the scratches out. I then went through the polishing steps, sealer, wax, then glaze on the whole car including the insert. It all came out perfect, and yes, the dealer did say they would fix it, but figured it was best left to me. Hope this helps.

SCHUSS · 05-22-2013, 08:25 AM

I clayed and waxed my insert and it looks great. My ZL1 that is.

Normagene · 05-22-2013, 08:26 AM

Congrats on your new ZL1! If its brand new, I'd go with a Clear-Bra first thing to really protect the paint from nick/chips. Second, I'd get Rock/Splash Guards for the front wheels which tend to fling sand/rocks against the sides (One-Bad-ZL1 has them at a really good price) takes about ten minutes to install. After that I'd go with Opti-Coat 2.0. It's a permanent mirror like finish bond that's about 100 times the thickness of a sealer or wax. Autogeek.net sells it for like $70 or so, if you do order, tell them to give you free shipping or you'll get it elsewhere. Then after that you do the regular Adams techniques. Adams is a great product. I didn't know about the Opti-coat 2.0 otherwise I'd done it first thing. Prep is the most important. The hood insert is cleared just like the car, same process, and it sounds good your plans for the rims. I used a couple coats of sealer/glaze on mine and now the brake dust wipes off without using anything other than a paper towel or rag.

spen5151 · 05-22-2013, 08:29 AM

Yeah, I am suffering from the same issues and trying to decide what to do regarding the couple scratches, swirl marks that were so nicely installed by the dealer. For the life of me I cannot understand why dealers cannot be more careful with brand new cars, but the deal in volume not so much quality.

Thank you for the reply, did you also clay your insert? Sounds like using everything else on the insert is perfectly fine.

Also, how about your rims? Have you done anything to them other than washing? I want to protect them as well, my thought was if they are painted and cleared like the rest of the car I should be fine with revive polish, glaze and then waxing them as well, what are your thoughts?

Thank you again for the help!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclark10

Congrats on the upgrade. When I got my ZL1 in December, the dealer washed it while my back was turned. Needless to say, they scratched the crap out of it, including the ECF insert. I also use Adams products w/PC buffer so when I got it out early this spring, I started with Fine Machine Polish on the hood, insert, and deck lid. I had to go to Swirl & Haze Remover to get the scratches out of the hood and deck lid, but had to go to Severe Swirl & Scratch Remover on the insert and that worked. I was apprehensive about this since I had seen some recommendation's from GM about hand polishing the insert, but I knew that would never get the scratches out. I then went through the polishing steps, sealer, wax, then glaze on the whole car including the insert. It all came out perfect, and yes, the dealer did say they would fix it, but figured it was best left to me. Hope this helps.

spen5151 · 05-22-2013, 08:31 AM

HAHAHAHA, I am sure the insert looks great, thanks for the info!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCHUSS

I clayed and waxed my insert and it looks great. My ZL1 that is.

ZED SLED · 05-22-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spen5151

Yeah, I am suffering from the same issues and trying to decide what to do regarding the couple scratches, swirl marks that were so nicely installed by the dealer. For the life of me I cannot understand why dealers cannot be more careful with brand new cars, but the deal in volume not so much quality.

Thank you for the reply, did you also clay your insert? Sounds like using everything else on the insert is perfectly fine.

Also, how about your rims? Have you done anything to them other than washing? I want to protect them as well, my thought was if they are painted and cleared like the rest of the car I should be fine with revive polish, glaze and then waxing them as well, what are your thoughts?

Thank you again for the help!

No, I didn't clay as the car only had 38 miles on it. I just used Buttery Wax on the outer rims and spokes and it did good, but would probably rather find something made specifically for them. The inner wheel doesn't have much paint and isn't really finished so that part just gets washed. Glad to help. Bring that thing down to Watkins next month for the Grand Am Race Camaro Corral with us.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=281297

spen5151 · 05-22-2013, 08:45 AM

Great information and thank you. I was thinking of getting the front guards to avoid gill chips. Thanks for the info on the opti coat, I may look into that as well. For the rims thats what I am looking for is to not only make them shine nicer but make them slicker so the brake dust does not stick as easily. I am going to do that this weekend when I do the entire car! Going to be a busy weekend but I cant wait to see how it comes out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Normagene

Congrats on your new ZL1! If its brand new, I'd go with a Clear-Bra first thing to really protect the paint from nick/chips. Second, I'd get Rock/Splash Guards for the front wheels which tend to fling sand/rocks against the sides (One-Bad-ZL1 has them at a really good price) takes about ten minutes to install. After that I'd go with Opti-Coat 2.0. It's a permanent mirror like finish bond that's about 100 times the thickness of a sealer or wax. Autogeek.net sells it for like $70 or so, if you do order, tell them to give you free shipping or you'll get it elsewhere. Then after that you do the regular Adams techniques. Adams is a great product. I didn't know about the Opti-coat 2.0 otherwise I'd done it first thing. Prep is the most important. The hood insert is cleared just like the car, same process, and it sounds good your plans for the rims. I used a couple coats of sealer/glaze on mine and now the brake dust wipes off without using anything other than a paper towel or rag.

Normagene · 05-22-2013, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spen5151

Great information and thank you. I was thinking of getting the front guards to avoid gill chips. Thanks for the info on the opti coat, I may look into that as well. For the rims thats what I am looking for is to not only make them shine nicer but make them slicker so the brake dust does not stick as easily. I am going to do that this weekend when I do the entire car! Going to be a busy weekend but I cant wait to see how it comes out.

If you check out autogeek and read about the Opti-coat 2.0, you'll end up putting in an order. It's that impressive. And I'd absolutely do a couple coats of it on the rims. Like I said above, wish I knew about it when I first got the car, now it has like a 100 coats of wax on it which would all need to be removed. Too big of a job for me (my husband) to do and to have a pro do it its easily $500 plus. Nothing wrong with what I have now, hindsight, I'd do the Opti-coat first then the regular detailing after that.

ec1990 · 05-22-2013, 09:05 AM

Just make sure you understand Opti-Coat is a permanent coating and any scratches or swirls won't be filled in by it and the only way to remove after them after applying Opti-Coat is to polish it off. The prep is the most important piece, after perfecting the paint you need to wipe it down with an IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) dilution or something like CarPro Eraser.

Also it is not advised to apply Opti-Coat in multiple layers, glass coatings like CQuartz can be applied in multiple layers.

swizlstik · 05-22-2013, 09:35 AM

I put their Quick Sealant on my rims to help prevent a build up of brake dust. Seems to be working.

Adam's Polishes · 05-22-2013, 10:57 AM

Our Quick Sealant is perfect for your wheels. It's optically clear and incredible easy to work with. It will last months at a time, depending on how often you drive your car and what kind of conditions it's subjected to.

When you have a fresh coat of QS on your wheels, Car Wash Shampoo and water is all you'll need to clean your wheels because of how well the QS repels brake dust. The ability to use it on both your paint and wheels is just a bonus!

Proud father · 07-07-2013, 10:46 AM

What product do I use to clean the bright 5 spoke forged aluminum wheels without hurting them besides soap and water and hard work (Lazy) and other tips for taking care of these polish alum rims .I don't want to hurt them

ec1990 · 07-07-2013, 12:07 PM

You can use a dedicated wheel cleaner like Poorboy's Spray and Rinse, I actually will be putting up a review on it and Wolf's clean and coat wheel cleaner today. The rims are clear coated so you can use a product like those if the brake dusting is severe and just spray it off and wipe it down with a microfiber or even use a brush, Mother's makes a good wheel brush for $7.

05-22-2013, 08:05 AM	#1
spen5151 Drives: 2013 Camaro ZL1 VR/ECF/Sunroof-Trad Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 134 View My Garage	ZL1 Cleaning/Polishing/Waxing Questions Hey group, I have a couple questions for you. We purchased a new ZL1 a little over a week and a half ago, we upgraded from our 2011 SS. I have some questions about cleaning/polishing and waxing the vehicle. First off the products I am using are all Adams products. I ordered the essentials detail kit with american wax upgrade along with the deep clean wheel & tire kit, invisible undercarriage spray dressing and 20" fender brush. I plan to order more but wanted to get this and try it out to see how I liked it. I cleaned the tims, tires and fender liners last night before it stormed. The deep wheel cleaner worked amazing on the factory painted black rims. The all purpose cleaner cleaned the fender liners and tires very well also. My question regarding this is with the factory black painted rims can I use revive polish, brilliant glaze and americana wax on the rims to bring out the color and protect the rims? Also, this weekend I plan on washing, claying, polishing, glazing and waxing the entire car. I have the exposed carbon fiber hood insert which is factory clear coated. I know you are allowed to was this insert like you do the rest of the car based on the information from forum. Can I also clay bar, polish and glaze the insert? I want the insert to shine like the rest of the car and I know there are special cleaning instructions for the inserts for the ZL1 and I do not want to damage mine. Does anyone have any information on this? Has anyone with the clearcoated exposed CF insert clayed, polished and glazed theirs yet? Thanks for the info. __________________ Traded: 2013 Camaro ZL1 Victory Red, Exposed Carbon Fiber, Sunroof Traded: 2011 Camaro 2SS IOM, RS, Polished Rims, Sunroof, Black Stripes, Hurst Shifter Mods: Borla ATAK Cat-Back, CAI Intake, Skip Shift Elim, Tint

05-22-2013, 08:19 AM	#2
ZED SLED Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South of Raleigh, NC Posts: 9,473 View My Garage	Congrats on the upgrade. When I got my ZL1 in December, the dealer washed it while my back was turned. Needless to say, they scratched the crap out of it, including the ECF insert. I also use Adams products w/PC buffer so when I got it out early this spring, I started with Fine Machine Polish on the hood, insert, and deck lid. I had to go to Swirl & Haze Remover to get the scratches out of the hood and deck lid, but had to go to Severe Swirl & Scratch Remover on the insert and that worked. I was apprehensive about this since I had seen some recommendation's from GM about hand polishing the insert, but I knew that would never get the scratches out. I then went through the polishing steps, sealer, wax, then glaze on the whole car including the insert. It all came out perfect, and yes, the dealer did say they would fix it, but figured it was best left to me. Hope this helps. __________________

05-22-2013, 09:05 AM	#10
ec1990 Drives: 2012 AGM SS Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,407	Just make sure you understand Opti-Coat is a permanent coating and any scratches or swirls won't be filled in by it and the only way to remove after them after applying Opti-Coat is to polish it off. The prep is the most important piece, after perfecting the paint you need to wipe it down with an IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) dilution or something like CarPro Eraser. Also it is not advised to apply Opti-Coat in multiple layers, glass coatings like CQuartz can be applied in multiple layers. __________________ Check out my blog for product reviews on detailing products!

05-22-2013, 09:35 AM	#11
swizlstik Drives: 2018 Garnet ZL1 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Surprise, AZ Posts: 2,183 View My Garage	I put their Quick Sealant on my rims to help prevent a build up of brake dust. Seems to be working. __________________

07-07-2013, 10:46 AM	#13
Proud father Drives: 13 ZL1 Vert Join Date: May 2012 Location: eastern mass Posts: 98	cleaning the rims 5 spoke aluminum zl1 What product do I use to clean the bright 5 spoke forged aluminum wheels without hurting them besides soap and water and hard work (Lazy) and other tips for taking care of these polish alum rims .I don't want to hurt them

05-22-2013, 08:25 AM	#3
SCHUSS 709 RWHP & 677 RWTQ Drives: 13' HPE 800 ZL1..... IOM vert, M6 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 1,140	I clayed and waxed my insert and it looks great. My ZL1 that is.

05-22-2013, 08:26 AM	#4
Normagene Drives: 2013 Ashen Gray M6 ZL1 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: South Eastern, Mass Posts: 2,615 View My Garage	Congrats on your new ZL1! If its brand new, I'd go with a Clear-Bra first thing to really protect the paint from nick/chips. Second, I'd get Rock/Splash Guards for the front wheels which tend to fling sand/rocks against the sides (One-Bad-ZL1 has them at a really good price) takes about ten minutes to install. After that I'd go with Opti-Coat 2.0. It's a permanent mirror like finish bond that's about 100 times the thickness of a sealer or wax. Autogeek.net sells it for like $70 or so, if you do order, tell them to give you free shipping or you'll get it elsewhere. Then after that you do the regular Adams techniques. Adams is a great product. I didn't know about the Opti-coat 2.0 otherwise I'd done it first thing. Prep is the most important. The hood insert is cleared just like the car, same process, and it sounds good your plans for the rims. I used a couple coats of sealer/glaze on mine and now the brake dust wipes off without using anything other than a paper towel or rag.

07-07-2013, 12:07 PM	#14
ec1990 Drives: 2012 AGM SS Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,407	You can use a dedicated wheel cleaner like Poorboy's Spray and Rinse, I actually will be putting up a review on it and Wolf's clean and coat wheel cleaner today. The rims are clear coated so you can use a product like those if the brake dusting is severe and just spray it off and wipe it down with a microfiber or even use a brush, Mother's makes a good wheel brush for $7. __________________ Check out my blog for product reviews on detailing products!