Getting Your Pride and Joy Ready for the Show Round

Start with a heavy snow foam to lift the loose dust. If you've been out near the red dirt, spend an extra 10 minutes just flushing the wheel arches and chassis rails. That dust hides everywhere.

Use an iron fallout remover on the paint and wheels. You'll see it bleeding purple. This is crucial in Australia where we have a lot of industrial fallout and heavy metallic brake dust.

Run your hand over the paint. If it feels like sandpaper, you need to clay it. Use plenty of lube and work in small sections until the surface is smooth as glass.

Judges love looking in the spots you think they won't. Scrub the inner barrels of the wheels and the plastic wheel arch liners. Give them a coat of trim restorer so they look dark and rich.

Using your DA polisher, start with a medium compound to get rid of the swirl marks. Take your time. I usually spend about 4-5 hours just on the polishing stage. If the paint is soft (like on some older Holdens), be gentle.

Switch to a finishing polish and a soft foam pad. This is where the 'jewelling' happens. This step removes the hazing from the heavy cutting and gives you that deep, wet look.

Use an IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) mix or a dedicated panel prep to wipe away all the polishing oils. You want the paint totally naked before you put your protection on.

Apply your choice of protection. If it's a hot day (over 30°C), work in the shade and do one panel at a time. Some waxes will bake onto the paint like concrete if you leave them too long in the heat.

Clean the glass inside and out. Then clean it again. Use a dedicated glass cloth and a reach-tool for the bottom of the windscreen where it meets the dash. Streaks here are a dead giveaway of a rush job.

Apply a UV protectant to all black plastics. In Australia, the sun absolute kills these, turning them grey and chalky. A good water-based dressing will make them look factory fresh.

Even if you aren't showing with the bonnet up, clean it anyway. A quick wipe down with an All-Purpose Cleaner (APC) and a bit of dressing on the hoses makes a massive difference.

Pull the mats out, vacuum the tracks under the seats, and use a brush to get the dust out of the air vents. I once saw a bloke lose a trophy because he had a few Macca's chips under his passenger seat. True story.

Dry every drop of water from the door shuts. Wax them just like the exterior paint. This is often the difference between a winner and a runner-up.