It's showtime

B

boywonder

New member
This is the situation. There is an all-car meet sponsored by the local Stratus club. Last year, I went as a spectator since I did not know what was happening. But this year, I intend on going as a participant. They give a variety of awards and quite frankly, I want to take home the award for cleanest car.



Bear in mind that this is my everyday car but I want her to look very nice for the show.



This is what's going to happen (yeah, this is going to take a minute)



Clean and detail wheelwells with EF HI

Wash with Gold Class or EF Powerwash

Clay with Clay Magic

Swirl Removal with 3M SMR

Polish with Klasse AIO 2x

Glaze with Klasse Sealant Glaze 3x

Top w/ Pinnacle Souveran

Full interior shampoo

Clean and treat vinyl with Lexol Leather Cleaner and 303

Give the VQ35DE a bath using EF Citrus Degreaser

Polish headlight and taillight lenses using 3M and Plexus

Polish glass with Z-12



I need to know if there is anything I am missing for this level of detail.
 
Looks like a good list to me!



For the wheels wells I highly recommend the Griots Undecarriage as a finishing touch and PigSpit (Found at Harley Dealers) if you have a great deal of painted surfaces in the wheel wells.



What about the engine? Is it already clean? If you want THE cleanest car make sure you cover all your bases......and don't forget the trunk and door jambs!



Good luck, sounds like a fun show.:)
 
a) I have been looking at the Griot's Undercarriage spray and wondered about it. Is it pretty easy to use?



b) The engine is not too bad but could stand to be cleaned. Even the air filter is going to be cleaned (It's a K&N).
 
Griots Undercarriage:



Since your already going through the trouble of cleaning the wheel wells all you will have to do is spray it on and let it dry.:cool:



Doesn't get much better than that!



Good luck and take a few pics.
 
PrinzII- Yeah, try the Griot's Undercarriage Spray :xyxthumbs . I'm a little more wary of getting it somewhere I don't want it than is MBZ 500E, though. Thus I do a good bit of my applying with a cloth or sponge rather than spraying it. DON'T expect it to just wash right out of the cloth though!
 
Griots UCS is great stuff. You won't be disapponted. I use it all the time on my show car in the wheel wells.
 
Accumulators right you definitely don't want to get this stuff everywhere.



If you get it on your paint be sure to wipe it off immediately (a good QD works perfect) Also it's a PITA to get off of the driveway, I covered mine with plastic but still managed to get a little on the cement, 3 weeks later you can still see it there.:doh Note that both of these warnings are on the back of the bottle so just follow the directions.



As I said in my earlier post I also used Pigspit on some of the wheel wells since it works better on the painted surfaces and provides a uniform finish.
 
PrinzII said:
..........I need to know if there is anything I am missing for this level of detail.
Click to expand...



Well it heavily depends on the judging rules. It would help to know these before hand.



It also depends on how tough the competition is as well. In some events the judges check for dust and dirt in every corner and anywhere they can get their fingers. Some of the items that catch newbies include:



Grease in door and trunk locks

Dust on the underside of doors....dust in door rubber

Door jams as previously mentioned

Dirt/grease/dust on the underside of anywhere in the engine...especially hoses

Water spots in any panel cracks

Wax residue on the edge of any panel

Dust behind the number plate



....and dust anywhere that is the result of a short drive! I truley belive the key is not what you do before an event, but what you do after you arrive (and prior to judging). Just getting to the event will get dust and dirt in strange places.
 
I might order the UCS. I also am going to get my paws on some jack stands because I know that I am going to need them for this.



I think I am going to check the rules as well. :D
 
One question about GCS. The Maxima's fender linings are actually plastic. Will this have any adverse effects on them?



BTW, I have until August. :D
 
No problem using the Griots UCS on plastic, part of my fenderwalls are plastic as well and it worked extremely well. If you do buy some definitely bring it to the show and spray your wells when you arrive, it will help remove any surface residue the tires kick up on the drive to the show.



Good luck, you have plenty of time.
 
Try the AIO on your headlight and taillight lenses. Probably one of the best one step products out there for any piece of exterior trim. Worked marvels on my 8 yer old Honda.
 
If I were you I would start on it today, keep her in the garage. Work on it ever night, And you should be good to go in a few months. I worked for 3 months for an indoor show a few years ago, I was a fun ride... Nuthing better than winning ;)
 
I agree with Redcar Guy, definitely don't wait until a month before the event to start working on the car.



If the car is your daily driver you can start by cleaning the engine bay, trunk, door jambs, gasketing and interior. Keep the exterior and undercarriage clean, about two weeks before the show take your wheels off and scrub the wheel wells and dress them. Make sure you maintain them if the car is driven. Make sure you also focus on the trim areas where dirt builds up, get some Q-Tips and toothpicks to get these very tight areas (It's the details that count)
 
I think I am going to do this in stages. The most challenging aspect is going to be the headliner because it is a very light gray and there are stains on it.



I want to attack it with EF Spot Remover to get rid of it and then use the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.



But I also need to additional tools like swabs for the interior because of the myriad of cracks and crevices in the Maxima.
 
I use Blue Corals Dry Clean for my headliner and all interior carpet. I've used it on many many vehicles and have never had a problem with fading. Give it a try (Small area first just to be safe) it should do the job.



Q-Tips and Medical Swabs were my best friend especially in the engine bay. They also work great when applying protectant to exterior window seals and trim.



Keep us posted on your progress.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top