I am entering my Fiero in the COFE/Sertoma show on September 8th. I am not planning on winning anything as my car has too many mods to be in the stock class, but not enough mods for the custom class to care. But I still would like to turn a few heads, anyone have some ideas? What can I do the clean up my car to make it stand out. I am looking for cheap or free things to address, for example last night I took out my moldy looking dog bone and I am repainting it silver, actually I may go red or black, I am not sure. Any often overlooked areas I could clean up?

Wheel wells nice and black. Repaint with vinyl paint if you have to.

Meguiars the finish, 1,2,3 and show glaze.

Clean very thoroughly and polish the stainless steel. Make sure your spark plug wires look fresh. I've used Meguiars Vinyl Restorer and also Convertable top cleaner.

That's a start

Arn

My paint is in good shape and I wax it often, but I have some swirl marks, what is the best way to get the swirls out of the paint?

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: I am entering my Fiero in the COFE/Sertoma show on September 8th. I am not planning on winning anything as my car has too many mods to be in the stock class, but not enough mods for the custom class to care. But I still would like to turn a few heads, anyone have some ideas? What can I do the clean up my car to make it stand out. I am looking for cheap or free things to address, for example last night I took out my moldy looking dog bone and I am repainting it silver, actually I may go red or black, I am not sure. Any often overlooked areas I could clean up?

Not that I'm any kind of expert at show cars by any means, but having spent a lot of time photographing cars at lots of concours events and classic car shows, the single most important thing is CLEAN, CLEAN CLEAN. Some of the cars that draw the most attention aren't necessarily those with mega dollars in mods or paint, but those that show attention to every possible detail. You don't need to spend a lot to replace worn hoses, belts, wires etc.
Make sure your brake rotor centers and outside edges are free of rust, (clean em down with a rotary wire brush in a drill, mask and paint em...same goes for your calipers)
Spend a lot of time cleaning engine and other visible wiring with lacquer thinner and q-tips...people won't remark"Wow, what clean wires", but the overall effect of clean, colored electrical wiring is amazing.
Replace old cracked corrugated wire covers and re-wrap any loose electrical tape.
Rusty,corroded bolts and nuts are your enemy. You can clean and paint parts to you hearts content, but if all your fasteners look like crud it's almost wasted effort.
Take the clear lenses out of your instrument panel and aux gage panel, (if you have it), and polish them with Meguiars plastic cleaner and polish. Make em look like "glass"
Clean and paint your seat tracks and replace the nuts holding them to the floor. It's one of the first things you see when you open the door on a Fiero and they are easy to take care of.
Try to eliminate any odors inside the car or in the trunk. Even if they look spotless and yet still smell like old gym socks, motor oil or left over fast food, it has a negative effect.
Clean the insides of your exhaust tips with #0000 steel wool and mineral spirits, then polish them as clean as you can.

I'll think of a lot more later......

I think it might be a Japanese saying, (not sure where I heard it from), but it's: "God is in the details".

Just detail the hell out of it. Everything you can possibly imagine to clean, polish, paint or make look nice and then go enjoy the show.

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 08-24-2007).]

Alright well today I painted the dog done, trunk side spark plug sheilds, and that little braket that hold the plug wired red. My calipers are red already. I lost my lug key to get the wheels off, so I am taking it to the dealer to get the taken off for $20 then getting new lugs from a member. I have black mesh wheels so it is hard to see the face of the rotor. I also painted that metal hold down thing on the coil black like stock, mine was a bit surface rusty. I also painted the heat sheild it sits on silver. My intake manifold is looking kind of crappy, what is the best matching paint for the intake manfold? I am not painting the vavle covers so I need it as close as possible. I have been degreasing as much as possible, I am thinking about spraying de-greaser on the tranny and hosing it off, what pre-cautions do I need to take to do that.

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: Alright well today I painted the dog done, trunk side spark plug sheilds, and that little braket that hold the plug wired red. My calipers are red already. I lost my lug key to get the wheels off, so I am taking it to the dealer to get the taken off for $20 then getting new lugs from a member. I have black mesh wheels so it is hard to see the face of the rotor. I also painted that metal hold down thing on the coil black like stock, mine was a bit surface rusty. I also painted the heat sheild it sits on silver. My intake manifold is looking kind of crappy, what is the best matching paint for the intake manfold? I am not painting the vavle covers so I need it as close as possible. I have been degreasing as much as possible, I am thinking about spraying de-greaser on the tranny and hosing it off, what pre-cautions do I need to take to do that.

Just keep your ignition parts and other electricals dry when spraying off the degreaser, especially if you're using a pressure sprayer.

Another thought from what you just described:
Be very careful in using different colors all over your engine bay. Black and silver are basic good choices, but using too many different bright colors everywhere can look trashy.
If the car show is a "ricer" event then almost anything that makes your engine bay look like the carnival just arrived in town is OK, but for most anywhere else, keeping it clean, simple and professional looking goes a long way. That being said, personal preferences are just that, so I'm just offering my personal observations.

I recommend a light coating of "tire shine" wiped on the tires with a sponge not just sprayed on. It gives a lower gloss and gives the tires that new look. The same applys to the rubber hoses in the front compartment and around the engine.
The black plastic grill/cover between the windshield and the front compartment should be very clean and treated with an Armorall type of stuff to make it dark (tire black/shine works here too) and evenly colored. There's a lot of nooks and crannies on it so you'll need your q-tips.
Clean the ends of the doors and the door jambs.
If you still have the black fiberglass insulation in the engine compartment, make sure it's neatly trimmed and as clean as you can get it.
Clean the under side of the front hood (get the bugs off the under side of the headlight doors) and the deck lid.

Do you get the idea that clean is important?
Bring your cleaning supplies to the show with you so you can touch it up after you get there. Store them in a neat bag that you can place in the trunk

Since this is your first show arrive early and watch what the others are doing to their cars. When they announce the winners try to get a look at their cars before they leave.

A lot depends on how the show is judged. If it is individual judges they should judge by a "set" standard. If it is "participant" judgeing it often turns into a political (scratch my back, I'll scratch yours) game, some Ford guys won't vote for a GM cars and vica versa, or a club decides in advance who in their club will get their votes. But it is still fun.

I have placed in many shows on the local and national level. I can't agree more with randye more about clean and detail.

Most shows are based on detail and how clean a car is. It just takes a lot of work and time but once you get their it is easy to maintain.

Also how you do at shows is also based on how your car is built and what shows you attend.

Skip popular vote as most times it is who has the most friends.

2 seat sports car classes are normally good I have been up against everything from a MG to a Lambo and done very well.

Also if the show is judged on detail how your car customized as it should not matter if it has a blower or a stock intake if it is not clean it get no points.

Some shows are more geared to stock cars like the POCI shows and a modified car may not do as well but at other events where modified cars are noted a stock car will be at a disadvantage.

I have a black Fiero and can say it looks good clean but is twice the worlk . I also have a red pick up and silver GP and both are so much easier to maintain. My red truck can be in a great need to be polished and still show less defects than my black car. Now when I have the black right nothing looks better.

As for polish I use the Meguires professional line. I keep quat bottles of

Dimond cut to remove deep scratches

Compound power cleaner to work out lighter scratches

Duel Action Cleaner to clean the paint.

Swirl Remover to polish

Hand Polish for the final polish coat.

You do not need to use all steps as each has its level of power. Now that I have the car cleaned up I can get by most times just will Hand Polish.

Follow up the polish with a good carnuba wax. Not a cleaner wax just a pure wax. I use Mothers California Gold as it is easy to use and very durable.

Microfiber rags are a must for polish.

To clean between shows and at shows with Meguires Final Inspection or Slick Stuff by the Wax Shop.

Clean door jambs and everything under hood and visable that can be seen.

The best cleaner around is White Lightning. It will do a better job than Fantastic.

It is a must to clean wheels in side and out as well as the wheel wells.

Make sure the interior is in order and clean.

the areas I see judging the many show I have judge that distract are..

Dirty wheel wells, firewalls, carpet, seats plug wires, intakes wheels, glass.

The biggest problem on most cars is the glass as most side windows are scatched. On older cars windo trim with dents is also a problem.

Even if you don't show a lot cleaning and detailing will increase the value of your car more than any other thing you could do.

If you have any questions on anything specific ask as I have most likely have cleaned or refurbshed it at one time on a Fiero.

In terms of colors all I have done is silver parts were painted silver, black parts are now blacker, and some parts are a red that matches the intake manifold. Thanks for all the tips, tomorrow I am going to work on the car. My chrome CRX intake came in today. It was 104 degrees so I didn't work on my car too much today.

A lot of good info here...I just have a bit to add. Two places I've noticed judges checking are the undersides of your rocker panels (or ground effects, if you have them), and underneath the front end of the car...the underside of the fascia, the radiator/condensor, etc. I have a small pick that I clean rocks, bugs, etc., out of the condensor fins with, and it also works to straighten them. For the undersides of the rockers, I use Goo Gone to remove tar, etc.

Good tip I will work on the rockers tomorrow. Problem is I am cleaning my car, then getting on the road and driving 110 miles, so quick detailer here I come.

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: Good tip I will work on the rockers tomorrow. Problem is I am cleaning my car, then getting on the road and driving 110 miles, so quick detailer here I come.

Your not going to get too much on 71 but bugs. Unless we have rain.

I have only made the COFE show twice as I judge some other shows in September that prevent me from going. They are a great group and a great show!!!
I feel this event gets over looked by way too many in nearby states and even many in Ohio.

Some other area's to look at is the trunk bottom. Clean it off and if it's rusty, Paint it. Many judged shows will look under a car. Usually in judged shows they look at the following:
Paint (See Meguire's tips above)
Interior (Clean out the door jambs as well)
Exterior (under the car, wheel wells, panel fitting, etc.)
Engine (make sure everything is clean and dressed)
Trunk ( a quick wipe of WD-40 on all the rubber seals makes them look clean and new)
Wheels and wheel wells. (Remove wheels and clean both sides of the wheel, the calipers, and the non-braking surfaces of the rotor.)
Many judged shows also list "Safety" as a catagory. A small automotive fire extinquisher usually is enough to satisfy this requirement.

Don't forget to clean the underside of the decklid and hood. A quick coat of paint on the rear of the headlight bezels is another overlooked area. If you have some mods to your engine (or a swap) it seems to be better to pull into the spot rather than backing in. It seems to attract more attention from folks passing by. This works well on participation voting.

On a final note, Do not expect to win a trophy. If yoiu attend car shows just to get collect trophies then you will be disappointed. If you attend car shows for the fun of seeing other cars and chatting with other enthusiasts you will have a good time. A trophy is just an extra benefit if you win one.

[This message has been edited by Oreif (edited 08-25-2007).]

Ive personally collected a lot of trophies myself, and a lot of cars Ive done have gotten more. Ive sorta outgrown the need for them in the past few years. I dont waste my time getting everything spotless anymore. I keep my cars pretty clean daily, so I never spend more than an hour on it at a show. I have more fun just hanging out, talking with people, and admiring others work. I do agree that cleanliness seems to be the main criteria these days. I personally rather see a cleaned car with lots of workmanship as opposed to an immaculate unused car. Ive judged before and this is how I judged. I also dont go for the shiney fake look on tires and underhood. I use BleechWhite or something like Simple Green just to get stuff clean and wipe it dry. I hate seeing tires that you can see yourself in. The first thing that turns me off in an engine compartment is the use of brite colored loom. You can have a gorgeous engine and compartment and if its full of blue or yellow loom I gag, lol. I also like to see signs telling or showing you of features that may not be readily apparent. Just a simple well made sign listing everything youve done is great. A lot of things Ive done to some of my cars turned out looking so original, people dont even know that I did it. My Magnums Shaker hood and built in 26" tv have gotten me questions about how much extra those cost from the factory People that dont own one, dont even know the grill and tail lights arent OEM. So point that kind of stuff out to admirers.

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: My paint is in good shape and I wax it often, but I have some swirl marks, what is the best way to get the swirls out of the paint?

There are alot of products for swirl marks. Look at the Meguiars #9 in the beige bottle. The #4 is high abrasive so you won't want that. The #1 in the red bottle is also pretty good on swirls

Oh, and if you are using an orbital buffer, you want the foam pad if you're doing black. The foam pad gives a finer finish.

Arn

I'll be doing it by hand, I am working on the engine bay this weekend. School starts nest week, Labor Day weekend I am out of town, next week is school, then that weekend is the show. During the week before the show is probably when I am going to wax it with the swirl remover and whatnot. My friend and I are going to stay up late friday night cleaning and armor alling I am going to take some supplies with me to do some touch ups once I get there. As of right now I do not have a catalytic converter, do you think that will hurt me? Sadly I can't do anything about it right now, I am almost totally out of money.

Keep Armor All away from the engine compartment except to maybe wipe hoses with a rag you spray. Its known for screwing up all kinds of underhood sensors. Hate to see you getting it all pretty and break down halfway to Columbus early Sunday morning when you cant get any parts.

Simple Green to clean wheels...and since you have factory wheels a toothbrush and/or Q-tips is a must.
Use Eagle Never-Dull" to clean the exhaust tips.
Clean underneath the car...especially the engine and trans!
Polish (on a bench grinder with a buffing wheel and rouge) the dogbone, thermostat cap and alternator & coil cooling pipes.
Armor-all the rubber you can find in the engine compartment: radiator hoses, vacuum hoses, cruise control bellow, spark plug wire end, pcv grommet, etc.....
Same goes for front compartment! Especially the spare!
Use Folex to clean any trunk carpet grease marks.

But...most of all (like Randye says) take out those hand towels and wipe, wipe, wipe!!

Kit / 86 GT / 90 Reatta Coupe

Here are the Meguires products to look for that really work well and are easy to use.

Diamond Cut #85

Compound Cleaner #84

Duel action Polish #83

Swirl Free Polish #82

Hand Polish #81

I have used this and the other Meguires and these are just better. If it works well on BLack it will clean and Polish anything.

I am too burned out on shows but still feel it is how clean and detail it is should be the determinding factor as it's more the work you put in than the dollars. Kind of levels the playing Field. Also neat cheap inovations are other things I look for when I judge.

The only negitive to clean show judging is like the time I had a Camaro so over done in add on things that it looked silly but it still was the cleanest car. See when Judging in most shows you can let personel taste come into it. That kind of stuff is for Pebble Beach or Medowbrook etc. You will find the clean and detail shows are best for the Fiero that at many shows may be at a disadvantage of going up against more expensive cars or more popular cars.

Just because it is clean does not mean it is not driven.

[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 08-26-2007).]

My cruise control reservoir is a bit rusty, can I repaint it? I am going to use newspaper to mask it off.

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: My cruise control reservoir is a bit rusty, can I repaint it? I am going to use newspaper to mask it off.

Polish the silver ring on it with #0000 steel wool, and then use some Wenol or other metal polish to get a nice shine. Finish it off with a light wax.
VERY lighly buff the rubber diaphragm with the same steel wool and then clean it throughly and hit it with "Black Magic' or other dressing.
Clean the bracket on the diaphragm with yet again the same #0000 steel wool, polish and seal with wax...or mask and paint it....your choice.
The housing itself is plastic. it should clean up ok with some Simple Green or Purple Power and a small brush.
DON'T soak it or get it wet inside.

I am just going to make it flat black, I for a long time thought my grandfather was being the engineer that he was and did some home modding. It looks like something beets come in or tomato paste or something.

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: I am just going to make it flat black, I for a long time thought my grandfather was being the engineer that he was and did some home modding. It looks like something beets come in or tomato paste or something.

Stay away from flat black paint in the engine bay.
Gloss is much better as it's easier to clean later. The surface of flat paint holds dirt and oil.
Make your life easier.

CRAP WHY CAN'T YOU POST YOUR GOOD ADVICE FASTER JEEEZ MAN YOU'RE KILLIN ME!!!!!! haha just kidding, well I don't have gloss right now so flat will have to do for the time being. Is there anything I can do about my header, that looks like crap?

Some current engine pics, the CRX intake is only test fitted in there, nothing is tight and the bottom peice and the filter isn't even there right now. I have cleaned the wires with thinner, painted a few things, done alot of cleaning etc, my next move is to pull the car up into the driveway, degrease and hose off the tranny, paint that rusty linkage holder, vacuum off the insulation, clean some more, paint some more, and fix my exhuast leak. I am not sure about that lime green PCV hose, I was taking crap that I was venting it into an area that will easily cause a fire so I decided to run hose to put the breather under the vent. The tubing is UV reactive and I got it for free. I am eventually going to change as much tubing to that as I can and add some UV LEDs in the engine bay, or just pay $.30 at Home Depot to get clear tubing. What do you think?





I am hesitant to post these as my competition may see them....

quote Originally posted by Mr.PBody: Some current engine pics, the CRX intake is only test fitted in there, nothing is tight and the bottom peice and the filter isn't even there right now. I have cleaned the wires with thinner, painted a few things, done alot of cleaning etc, my next move is to pull the car up into the driveway, degrease and hose off the tranny, paint that rusty linkage holder, vacuum off the insulation, clean some more, paint some more, and fix my exhuast leak. I am not sure about that lime green PCV hose, I was taking crap that I was venting it into an area that will easily cause a fire so I decided to run hose to put the breather under the vent. The tubing is UV reactive and I got it for free. I am eventually going to change as much tubing to that as I can and add some UV LEDs in the engine bay, or just pay $.30 at Home Depot to get clear tubing. What do you think? I am hesitant to post these as my competition may see them....

You're doing real well there!

Use a length of new black rubber tubing. The odd, (green) colored tube looks out of place.
Straighten up those plug wires. Spend $4 for some plastic wire looms to keep them organized.
CLEAN those shock towers and mounting rings!
CLEAN the fuel vapor canister and hoses!
Remove the EGR and paint the whole thing. Its only (2) 13mm nuts and should only take a few minutes to do.

We'll whip you into shape yet soldier!

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 08-28-2007).]

The back bolt on the EGR won't come off, it even started to round off, I have been putting PB blaster on it. Now that the intake is all open maybe I will hit it with more PB blaster tonight and get the breaker bar out tomorrow. The shock towers are zeibarted, for another show we put tire shine on them, like the rear vents and it looked good. Good call on the wire looms I will get them when I get my electronic flasher for my turn signals. I need to see what tubing I have on hand if I don't have the right size I will pick some up when I get the looms. Thanks for all the help.

I payed $4.99 for some sh!tty Spectre Wire looms at pep boys, the better stronger ones were $2 more but I cheaped out. Of the 6 peices which look like model car parts, 3 of them broke. I am going to try to return them tomorrow. My car already had two looms on it but they were arranged wierd, so I may get my $5 back and buy something else.