Corvette Detailing Tips

Corvettes Detailing Tips

Corvettes, especially the C-4's and earlier hate water. Water gets in the air inlet at the windshield base and leaks into the cockpit. Water runs around the hood and pools in the front behind the bumper. In short, washing your Corvette with water is a pain at best.

In 1994 Ileen and I discovered a product, (Dri-Wash 'n Guard®) that made our Corvette(s) stand taller then anything else's. Believe us, when we tell you, we had tried everything available. DryWash (misspelled on purpose) is the finest finish you can put on your Corvette, bar none. And, DryWash is the easiest detailing system to use, bar none.

You don't need to wash your Corvette with water prior to applying DRI WASH 'n GUARD® Waterless Car Wash and Protective Glaze. If you are unable (it's a mental thing) to use DryWash without first washing your Corvette choose a mild automotive car wash product with warm water and thoughly rinse. Remember, each time you use a detergent to wash your Corvette you are removing some of the paint or clear coats properties and hastening the drying/hardening of the finish. The less soap you touch your Corvette with the better for the long term life of its finish. Be sure your Corvette is completely dry before applying DRI WASH 'n GUARD®

Unlike other premium detailing waxes or glazes there is no complicated time consuming multi-step process to using DRI WASH 'n GUARD®. Simply use a small white terry cloth (wash cloth size) to apply and spread DRI WASH 'n GUARD® Waterless Car Wash and Protective Glaze, and use a DWG Buffing Towel, a hand size "high quality" white terry cloth towel or 100% cotton diaper for buffing.

DRI WASH 'n GUARD® is a harder finish and more durable to weather than Carnauba and other polishes however DWG is easily removed by car wash soaps and detergents. You get the most protection, deepest shine and easiest to clean surface by building up DRI WASH 'n GUARD® through repeated applications. For washing/cleaning between applications use plain water, a light touch and a soft terry to buff dry. You DryWash shine will return again and again without removing the DryWash finish through the use of soaps or detergents.

Follow our Corvette Detailing Tips for Total Corvette Detailing including Exterior, Interior, Under Hood, Tires & Wheels.

Corvette Detailing Tips

If your using Dri Wash 'n Guard® for the first time read the application instructions on the product container.

Professional detailers start with the wheels and tires when doing a routine weekly cleaning. That's because once you get the paint and windows wet you have to keep them wet until you are ready to dry. Not doing so leads to water spots, streaks, etc. Well, forget all those problems with Dri Wash.

For a routine cleaning of your Corvette do just the opposite. Start on your Corvette's top (exception, convertibles) and work your way down. Use a small white terry cloth (wash cloth size) to apply and spread DryWash, and use a DWG Buffing Towel, or a "high quality" hand size white terry cloth towel for buffing. White is best because you can see what is happening. Work a small section (18" x 18" or similar) at a time. By starting on the top, hood and deck lid you are cleaning, glazing and polishing the cleanest parts of the vehicle first and saving the dirtiest lower body parts for last.

For DryWash application: you need a "vehicle" to get the dirt off your Corvette. You do not want to rub the dirt into the finish. Just like a sponge, or wash mitt gets the dirt from the car to the bucket when you wash the car with soap and water, terry cloth towels remove the dirt and store it in the cotton facing when you are DryWashing. Use clean "high quality" terry cloth towels only for the application. Preferably terry towels that have been washed, and dried without any fabric softener.

You may buff the DryWash off with a clean cotton buffing rag, but terry cloth is important for the application of the product, and to collect the dirt off the car’s finish. When the towel shows excessive dirt, fold it over, and continue with a clean towel surface. Generally, you can do an entire vehicle with four small towels (unless you accidentally drop one on the ground).
Tips:

"Recycle" your old bath towels as DryWash towels.

New terry cloths, buffing towels, micro-fibers, diapers, etc should be washed prior to use. The sizing contained at the time of manufacturer gives enough stiffness to the knap to scratch some modern clear-coat finishes. Use your regular laundry soap without fabric softeners as fabric softeners can cause streaking with some polishes.

Do not spray the cracks and/or crevices of your Corvette directly. Use your application terry to spread the DryWash over to the body panel seams and you won't have to clean over-spray droplets from those hard to access areas.

"Recycle" your old bath towels as DryWash towels.

If you get DryWash over-spray on rubber window moldings wet a corner of a terry with DryWash, use to remove the over-spray and immediately buff dry.

Remember to clean the door jambs. No need to spray, just use your saturated application terry to wipe and buff immediately.

Spray DryWash directly on your application terry to apply to grill work and bright work rather then spraying directly. It works miracles and you won't have to work at wiping the over-spray from behind and around these hard to buff surfaces.

Bugs & Tar - Use DryWash 'n Guard® Leather and Vinyl Treatment to safely remove bugs from the front of the vehicle. Just spray the area that needs bugs removed, let it soak for about 1 minute, then wipe bugs clean with no effort at all. Then apply original DryWash 'n Guard for a perfect bug free shine. Once you have a solid base of DryWash 'n Guard® applied you can simply use a water saturated rag to remove bugs, sap and tar. Simply buff to a shine following removal.

In rare instances you could experience streaking. It could be from high humidity, fabric softener in your cleaning/polishing rags, or residue left over from a competitors product. Not to worry, just take a clean terry cloth, wet with cool water and wring out. Lightly wipe over the streak and buff with a dry terry. The streak is gone.

Windows and glass:

When you finish cleaning and buffing your entire Corvette you are going to have one or more dirty application cloths. Use the dirty DryWash saturated wash cloth to clean all windows, inside and out. The wash cloth has just the right amount of DryWash on it to do perfect car windows. An added bonus...the windshield sheds rain water exactly as if you treated it with Rain-X. Clean glass will set your vehicle apart from the rest. DWG cleaned windows are the best.
Tips:

	Use the above method rather than spraying DryWash on the windows directly and you will never have a night headlight rainbow prism in the rain.
	This method is safe and DryWash works great on after market tinted windows.

Tires:

Dri Wash 'n Guard® All Weather Tire Treatment should be used regularly to keep your Corvette's tires looking brand new and protect the rubber from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Use the trigger applicator to liberally spray the outside tire surface and immediately wipe from the tire using your oldest terries that are near ready for disposal. You will remove a large amount of oxidation, dirt and grease the first time our two you clean and treat your tires. You know they are clean when there is little or no discoloration on the buffing cloth. Dri Wash 'n Guard® All Weather Tire Treatment is meant to be wiped off the tire rather than left on for a wet look. Used properly it will give your tire the "new tire look" and greatly enhance the life of the sidewall rubber. If you insist on a darker/blacker than original tire look use the new Meguiars® Gold Class Endurance Gel (available in gloss or matte finish) after first cleaning with Dri Wash 'n Guard® All Weather Tire Treatment.
Tips:

	Clean you tires with DWG All Weather Tire Treatment prior to cleaning/polishing your wheels to save having to wipe any over-spray off.
	Follow up with an immediate 2nd application and cleaning if its been some time since you cleaned your tires. It makes a difference!
	Use an old shoe polishing/buffing brush to really get those crevices clean. Works great for buffing to a shine as well.
	Take the corner of a small terry and clean your wiper blades with All Weather Tire Treatment. They will last years longer. Be sure to thoroughly wipe clean and dry so as not to create streaking if/when you need them.

Wheels:

Service and longevity of your wheels will be greatly increased if you make them part of your routine cleaning. If they are extremely dirty you will want to remove them from your Corvette for a thorough cleaning and polishing, inside and out.
Tips:

	Never spray Dri Wash 'n Guard® directly on a ported or open design Corvette wheel unless the wheel is off your car. The over-spray will affect your braking and just looks bad. Apply the DryWash to the wheels using a saturated application terry spraying additional DryWash on the terry as necessary.
	Painted and clear coated wheels should be cleaned and polished using DryWash.
	Unfinished alloy wheels need the most care and should first be polished with DWG Premium Metal Polish and then have a protective coat of DryWash applied to enhance and protect the finish.
	Nothing works better on chrome and chrome plated wheels than DryWash.

Interior Cleaning:

Start with your vacuum. Remove your Corvette's floor mats and do a thorough interior vacuuming, being careful to get behind and under the seats. While you have you vacuum out do the rear storage area/ trunk as well. Look for areas that may need special attention such as spills, grease spots, etc. Its also a good idea to vacuum your Corvette roadsters headliner lightly on an infrequent basis. Remember to vacuum the floor mats you sat outside on the ground/floor.

Leather & Vinyl:

For maximum protection you should treat your leather upholstery with Dri Wash 'n Guard® Leather & Vinyl on a monthly basis. More often in severe climates or under heavy use. This Dri Wash product has a cleaner, conditioner, UV protector, and anti-static coating that "repels" dust. It does not put a shine on the area treated, because that shine is actually an oily build up that attracts dirt! The shine in most vinyl conditioning products is the only defense against UV
rays (by reflecting the sun). Also, most vinyl protectant products do not contain a cleaner. You must clean the area before treatment. Dri Wash 'n Guard® Leather/Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner is a one step cleaner, conditioner, and is like a sunscreen for your interior and vinyl tops.

In most cases you can spray Leather Vinyl directly on the surface and then use a small terry to spread and clean. Use white terry and as you see it becoming soiled turn to a clean area. When dirty discard for a clean terry, you don't want to spread the dirt. Buff with a soft terry hand towel. Use this same procedure on the vinyl pieces. In tight quarters spray Leather & Vinyl directly on your application terry, apply and follow with your buffing cloth. This saves cleaning up product over-spray.
Tips:

	Keep a Leather & Vinyl saturated terry in a zip lock bag in your glove compartment for quick wipe ups.
	If you have a leather or vinyl headliner lightly wipe with your application cloth.

Carpet & Cloth Upholstery

Dri Wash 'n Guard® Fabric, Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner does a great job of removing the worst stains from the carpet covered areas of your Corvettes. It also neutralizes odors including cigarette smoke. This award winning product will remove the most troublesome stains and bring out the best your Corvette interior has to offer. Use a wash size terry for applying/spreading and hand sized terry for buffing.
Tip:

This most effective and reliable fabric and carpet cleaner works even better if you use the following method. Wet a clean white terry cloth with cold tap water and ring it as dry as you can by hand. Then mist DWG Fabric and Upholstery directly on the material to be cleaned from a distance of approximately 12 inches. Draw the damp terry cloth across the fabric turning frequently as the dirt and stain are drawn into the terry cloth. Wetting the terry cloth first allows the dirt and stains to be drawn from the fabric much quicker. Grab a clean terry and use the same process as soon as the original is soiled so as not to spread any dirt or grease.

Corvette Convertible Tops

Summer is convertible weather. Ileen and I always get compliments on the great shape our 98 Corvette convertible top is in. It is original and this is our driver so it gets used. Here is how we do it. The only cleaning products that ever touch our Roadster's top are original Dri Wash 'n Guard®, DWG Upholstery, Fabric & Carpet Treatment and DWG All Weather Tire Treatment. For cleaning (inside and out) we use high quality Micro Fiber towels.

Important- The only places we recommend using regular Micro Fiber towels is for convertible tops and cloth interiors. The only Micro Fiber towel that should touch your Corvette's exterior is the DWG Buffing Towel. The DWG Buffing Towel is the only Micro Fiber towel we tested that will not feather scratch soft clear coat finishes. Quality white terry cloth wash cloths work well too. If you choose to use terry cloths, spend a few extra dollars for good ones so they won't be shedding lint, especially if your top is black or another dark color.

Wet a clean micro fiber/ terry with tap water and wring it near dry. Mist DWG Upholstery/Fabric/Carpet on a 2 ft. x 2 ft. section of the top. Draw the damp micro fiber/terry across the section you just misted. Check your micro fiber/ terry for dirt and discoloration. If soiled change to a clean section and draw across the section again. Now switch to cross grain (other direction) and draw across section yet again. Buff completed section with a clean dry terry. Work small sections until you have cleaned the tops entire surface. Always discard dirty micro fiber/terries (for washing later) so you are not smearing dirt from place to place.

It takes only a light misting of DWG Fabric/Upholstery to do an outstanding job so use sparingly. The keys are to turn or change micro fiber/terries often, wet micro fiber/terry with tap water and wring it to get drawing effect then draw or pull the micro fiber/terry across your top in two different directions (cross grain) followed by buffing with a clean, dry terry. For in-between cleanings use a damp (tap water) micro fiber/terry and draw across the fabric in both directions followed by a light buffing.

In some instances you may have a stain from diesel oil, a bird dropping, etc on your convertible top that needs a little more attention to remove. Clean your Corvette's entire top as outlined above first. Then, with a soft bristled brush (a soft tooth brush or hand brush works well), work DWG Fabric/Upholstery into the stain. (Be sure the brush is soft so you don't mark or damage the canvas). You will create some foaming at this point. Use a clean, damp micro fiber/terry to frequently blot the spot. When the stain is gone you will have a wet spot. Leave your top up until the spot has dried.

For your Corvette's rear window (plastic or glass makes no difference) we use original Dri Wash 'n Guard®. IMPORTANT! Do not spray from the AIRosol applicator directly onto the window. YOU DO NOT WANT OVER-SPRAY ON YOUR ROADSTER CONVERTIBLE TOP's FABRIC. Instead, spray a small amount of DWG on the corner of a terry and apply the DWG with your terry to window, being careful not to get any on your tops fabric. (You can clean a slipsy from your top's fabric with DWG Upholstery/Fabric cleaner but try not to get DWG on the fabric.) Buff with a clean terry. You'll be amazed. This works especially well to sharpen up plastic windows.

All that's left is to apply DRI WASH 'n GUARD® All Weather Tire Treatment to your tops rubber weather-stripping several times a year. Don't spay it on, instead use a corner of a clean rag, wipe on and using a second cloth, wipe off. Be careful not to get Tire Treatment on the fabric.

Dri Wash 'n Guard® Leather & Vinyl does an equally impressive job on the few Corvette vinyl tops on the market. With vinyl no need to wet the application towel with water. Just mist, spread and clean with a wash size terry and buff to perfection with a hand sized terry. Again, discard your terry for a clean one as soon as soiled.
Tip:

Your roadster's convertible top will last much longer if you store your Corvette with the top up. This allows the fabric to breath and prevents moisture and dirt from attacking the fabric. Even if it is just for overnight get in the habit of putting the top up when your not enjoying that convertible feeling.

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Show Preparation - Exterior

Wheels & Tires

Remove your Corvettes wheels and clean the inside with DWG Premium Metal Polish. If the insides are really bad clean with simple green or similar detergent first (inside only). Follow with a through coating of original DryWash inside and out.
Tip:

When applying DryWash to wheels still on your Corvette us the applicator cloth. Don't spray DryWash directly from the applicator to avoid getting over-spray on your brakes. Besides, not stopping well it won't look good.

Tires:

When preparing your Corvette for Show clean all tires with Dri Wash Tire Treatment while you have the wheels off the vehicle. Clean inside, outside and tread, than use Dri Wash Premium Metal Polish to clean white-wall portion or raised letter portion if any on the tire. Follow up with a second cleaning of the entire tire with the tire treatment and buff to "new tire look" with a clean terry cloth. If you like more of a shine use a soft bristle shoe polishing brush for that final buffing.

If you insist on a darker/blacker than original tire look use the new Meguiars® Gold Class Endurance Gel (available in gloss or matte finish) after first cleaning with Dri Wash 'n Guard® All Weather Tire Treatment as outlined above.

Windows:

Use Dri Wash 'n Guard® for the Home to get a little higher depth of shine on your Corvette's glass. (Important, do not put DWG for the Home on your cars finish.) This little trick really does make a difference.

Paint:

Recommended finish for the 2000 and later Corvette is DWG ULTRA-ION™ applied in conjunction with the DWG Buffing Towel. There is no finer finish for the new Corvette's factory clear coat. The only Micro Fiber towel that should touch your Corvette's exterior is the DWG Buffing Towel. Like your girlfriend/boyfriend, while your new Corvette loves to be rubbed it does not like to be rubbed hard. Use a soft touch to protect it's soft clear coat finish. For application always use a "high quality" terry cloth wash cloth. For buffing you can use a "high quality" terry or the DWG Buffing Towel. The DWG Buffing Towel is the only Micro Fiber towel we tested that will not feather scratch very soft clear coat finishes.

TIP: New terry cloths, buffing towels, micro-fibers, diapers, etc should be washed prior to use. The sizing contained at the time of manufacturer gives enough stiffness to the knap to scratch some modern clear-coat finishes. Use your regular laundry soap without fabric softeners as fabric softeners can cause streaking with some polishes.

For Corvettes built prior to year 2000 put several coats of original Dri Wash 'n Guard® Classic on the exterior surface. Follow each application with a damp toweling and buffing to set the polymer. On show day drive the car to the event and then, while others are waxing, polishing, and sweating take an extra Dri Wash 'n Guard® AIRosol applicator with a 10% DryWash, 90% plain water mixture and lightly mist your vehicles surface followed immediately with a soft buffing cloth. This will safely remove any road dust you picked up and the enhanced shine outstrips any quick detailer on the market.

The approved application process for Dri Wash 'n Guard® is using the special AIRosol bottle provided. Doing so provides the only safe method of cleaning a dirty vehicle. However, there are many times when experienced users will apply Dri Wash 'n Guard® using a small "high quality" terry (wash cloth size) instead of the AIRosol. One of those times is when you are detailing your Corvette for maximum enhancement of gloss and/or depth of finish. You can simply get a greater concentration of DWG on the surface by spreading then by spraying. Use the DWG AIRosol to spray DryWash onto your application terry and then apply like you would any competitors wax. Work a 2' by 2' section at a time and polish away. You will be pleased with how quickly you can bring up the finish a notch or two. Naturally, you use this technique only on your Corvette when is is already clean of surface contamination.

The application technique above also works well when applying DryWash to sections that have body panels meeting, etc. and you don't want to have to clean over-spray
from hard to reach places.

For the Corvette Owner willing to put forth the ultimate effort for the ultimate effect. You can apply DWG Classic using your bare hands. This technique requires a lot of time and uses considerable product. It will give you the deepest, wettest final finish possible. Your Corvette should already be cleaned with DryWash using the normal technique before starting. Work a small section (18" x 18" maximum) at a time. Spray a heavy application of original Dri Wash 'n Guard® on the surface and begin rubbing, using the palm and heel of your clean bare hand. You will need to use considerable pressure and effort. As you notice heat build up rotate your hand pressure points so as not to burn yourself. Once you have worked the product to a completely dry and polished state with your bare hands take a soft cotton diaper and final buff to luster.

After doing a section or two you will know if you have the stamina to detail your entire Corvette using this method. This application technique puts down enough polymer that a final damp toweling and buffing just prior to the show will remove any excess or residual and give you that winner's edge. Properly done this technique will exceed the results you can get even with a rotary polisher. Remember, in the 40's and 50's, this is how the professionals used to apply carnauba wax.
Tip:

Use 100% cotton birds-eye diapers instead of terries for that special Corvette. Be careful as the tighter weave of the diaper doesn't leave the nooks and crannies for the dirt of normal waterless cleaning. But with a light touch on a clean vehicle nothing brings a higher shine.

Under Hood

Use only a damp cloth and buffing to clean under hood painted surface of 1984 - 1999 Corvettes. Commercial products will change the factory original appearance.

DWG All Weather Tire Treatment is perfect for cleaning, restoring and preserving rubber. DWG All Weather Tire Treatment was specifically designed to be sprayed on and wiped off. Used on a regular basis DWG All Weather Tire Treatment will keep rubber looking and feeling new. If you want your baby's tires and other rubber components to look as good as they did when your Corvette rolled off the St Louis or Bowling Green assembly line DWG All Weather Tire Treatment is the perfect choice.
Tip:

Dri Wash 'n Guard® All Weather Tire Treatment should be used to dress weather stripping and rubber fittings. For dressing weather stripping or hoses apply with one rag, remove with a second, and buff with a third.

Interior

DryWash gauges and buff to a shine. Use a rag for application rather than spraying directly.

Special Problems

Water Spots- Water spots can do untold damage to your Corvette's expensive paint job. Several times a year we are called on to remove or lesson the damage from allowing water to stand and evaporate. Dri Wash 'n Guard® and Dri Wash 'n Guard OxyGone® do an exceptional job of removing much of the damage caused by water spots. The key is getting to the spotting before it works completely through your Corvette's paint to the underlying surface where it becomes permanent and can only be removed by sanding and repainting the area.

Your first attempt at removal should be a regular application of Dry Wash. If you are lucky this alone with remove the water spotting from the paint. If a regular DryWash application failed to remove the spots spray a little Dri Wash 'n Guard® directly on the spot(s) and then, using the palm and heel of your bare hand, rub vigorously back and forth in multiple directions with significant pressure. (You use your bare hand to prevent scratching the surface. The pressure necessary to remove the spots will scratch the soft paints used on today's modern cars even using a soft terry cloth or diaper.) Your hand is perfectly smooth and will not scratch the paint as long as you remove rings, watch your fingernails, etc.

If the spots are still visible put a small dab of Dri Wash 'n Guard OxyGone® on the spot(s) and again, using the palm and heel of your hand only rub vigorously in multiple directions. Several applications may be necessary. Follow-up with a normal Dri Wash application over your vehicle's entire surface.

For future reference you should remove standing water as soon as noticed either by toweling your Corvette dry or driving and allowing the wind to blow the water off. A good protective layer of Dri Wash 'n Guard® will make your vehicle much less susceptible to water spot damage and very easy to quickly and safely towel dry.

Removing Oxidation- Minor paint oxidation is removed and further oxidation is prevented through regular application and use of Dri Wash 'n Guard. For those difficult cases use Dri Wash 'n Guard OxyGone® Paint Restorer. This world class product will absolutely amaze you - Guaranteed!

Broken AIRosols- Over the years we have seen several instances of applicator bottles rupturing and spraying DryWash in unwanted places. In every case the problem can be attributed to storing the applicator pressurized. The thin plastic of the AIRosol applicator can be easily ruptured by over-pressurizing. Leaving a pressurized applicator in your Corvette or in a garage window can heat the bottle, greatly increasing the pressure and allowing the bottle to deform. In some extreme cases the bottle actually ruptures. The damage to your Corvette's upholstery carpeting and stains to garage floors can be permanent. The fix is simple. Always release the pressure, either by loosening the seal or inverting the applicator and clearing with air after use. The applicator bottles can weaken over long periods of time, say three years or longer. A good argument to encourage Corvette owners to use the new Dri Wash 'n Guard PB10 Aerosol can as there carry along product for touchups.

Outdoors in the Wind- If you must apply DryWash when it is breezy there are a couple of things you can do. First, we normally pump the applicator bottle 10 - 15 times in order to get a very fine mist for encapsulating contaminates and dirt. When working outdoors pump the applicator fewer times. This creates a heavier mist that is not carried by the breeze as easily. 2nd, if you already have a protective coat of DWG you can safely clean your vehicles surface applying DWG with a soft terry. First spray the DWG onto a small terry and lightly apply to the surface using the terry. Spread and buff as normal. The key is a light touch and having a protective coat of DWG already on your vehicle. Use common sense. If you have a particularly dirty spot use your DWG applicator to apply DWG first.

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