Technical Car Show detailing

I agree, all cars look & sound better in motion.

 

There is still snow on the ground here, so no bugs.
I did spend a couple hours cleaning out last years though.

 

I enjoy all my cars and do attend some shows but excessive cleaning and detailing hoping to catch a judges eye is wasted on my old beater,the boss lady's wagon is a pita when it comes to making it look it's best but she does the majority of cleaning,I do the maintenance. HRP

 

They are already in there, just installed them this afternoon.

 

I used to be heavily involved in a car club. Did people realize we bought very nice trophies for right at $100 for first - third in each class. We got a bit of a discount since we did 33 classes plus Best of Show and People's Choice. The trophy company actually threw in the Best of Show trophy for free promotional time during the awards and a mention on the show flyer.

What am I getting at? I've seen grown men throw a serious tantrum because they just spent over $250,000 restoring a Shelby GT500KR or a Boss 429 that's worth nowhere near what they spent...... and they just lost out on a $35 trophy. Think about that......

A car show trophy will collect dust for years. With a trophy and a buck you can get a cup of coffee at McDonalds.

Go for the event, friendships, sharing what you restored and spending time with your ride, NOT the trophy. Some of the neatest cars there left at awards time.

SPark

 

I've seen cars get best of show one week and get the goose egg next time out. Go to the cruises they're cheaper,you can leave when you want, might get some free door prize give aways, and seldom you'll hear a bunch of whine asses.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

I love the new cars
I rolled up in my bus and parked it next to a new vette
owner had to move the vette due to all the people checking out my bus

 

The last thing I planned on doing (night before), was clay bar & wax.
Haven't done it since I've owned the car, should make a difference.
I was going to ask about Tire cleaner, I don't like a sloppy wet looking tire, just really clean.
Does the polish attract dust?
I used a spray on tire cleaner & all it did was turn them brown.
Never use that shit again.
I have never heard of using newsprint to clean windows!
Is the newspaper dry?
This is the kind of reply I was looking for.
Thanks for the info.

 

Newspaper is the best to clean glass, don't know why. Just crumple it up and rub until it squeaks.

 

I'm sure that in South Carolina your car (deuce sedan) must seem a little lost in a sea of 32's of all types but up here your car would be a show winner by just showing up.
Not a great amount of the original old stuff.
I'll trade you my shiny o/t for your "old beater".
LOL

 

When I do break down and clean the windows I use a spray window cleaner and then crumpled up newspaper to wipe it/polish it off. Something about the ink in the paper or that's what my mom told years ago.

 

Nothing wrong with presenting you car in the best light. I'm not a trophy hound, but it is nice to get some recognition every once in a while.
I used to prep some high dollar cars for ISCA shows. Make every thing as clean as possible. When cleaning the windows, go up and down on the outside. Then go horizontal on the inside. That way if you have streaks you can tell if they are on the inside or the outside.
We used to use lemon Pledge spray wax on the tires. It's not to shiney and it smells good. Also,if this is an ISCA show, be sure to put a fire extinguisher on the front floor board where it can be seen. You will automatically loose points if you don't have one. If the hood is not open,you will loose points as they can't judge it if they can't see it. Have fun at the show.

 

When I owned my retail business part of it was framing art & pictures,I framed literately thousands of images behind glass and always used newspaper for wiping the glass when cleaning.

The reasoning behind using newspaper is the paper os made with a dense fiber.

But,if your newspaper stains your hands the newsprint ink is a petroleum base and not suitable for the job.

For many years used nothing but windex but in later years I started using a product called dirtex and it worked great, HRP

 

Tooth brush where the paint meets the chrome....like said above, an air can after the brush.

 

Newsprint is soft unsized, absorbent paper. That is why it wipes streak free. Be sure to open the vent windows and clean where the window meets the seal. I hate to roll down a window and see dirt where the edge is in the window channel.

 

There are still plenty of trophy hunters here who only come to take home a prize and are indignant if they don't. I just wash and vacuum it, clean the windows and wipe the dust off. Occasionally I'll clean underneath and do the tyres. I don't go to many these days where you pay to provide the entertainment and admission is charged for spectators. Happy to talk to others about my car and spark their interest to build a car themselves.

 

Local shows have a lot of politics, dont take it personally if the trophy holders all work together or are cousins.

Clean it well, all the corners nooks crevices and go enjoy the day. Hope the music is decent and the weather is nice.

 

Found out from my girlfriends father the secret to getting a trophy. We went to a large local show,
brought his 46 continental convertible and 60 Lincoln convertible. The 46 took second in it's class.
There was no 3rd given, seems there were only two cars entered in that particular class.

 

I work with a guy like that. Has a nice Max Wedge clone and scarcely drives it at all. Just to close by shows and not much else. Really nice car, a shame it sits so much.

 

Thanks for all the tips, I plan to have the cleanest windows in the show.

 

This will clean your tires without leaving them glossy. Gloss isn't desirable on a bike sidewall.

 

I have spent days cleaning my entry but really, if I wanted a trophy, I'd go get one at the trophy store.
It seems that everyone who enters gets a trophy. It makes the trophy cheap and meaningless. Funny story, the first show I ever entered they handed my wife the wrong trophy so we were upgraded!

 

I saw this was a 2 page thread on Car Show Detailing so I opened it thinking it would be 2 pages of detailing tips.

 

Well that was silly! As a general rule of thumb it is sporting to deride the OP for at least one page, the OP gets a chance to become offended during his re-direct, the moderators then have an opportunity to clean the thread up and issue a stern warning, at which point we get back to the OP's original query with some helpful tips.

 

hire girls from the local college to pose around your car. the less they wear, the better.

 

^^^a lot less work^^^

and it still gets the ol' ticker beating the same as if you spent all night waxing on it.

 

I think bugs on the bumper should get points towards the "well driven" class.

 

Funny you recommend this, I was looking for Rat Wax in the little burg where I live & there was nothing.
A friend recommended the local Harley dealer cuz' some of the new stuff has flat paint.
While I was there I noticed the Wheel & Tire cleaner but didn't know if it was any good.
I will go get some & give it a try.
Thanks

 

Yeah, I noticed there were a few sharks in the pool.
Like the Bandit said, it's standard procedure.

 

2 pages. 5 tips. lots of bitching about car shows.