In September I am thinking about entering a large Corvette show. This is my problem. I have never entered a show before and was wondering what I should do to my car if I enter. I have a white, stock 99 coupe. The only thing I plan to do before the show is paint the calipers red. Other than that she is stock. I need recomendations on how to clean the engine erea and anything you think will help my chances of winning one of the hundreds of prizes. I am going to this show to look at other vetts and to have fun but it would be really neat if I could take something home with me. Any help would be great. You folks on this forum know EVERYTHING about these cars.

 

Wax on - wax off.

Bare bone stock cars do well in car shows - better than modded in many cases of judged events. Cleanliness counts.

At "shine and show" events it's usually a popularity contest.

Good luck and just have fun.

 

hey Cajun what do you know about wax on wax off? Only kidding, did you fix that screen?

 

Clean the inside and out, as best as you can or want to, pay attention to all the detail areas (everywhere), now do the same for the outside, and underside after that, forget the politics or judging woes of car shows, and have fun!!

 

At almost any car show, cleanliness is king. Pay careful attention to the interior, the wheels/fender well area, and of course the engine bay. If your engine compartment is not too bad, some Simple Green on a rag might do. Otherwise, you may have to spray it directly on the engine and then use low pressure water to get it off. Be careful not to get too much water in the electronics - the car could go crazy.

A good wax job just before the show will make it really shine. Windows should be as clean as possible and you may want to put some kind of dressing on the hoses.

Good luck - car shows can be a lot of fun but the are a lot of work.

 

Detail detail detail........

 

Dressing on the tires, too.

 

Can't help much on the do's and don'ts, but good luck and enjoy.

 

I agree with everything said above - I might add make sure you clean the barrels of the wheels (i.e.; the insides). You'll more than likely have to raise up the car and taken them off. Painting the calipers is a good idea. Make sure all the door jambs, underhood areas and under the rear deck lid is very clean. Try some vinyl and rubber treatment on all of the rubber weatherstrips and hoses.

Personally - I don't care for the real shiny wet look - low luster looks best to me. Glass should be sparkling clean - I like how vinegar and water, using newpaper to wipe it off makes the glass look streak free.

Best of luck to you....I hope you bring home some hardware!

 

I seen at some shows they use a judging sheet and a point system. What is typically on it?

 

In addition to all the other fantastic recommendations, also be sure to clean the A/C vents and around the misc. dash components. I use a soft bristle paint brush lightly dampened with Zaino Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer... it works wonders and smells good too

Good luck and have fun!

 

OK. Here's some more specifics.

Exterior: I don't want to debate which wax is best, and you can look in the Car Care section for comments on that, but no matter which you use, clean the seams, lettering, around head lights and hood for any excess. A toothbrush works fine but remember that auto wax tastes like crud so don't mix them up afterwards.

I've found that Stoner's Invisible Glass does the best job on glass. No streaks and really nice shine. Be sure to do inside and out.

Do clean your wheel wells. It helps to also spray them with a tire prep as some judges will run their hands under there and they might as well get get their hands slicked up for doing that. Again, I like the Stoner's Trim and Shine for tires, hoses, and the front air dam, too.

Inside - again look at the Car Care section. Personally, I like Stoner's Trim and I just tried out the NXT Vinyl and I like it, too. Clean every nook and cranny including behind the seats. NO DUST should be visible.

Engine Bay: Yep. Ya gotta do that, too. Compressed air helps blow out the dust, but go over all visible plastic with a prep as mentioned for the interior. You can use a tire prep on the hoses.

OOH YEAH's mag red is fairly stock, but he keeps it immaculately clean and wins his share of prizes. There's also a white coupe here in Jax that seems to be a constant winner, too.

Just enjoy the day. Sometimes there isn't any understanding of who wins or doesn't. But you'll see some neat cars, pick up some good tips, and maybe come home with an award. Your car will be nice and sparkly anyway.

 

Watch where you park. Stay out of high traffic areas. Some people have no respect. I got a big scratch years ago from a stroller or something. Kids with toys, bikes, adults with purses. You have to really watch your car and other peoples cars as well.

 

What type of show is it?
Is it just Vettes...if so is it NCCC or NCRS. You can find this out by looking up the club name. Reply back to this and I will see if I can find out.
NCCC rules are fair....the judges are not always on the same agenda.
Bottom line is if you can see it it needs to be cleaned,before a show I spend about 15 hours cleaning then another 2-3 at the show itself.
Being your first I would say go and ask questions or follow a judge around to see what he/she is looking for.
If it is peoples choice arward then someone with a car that really stands out for some reason or someone with a large club will win

 

Just clean your car up, go and enjoy the cars and people!!

 

clean clean clean and then clean it again