I’m posting this as a help guide for any of you who may want to try entering cars shows for the 1st time.
If any of you other car show veterans have any other tips to add to this thread feel free to do so the more we can help the better!
1. Clean and detail any and every part of your car cleanliness is the biggest thing at shows. (No trash, leaves or pine needles in the wiper cowl area, paper, trash on the floor from the value meal you ate on the way to the show).
2. Car shows have two audiences
A. The judge(s) for a while looking at and scoring your car, tell them about your car, anything to help them understand the car’s history, daily driven, custom mods, if you do the mods your self, etc, etc.
B. Then there are people who come to the show the “crowds” of people. To recognize your car and work, take pictures, ask questions, shake hands, or they have a car like yours and want to know how to mod their car the same or information on it.
3. Show your entire car, open up the hood, doors and trunk.
4. Having a mod sheet and car stats is good to have I make one for each show and is it up to date w/what I have I the car at the moment and I use some picture frames and set in front of my car.
5. Put a super thin coat of armoral on the side wall and the tire tread so the tires are nice and black and shiny. (I also spray Armoral up in the fender wells for a nice black look).
6. Take a cleaning supply bag w/any cleaning stuff in it so when you get to the show you have stuff do any last minute wiping down or cleaning.
7. Let your seats back and have them even both driver and passenger. Turn your steering wheel straight.
8. Watch for kids and people wanting to touch and sit in your car.
9. Be polite as possible about questions and be as knowledgeable about your car because you never know what questions you might get asked.
10. Pick a good parking spot and park straight, watch for trees, ant beds etc, etc.
11. Pre-Register if possible so when you get to the show it will be easier and faster to get in and get setup.
12. Try to get to the show early to get a good parking spot and setup.
13. Your ride only can be or look it’s best for that show date if you show off your rides full potential.
14. Whatever your car’s highlights are show them (engine, interior, custom trunk, air bags, paint, etc, etc,(mine is my audio/video setup I play movies all day at shows)
15. Also if you are unsure about your car just go to a show just for the experience and just look around to see what it’s like. You never know unless you try.
16. Win Or Lose keep a good attitude about the experience.
17. Have fun, at the end of the day win or lose, all the hand shakes, mad props, and pictures taken of you ride and the respect you’ve gained is worth more than a trophy all of my trophies are on a trophy case collecting dust (my kids play w/some of them) but my day to day dealings with people is what counts, I keep my attitude humble and I take it all in stride! When you got to a show and see a very nice ride then meet the owner and he/she is rude, or “over” confident about their ride it changes your attitude about the car, on the other hand if you see a very nice ride and the owner is humble and down to earth and calm about answering questions you like and respect the car and the owner even more. I try to be the nice guy w/the nice ride.
18. Walk around the car to check every angle to make sure it looks good from all angles.
I have been showing my Maxima for 5 years and I have over 40 Trophies for my efforts.
(I’m thinking about retiring my Maxima and buying a 99-04 Black Ford Mustang Gt, I sent off my last Maxima payment today woo hoo!).
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