To you guys that go to car shows, how do you get about detailing your car? any tips or tricks that might make it easier to get that show winning shine and make your v6 stand out?

just thought that this might be a good resource for info.

 

Spend an entire day to two days detailing your car.

Wash the car with a quality soap
Claybar the entire car first, do not miss anything - not even the door or trunk jams. Repeat x2
Then use a polishing wax, usually with a buffer. Repeat x2
Then use a sealant wax like AutoGlym HD wax. Repeat as needed

Remove the headlights to be sure that you got all dirt from behind them, clean the headlights as needed.

Detail the hell out of your engine bay.

That way I did mine was to remove the intake tube, coil pack, plug wires and wrap electrical in plastic.

Use a Foaming engine degreaser (gel sucks) and a small power washer to blast oil away.
I did mine three times.

Try not to get the degreaser on the paint, you will want to detail that by has as best as you can.

Clean the parts that you removed.

When done I took a shop vac and taped a 3' section of garden hose to the end and used it as a high pressure blower to blow all water that could be left off the engine and out of any little cracks it was hiding.

I dried mine so well that I didnt have the usual startup problems that some have with electrical getting wet.

Take the rear wheels off and using a quality mild detergant like dawn dish soap with a hand brush, scrub out the wheel wells. You will find they are actually NOT black.

You can do the same to the front, but they are black and dirt isnt as easily seen.

You probably wont have to worry about the under chassis in this show so you can skip this step.

While the wheels are off be sure to clean both sides and the rubber as well, polish or wax the wheels. Check your lug nuts for damage or rust and replace if needed.

Clean your brakes well while the wheels are off and clean the strut tubes and A-Arms.


On to the interior.

Remove the front and rear seats as well as the console and center bezel.

Clean those to perfection.

Vacuume the interior, dust everything down, steam clean it a couple times, let it dry.

Put everything back in.

Dont forget the trunk either.

Use a good protectant on your dash and plastic parts like. I like Meguires natural shine myself. Use a cloth that doesnt shed fibers.



MMmmmm, I think thats about it.

It should take 1 to 2 days to complete everything.

 

Oh yeah, if your antenna is like mine its probably shed some of its black paint.

Be sure to touch it up with black high gloss paint if it has.

 

Wow. And that only takes you a day? I'm impressed.

 

I just wash my car and clean the interior and call it good.

But this year Im gonna be different and do what Neo said.

 

Fink, your cars unique color will really pop with that treatment too.

AutoGlym make metalics and flake look deep and pop like crazy.

 

It already pops with just regular wax, I really wanna see what it looks like after a good cut and polish.

 

pshh i usually do mine in an hour or so. mostly cuz mine gets the hose most mornings and the interior gets cleaned out constantly.

 

Is yours DD?

 

yea i just don't let it go, and i live down a dirt road. just keep up with the cars condition after a good cleaning like that and you will do less work later.