Gents -

OK, this may not be as serious as not being able to start your car or brakes not braking, but - just curious ...

You guys with "show quality" cars or there abouts, what do you do to keep them looking good for shows and car meets? Other than washing, polishing and waxing once a week? (The last one ain't gonna happen here.)

Seems like if I leave the car outside for a few seconds, there's a layer of dust/pollen on it, with the odd spattering of tree sap and bird doo... And yes, the Charger is black, and that does sorta compound the problem.

I've seem people at shows and meets do everything from just wiping the car down with microfiber cloth (usually what I do), to using a feather duster, to spraying with one of those "instant" detailers (liquid wax in a highly volatile medium) or even actually polishing the thing at the meet.

So, any tricks?

Tks

Archer

 

i usually wash the car and then use the eagle one wax as you dry, then mothers polish on the chrome the morning of the show or meet then when i get to the spot i wipe it down with a california duster usually takes like an hour or so to get it done and ready

 

Water NEVER touches both my '64 GTO and my '65 300 'vert. The Goat is covered in the garage and the 300 is covered with a weatherproof cover outside. I would park the 300 in the garage but it is too long to fit. I use a California Duster on both along with Quick Detailer (whatever brand I have) whenever I take them out and put them away. I occasionally take an orbital buffer to them (maybe twice a year). They both look great and I have never had any issues detailing them this way.

 

Washing with water and a good automotive car wash is very impotant. There are airborne contaminants that reach areas you are not cleaning with a detail spray.

 

Crazy -

I agree, there's too much "stuff" than can stick to wax (more so than sealant) not to, and polishing over it can do more harm than good.

Speaking of washing, kinda raises another question. Which washes will remove wax and which won't? Sometimes it's a good idea to remove the old wax, like when you're doing a full cleaning and which ones don't (if there are any), when you're doing more of a quick touch up? The old stand-by for a full clean up was Dawn dish washing liquid.

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about Concurs quality "contest queens", but cars that do see road time, but still need to look good on occasion .

Thanks,

Archer

 

Possibly, but I've been taking car of my cars this way for close to 10 years now without any issues. Many hobbyists here in So Cal care for their rides in the same manner without any ill effects.

 

just for shows
i wet down an area a little bit with a rung out wet rag
then use a shamy cloth over that area till it is completely dry
for and crome, i was it a little bit, then use mothers spray polish on them

 

I have washed my cuda once when i got 4 years ago it then waxed it with cleaner wax then did a final wax with a good carnuba wax. I have waxed it several times since with a carnuba wax. Washing is a damp towel then a polishing cloth to dry all this is on a driver paint job. I've done all my pervious cars this way with out problems. My cuda is stored in a garage covered. My daily drivers get a wash when it's not going to rain the next week and waxed every 4 months or so. Here in florida it's the rainy season so a good detailing don't happen till fall.

 

Couldnt blame you.. the water down in that area isn't the greatest.

Myself, I wash the car. Wipe down with a shammy, then use Mcguiers cleaner wax or some Turtle wax spray. Depends on the car..

Also use some chrome polishing once in a while on the centerlines and mothers "back to black" on the tires. That stuff works good for tires...

Get to a show, it gets another wipe down with turtle wax

 

From a different point of view. We wash the race cars when we got home from the race. Put it in the garage on jack stands and dry it all and clean the windows. Vaccum the inside and put the car cover on it... If we don't have much pm work to do we just put on the Battery Tender and we are done... When we get ready to go back racing we just uncover and load the car and when at the track we will use one of the spray detailers on the painted surfaces.. We will dress the tires before we leave home that way its well dried when we get to the track... I wax my car no more than twice per race season. Now we have almost 10 or 11 months of racing down here. Use a good carnuba wax and give it a good once over...... Makeing sure we get the chrome and the wheels as well...... Our cars NEVER see rain or at least very little... If it starts to rain we pull them inside the trailer or under the awning... They don't sit out in the sun very long either.....

 

i think the sun is more harmfull then rain, jmo

 

definetly

 

First i take a shovel and a garden hoe and get most of the larger clumps of mud off, then I take it to the local car was and bring a big bag of quarters. If i have enough time I spray water in every place i can. This includes down the cowl and the drains under the doors.