PREFACE:
The most common "Car Show NEWBIE" response to bringing their car to a show/cruise night:
"But I don't know what I have to do to my car to be ready for a show."

For those of you entering your GP into a show, here are some things to do / remember. While this list is intended to help the car show beginner to get started, it is by no means a complete list to go by. As every individual over time will develop their own style of detailing their GP.


UNDERHOOD
The first thing you would want to do is look under the hood. Cover the battery and alternator to prevent water from entering. Steam clean or pressure wash the engine for the first time. Pay particular attention to the hood hinges and the cowl area where leaves and bugs collect.. Clean every nook and cranny that you can SEE!!! If you can see it, someone who is judging your car can too! Then follow up using Simple Green Automotive to clean before each show. The first time you clean the engine, don't forget to take the under hood felt pad off and wash the underside of the hood. Dry it and then give it a good coat of paste wax. After you have hand buffed the underside of the hood and cleaned the engine, replace the hood felt pad. Purchase a new one from a dealer if yours is in very bad shape. After the engine is clean and dry, spray tire shine on all non-painted Plastic and rubber items. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then spray a little tire shine on a rag and go over smooth out any excess left on engine parts.

TRUNK
Next, move to the trunk. Remove everything, including the carpeting and the spare tire. Clean sides with Simple Green Automotive. Vacuum if necessary, then wax the trunk floor pan and the underside of the trunk lid. Pay attention to the trunk jambs!!!
Then turn your attention to the undercarriage of the daily driven GP. Steam cleaning once every month will help keeping this area clean enough for showing.

WHEELS
Next clean your wheels, wheel wells, and tires. If you really want to make a good impression, take the wheels off one at a time and clean them with Simple Green Automotive, front and back sides. Using Q-Tips and old toothbrushes for hard to reach places.

INTERIOR

Now it's time to tackle the interior. Take all personal items out. Vacuum seats, under seats, dash, carpet, consoles, etc. Pay attention to switches, vents and such. Use an interior brush to reach hard to get at places. Shampoo carpet and non-leather seats (Bissell Green Machine Steamer works good here I also use RESOLVE Shampoo). If the carpet is in bad shape, consider purchasing a new carpet from a discount dealer. Striping the interior bare will also give you a chance to CLEAN throughly. Then clean all plastic/vinyl/ with Simple Green Automotive. Use leather cleaner on all leather surfaces. You can dress up All non-leather surfaces with a protectant gel, and leather with Leather conditioner. Clean all inside windows and mirrors with a good streak-free window cleaner. You can also clean the door jambs and door hinges at this time with Simple Green Automotive , followed by a coat of paste wax on these surfaces. Set up interior with all vents facing forward, all seat belts neatly attached or stowed. Brush carpeting in one direction or you can do Carpet stripes. Do not leave personal items inside unless part of your theme!!!

EXTERIOR

Next would be the exterior wash. Do not use dish washing soap! It is too strong and will strip the wax off the paint!!!!! Use a "wax free" car wash concentrate. The reason you'd want to use a "Wax free" car wash soap is to avoid wax build up. Try to park the GP in a shaded area away from direct sunlight. Start the wash from the top of the GP and work your way down. I do my car in sections. Rinsing all suds BEFORE going to the next section. Wheels first, (If not done above), Tailpipes (inside & outside. Simple Green can be used here ) TOP , Front, Back, Passenger side, Drivers side. After final rinse, dry the entire car using a shammy such as "The Absorber". This includes the hood, door, and trunk jambs.

BUFF BASICS
After the car as been washed thoroughly and dried, you are ready for a buff job.
While most people can hand wax, it is not preferred due to the creation of swirl marks and spiderweb scratching. Buffing on the other hand takes time to learn to do correctly. Novice buffers have been known to burn the paint off their cars and damage soft exterior rubber and plastic trim items. It is also a good idea to use a foam backing pad and build up several layers of cloth pads on the buffing wheel.

It is best to use an older car that you don't care to make mistake on to learn how to buff correctly. The buffing wheel's high speed requires that you move the buffer at all times. and go off the car's panel at an angle on the edges rather than following around the edges.. Taping up all plastic and rubber parts before using the buffer is essential. Another tip to remember is when applying any type of compound, apply it to the center of the buffing pad. To avoid build up of compound along the edges of panels. Beginning each panel, buffing at the center and move outward parallel to the panel lines.


CLEANING THE PAINT

First step in buffing is to use a cleaner such as Megular's Mirror Glaze # 2 Fine Cut Cleaner to remove contaminants and oxidation from the paint. You can also use 3M's Finesse-it II Finishing Material (Very costly and only available through a Body Shop supply store like NAPA). Work one panel at a time. For this step I have found it easy to apply the cleaner with the buffer but remove it by hand using light pressure and a soft lint-free terry towel. If you start to notice compound residue remaining on the paint, in the form of swirl marks, it's time for a clean pad

POLISHING/WAXING THE FINISH

The next step will prepare the paint for the polish and wax once the entire exterior has been cleaned. Polish the paint with a polish such as Megulars Mirror Glaze # 9 Swirl Remover. It is best to apply and remove the swirl remover with the buffer. using a panel by panel approach. When removing the compound, if you start to notice compound residue remaining on the paint, it's time for a clean pad. Next comes the polish and wax. Which can be combined into one step by applying an equal amount of both wax and polish to the wax pad. Using Megular's Mirror Glaze #7 Show Car Glaze and Megular's Mirror Glaze Yellow Wax. This step can be done by hand . After the polish/wax as dried, excess can be removed lightly with a lint-free soft terry towel by hand, Then finished off by using the buffer and a clean buff pad. Again using a panel by panel approach until the entire car is complete. Check each panel as it is complete for swirl markings/excess wax. Remember, if the buffing pad begins to leave swirl marks, it's time for a clean pad. Use a soft old toothbrush to remove excess polish/wax in crevices / panel lines and around emblems, etc.
After all buffing/op=\polish/waxing is complete, you can now clean all exterior windows with a streak-free window cleaner. Do not use an ammonia based window cleaner on the inside windows if you have tint!!!!

AT THE SHOW:
After arriving at the show, you will do the final steps before your car is judged. Apply tire shine to the tire side walls and tire treads. (can also be used on alloy wheels to enhance the shine) Chrome wheels will need polishing with an chrome polish.. Use Megular's Spray n' Wipe or equivalent to clean up any road grime, bugs, water spots that might have accumulated while driving to the show. Dress up exterior rubber/plastic trim moldings with Megular's Gold Class Endurance Tire Gel. It's a thicker product and does not run like tire shine will. Use an item like the California Duster to keep the interior and exterior paint dust free.


OTHER CAR SHOW TIPS
- Buy an extra set of interior car mats and use them for show only.
- Use sand paper to clean the tips of the stock B4U or 97-up GP tail pipes.
- Bring a set of folding chairs to the car show .
- Use Rubber-Maid brand plastic bins to store all your cleaning equipment
- Take about 10-15 clean terry towels with you. Divide towels for chores.
- Use same towels for the same task. Never use towels for one take for a different task.
- Buy a good First-Aid kit for the trunk display.
- Have a suitable working fire extinguisher visible inside you car.
- Create a theme for your GP. (Email me if you need help with this)
- Most indoor shows require displays. So think ahead. Allow yourself plenty of time to design and build your own.
- Bringing a light-weight 2-ton jack will make it easy to "clock" your wheels. Just be sure you have the tire place rotate your tires right with your rims if needed.

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

nice! thanks gearhead!

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97 GT Coupe | E55 Retrofit | L67 Swap in the works

GREAT guide!

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FQUICK
CarDomain

Your welcome guys. I'd love to see more people get involved with car shows It's a family thing and you will get to experience a lot of different things, people, and places...

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

That's really helpful tip. I'm going car show this weekend.


I have my first polish wheel that I got about month ago. Should I polish it first then wash it and dry it?

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Wash and dry first.. You want to polish a clean car.. Otherwise dirt between the paint and the buffer will tear up the paint..

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

I have just recently started going to car shows and they are a lot of fun

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1999 Ford Mustang GT - Anniversary Edition - K&N Cold Air Intake

SOLD - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP

Yes They are lots of fun and you get to meet other people who are Gearheads as well...

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

I need a theme

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05 Bleen - GTP wheels, Pirelli tires, tinted tails and reverse light bar, HID's, more to come.....
2004 WJ - Mods in progress...

Hmmm, I need one too!

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Click HERE for updates and pic of the car!

Jason.... Your Theme..... The Red Baron...

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

Hmmmmmm, You're going have to do better than that Dave, Dunno if that will really go well! LOL

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Click HERE for updates and pic of the car!

Sure why not???? You'll stand out for sure... Iron cross on the each rear fender, Stick a couple .50 caliber mach. guns on the hood near the windshield, gun sight on the dash.. Add avaition type working gauges to your pillar pods...... Custom design a 3 wing spoiler for the trunk, and dress up like a WW! fighter pilot when you go to car shows... I can just see the reaction you will get when you take it to a " Wings & Wheels " CAR SHOW.... Hahahhahaha

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

LMAO, Dave I believe you may need therapy! LOL Just playin, but you're crazy man!

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Click HERE for updates and pic of the car!

Yup I'm Crazy Dave....

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

so you suggest we all have a theme for our cars if we're heading to car shows?

hrm... is white/red a theme?

Yes it is suggested. It helps to place at some show where the judges look for themes.. A well thought out theme will net you extra points.


And YES red & white can be considered a theme as long as you coordinate it right.

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

hrm... red and white... i've got red/black decals running down the side, and working on a white/red engine bay theme... don't know what else to do though....

You know... Coca Cola stuff is red and white.... Maybe you can think of something else you like that is red & white......

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

hey Gearhead, hope you don't mind but I copied this guide for use on one of my other car sites. Linked back here though so i gave credit where I saw it was due.

It's fine as long as the name and link stays with it.

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Mr. Dave
1989 Turbo Grand Prix Clone
2000 Daytona 500 Pace Car #1134
1997 Cadillac Seville STS

Dude, what's wrong about Baron von Richtoffen und der Flying Circus? How about Eddie Rickenbacker while we're at it lol...? My theme: Unterseebooten. No not really, apparently it's just however it goes really. Emo car, varying shades of gray...

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2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.