Attention: People who have entered their rides in car shows or gurus on keeping their ride in tip-top shape!!! Your opinions and suggestions needed!

What does an average Lancer owner need to know to keep their car in the best Show & Shine condition, i.e. preparing for a car show?

What products should be used to make it into showroom state? What do you recommend are the best brands? Waxing the whole car necessary? What are the do's and don't's? What are the essentials to making it clean, keeping it clean? Yadda, Yadda, etc., etc......

Discuss and share anything of this sort that will help us achieve a super clean, eye-catching, carshow winning Lancer !

 

Ralph, u planning on entering in HIN?

 

to be honest, anything i've ever done for the cars i've entered (not the lancer, lols) is a spray-on cleaner (no clue what its called my buddy picks them up for me)...you spray and wipe with a cloth that wont scratch and when you get to the show you do it again (i do it twice a day for the 2 days before the show)...

never entered a show fer prizes, just the local shows...all have been for audio shows...so not as big a deal, i guess..

OK, so im not a huge help, or a help at all...

BUT, I am curious as to how the pros do it

 

OKai... Ive been entering shows for the past 5 years...ive only won 1 trouphy my family total of 5..this is what i do... first.. keep the car garaged all the time..never let the car get to0 dirty... youll be surprise how clean your car will look with just using a spay bottle with water every now and then.... clean interior and wax it the day before ROLL IN & clean behind the wheels and under side skirts.. i like to use mothers or meguires... clean as much as you can during roll in.. bring a good spray bottle with water.. get the spray wax detailer and use that the day of the show... i also use armor all for the dash.and leather.. make sure you wipe off the dust first with a semi-moist towel..
I hope this helps a little.. if anything PM me.. i wil help you with anything you want.. if you want we can clean are car together someday.. lol
~mark

 

Day before you leave or morning of:
Use Mr.Clean Auto dry car wash, just because of the polymer soap, nothing really sticks to your car and it shines good. I use it and even dry it even though you don't have to. Before drying, while still wet, spray some spray detailer on it (kind like Wax as you dry or something) and dry the car. Wax the car. Even use the spray detailer again, if you really are crazy, but not needed.

When arrived:
bring car wash wipes and glass cleaner wipes (I think armorall makes them), some towels (terry cloths), the spray detailer so you can shine it up. The wipes actually work pretty good and help it shine.

Good spots to hit:
-Inside wheels wells (black plastic pieces). Just clean real good and use the spray detailer (or maybe even some tire shine and it will gloss it up.
-under side skirts
-body parts right behind wheels (most dirt buildup there)
-shine your muffler and tip! Mothers makes good chrome wax

 

Use Crinkled Newspaper and windex on ur windows... that stuff works MIRACLES!

 

What do you do with the newspaper? You don't wipe the windows with it do you? I've never seen that before..

 

haha like the REALLY annoying hobos do in big cities. haha! smmooooth

 

Newspaper is really thick and it will actually take all the dirt out your windshield without damaging the glass. Is great for removing bugs...

 

whoa...home remedies for cleaning our cars. Maybe I'll do a spit shine...I hear those really get that gleam in the paint .

I really want to! Rims are coming in soon and I got my kit on, so i think why not? It's gonna be a new experience for me though. I could use some pointers from Mark.

I can't keep my car in a garage cuz there's no room. If i did i would have to do it like that guy in the commerical who squeezed his car in with all his junk. Besides, I've been to some ghetto car shows <cough>Traxion<cough>...and some rides in there were so messed up i.e. kit falling off, etc. that my ride ain't even close to being that bad.

 

you went to traxion!! .. yeah it sucked..they didnt have a MItsubishi catergory!!! they had hyundai but no mitsu!! LAME... you should of said hello yo ! .. my car was there.. but yeah newspapers work wonders on windows.. just for the fact that it absorbs everything and doesnt streak what so ever... but yea.. let me know if you really want to enter HIN .. I heard registration is full.. but ill see if I can TRY to squeeze you in with me.. and i dont pay anything so you might not have to either.. .. ive been trying to get more lancer show there cars at HIN... so far its been just my boy chris, me, and this clean looking black one.. with Gold advan imatation.. slammed to the ground... def. PM me.. and ill see what i can do.. I wont have my car for the next week and half... so i can help clean yours.. lol .. okai ive been talking to0 much ill go now..
~mark

pix from traxion.. (sucked)

 

qtlancer what kind of wheels are those? they look awesome!

 

You can always spray some Black magic Tire or interior Shine In your engine bay to shine it up. Wax the night before(That way you will have time to see anything you missed). California duster's are good, buy one and use it.

 

racing hart c5 .... thankx... im gonna take them off after this season i want to get either volk or Work for nx year
~mark

 

Qtlancer ---> your ride looks as good in pix as it does in person ~! Can't wait to see that again!