i've never entered one before, first one will be june '09, wanted to get everyone's opinion on what appearance adds to get?
i can't decide between "decking" out the engine or the interior?

engine would be vista blue painted everything, radiator cover, ext, plenum,fuel rails, etc.

interior would be complete dash kit, blue, all billet *****, and new floor mats

or should i do a mix of the two?
thanks for any input

 

it is not just about add ons, a bone stock car can win... make sure you have a first aid kit and a fire exstinguisher in the car... and clean it up good! just do a few of both.

 

I won third place at my first show this summer. Judges told me they liked how my car was super clean.

Don't forget the details. Clean and wax door jams, spotless glass & mirrors, empty and vacuum trunk, clean engine and bring your detail spray and tire shine to the event to touch up when you get there.

Good luck!

 

Chrome,lots of chrome under the hood. But consider this, most folks that tour a car show only see a car for about 5 minutes. Interior upgrades are a must and clean the glass on the inside as not to show any streaks.The lighting(or sunlight) on dirty glass can really distort and ruin a nice polish job on your paint. If your scoring for points,clean anything you can touch that the judges can't see.I'm serious. I've judged a lot of shows and check the the wheel wells,rocks in the tires,dirt and grime on the other side of the tires so pull your wheels and eliminate the dirt.Spend time under the whole car and clean it thoroughly.Its a pia but scoring points is key and score them where they can add up. I spend the winter months washing my undercarriage a little at a time and check every angle where dirt is visible or not. Get a second pair of eyes to check your work.Good luck and rack up as many points as possible.
I've won over 180 trophies and awards since 1985.I've won showing Chevies,Mopars,Fords and even Ramblers.This 67'Rebel was my all time trophy stud,25 awards in five years.

 

Listen to Poco. Also depends on the competition and size of the event.

I'll take this opportunity to plug our site sponsor Obsessive Detail.
Used Justin's Wet Wax before the show to make my torch red pop.

 

i won best of show at my highschool car show ha

 

everything should flow together nicely. nothing that sticks out. clean everywhere!

 

If you enter car shows with the intent of winning, you will be sorely disappointed. Look at it as... a great day outside and spending time with other people that share the obsession. If you win something it makes the day that much better.

 

you don't have to over do it, alittle bit of each can go a long way when it comes to the over all appearance...

 

Ok, here is the best advice you will ever get when your looking to win at shows. "Check out the local shows your planing on showing at and see which cars are winning and which ones are not." The area you are showing in has a lot to do with if your car will do good or not at a show. Then you need to look at what type of show is it? Who is judging? Is it a popular vote? All these factors is what will determent how you setup your car. Do your research first and once you find out what the keys to winning in your area are you can start building your car to win. A clean car that flows wins, flow is very important you don't want mods that look like you ran down to pep-boy's and slapped them on your car. Your mods should look like the belong on your car and add to the over all look of your car. Stick to one color set that matchs and don't go over board with it.

Good luck your your build