Paint Correction on a Brand New Corvette, What’s the Deal?

With only two delivery miles on the clock, this guy is already busting out the polish on this 2019 C7 Z06.

When it comes to obsessing about perfect paint, the perfect time to start is before you even have the car delivered. At least, that’s what this paint shop professional, Troy Sowers, is preaching in his YouTube video.

It’s hard to believe that your brand new Corvette needs paint correction before you’ve even driven it, but it’s worth bearing in mind that, despite being top of the line, these are still production cars. That means they are built to a budget, and to go to the next level is expensive. The level they come from the factory though, well, you need a flashlight and a keen eye to spot the tiny flaws.

The issues he’s finding are things that nobody would really notice day-to-day. However, we do understand that the closer to perfect you start with, the easier it is to keep the paint looking sharp. In this case, they are sealing the paint after a “Level 2” correction. There’s no industry standard for levels of correction but, generally, level 2 is a 2-step polishing process to take out small imperfections. The next level would be getting to a show car standard.

Over the years, technology for paint protection has been on a steep rise. Currently, and like Sowers, most people will tout using a ceramic coating. The short version of why it’s so effective is because it’s a liquid polymer that actually bonds with the paint. That means that unlike regular wax, it doesn’t need a regular re-application every couple of months. Here, Sowers is taking it to the next level by using a clear protection film as well.

It’s fascinating to see what they are doing here, but it’s up for discussion whether it’s worth doing the film or the ceramic coat, or both together.