[Shotimes] SHOw

[Bill Strobel]

   I will be in charge of the judging for the Car SHOw
again this year.  As such I thought I would give out
some helpful hints. 
    First off I always get asked the question Are you
really going to judge the under-carriage and
suspension?  The simple answer is yes we really are. 
I dont know why guys have a problem keeping the
underside as clean as the topside when it really isnt
all that hard a job.  The easiest thing to do is put
the car on 4 jack stands in your driveway, remove all
the wheels, spray Simple Green in all the wheel wheels
and all over the suspension and floor pan, wait 10-15
min rinse with a hose repeat as necessary.  After the
spray use Simple Green and a rag to remove any
difficult spots and youre done.  It really is that
simple.  Pay particular attention to the floor pan and
the part of the rocker panel that curls under, out of
site.  
   Dirt:  There is a difference between new dirt and
old dirt.  I know a lot of guys are driving their cars
to the convention and most are coming a long distance.
 New dirt accumulated on the trip will not be cause
for you to lose points while dirt that has been there
since the car left Atlanta will be cause to lose
points.  The idea being you can clean your car at
home, drive it to the show with just a minor clean-up
in the parking lot and you should be good to go. 
While you are cleaning your car look for the hidden
dirt, the more you can remove the better your score
the higher your award.  Car Shows are 90% about
cleanliness.  A clean average car will always do
better than a dirty car that may be of higher quality.
 Your labor and attention to detail is what is being
rewarded with your car being the platform that it is
displayed on.  Its like the driving events, it is
more the skill of the driver than it is the go fast
stuff and the modifications made.  A good driver
behind the wheel of a stock car may out perform an
average driver no matter what mods he has on the car. 

   Interior:  Over the years I have seen some nice
cars not get their due, due to poor preparation of the
interior.  Again it is all about cleanliness and
preparation.  First off look at the interior at
eye-level, by that I mean kneel down at the door so
you are at eye level with the dash.  Here you can see
a lot of dirt that is missed if you just look in the
door normally.  Pay particular attention to the
brackets by the brake release, the carpet, and the
pedals.  All of these areas should be clean,
especially the carpet and pedals.  Remove all of the
deep dirt from the carpet, clean the pedal pads (get
the stones out from the grooves), take a rag, and wipe
down all the dusty areas.  Check down by the seat
between the seat and door sill, move the seat all the
way back and forward and clean the newly exposed
areas.  Do the same for the back and the passenger
side.  Check all of the crevices in the dash and
remove any dust and dirt found.  I always use a 1
paint brush and it cleans it right up.  One area that
is particularly hard to clean is the parcel shelf
behind the rear seat.  The material used to cover this
area is really hard to clean as it really holds pieces
of trash and lint.  I have found a lint roller, lint
brush, or just some tape wrapped around your hand
works good in this area.  Another trick I use when
traveling to a show is to use newspaper to cover the
carpet after cleaning it at home.  I just use 4-6
double pages of newspaper in each foot well spread out
for maximum door sill to console coverage.  On SHOw
day I just remove the paper clean the pedal pads and
bingo the floor is done.  You can clean the interior
at home and travel and have it looking clean when you
get there with a little planning.
   Engine Compartment:  Get it clean, the cleaner the
better.  Again Simple Green and a rag work really good
here.  There is no substitute for elbow grease.  If
you cant get somewhere to clean remove something that
is in the way so you can get to it.  A paint stirrer
works well for getting the rag into crevices too small
for your hand to fit in.  Pay particular attention up
by the headlights and around the left and right front
corners.  Time spent here pays big dividends in extra
points.  
   Windows:  This is another area where I have seen
really nice cars fall down.  The glass should be clean
inside and out.  I know its tough but it can be done.
 The outside is easy; its the inside of the glass
that causes problems.  You need to remove the streaks
from the inside of the windows.  The easiest way to do
this is to use the light.  The easiest time of day is
when the sun is over head this way when you look up
through the windshield or back glass you can see the
streaks easily.  The side windows are fairly easy. 
Any cleaner will do everyone has their favorites most
of the time I just use a damp rag and dry.  Only the
toughest grease needs a cleaner.  Once you can see the
streaks they come off easily with just a little
rubbing.  The insides of the glass can be done at home
before the trip and then in the parking lot just touch
it up with a damp rag and dry.  Oh the above interior
tips only apply if you are traveling without children.
 All bets are off if you have kids in the car.  I feel
your pain and will be available to help detail cars
Sunday night and all day Monday.  Hope this helps see
you all at the SHOw. 

Bill Strobel
Fayetteville, NC
1992 Ex-Police Unit White/Gray Cloth
1993 MTX White/Blk Leather All Stock!         
     



		
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