Nailing Your Show Car Interior: A Detailer's Secret Guide

Empty the entire car. I mean everything. Throw out the old servo receipts, the spare change, and the gym bag. If it didn't come with the car from the factory, it shouldn't be there for a show.

Pull the mats out and set them aside on a clean tarp or bench. You'll work on these separately so you aren't dragging dirt back into the clean cabin.

Before you touch a vacuum, use compressed air to blow out all the cracks, crevices, and under the seats. You'd be amazed at the amount of red dust that hides under the seat rails after a trip up north.

Vacuum everything from the top down. Start with the headliner (be gentle!), then the dash, seats, and finally the floors. Use a soft brush attachment so you don't scratch any plastic trim.

Don't soak it. If there's a mark, lightly mist a microfibre towel with APC and gently dab. If you get it too wet, the glue will fail and you'll have a saggy headliner by the time you get to the show. I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore years ago, never again.

Using your APC and a detailing brush, work in small sections on the dash and door cards. Agitate the cleaner until it foams slightly, then wipe away with a clean towel. This pulls the oils and sweat out of the grain of the plastic.

Take a small brush or even a toothpick wrapped in a cloth to clean out the seams. Look at the steering wheel buttons and the window switches. If there's white residue in the gaps, it's a fail in the judges' eyes.

This is a pro move. Use a foam swab or a dedicated vent brush to get inside the air conditioning vents. If you've got a steam cleaner, a quick blast followed by air will clear out any lingering dust or smells.

Apply leather cleaner to a brush, not the seat. Scrub in circular motions. You'll see the leather go from shiny (which is actually just grease and dirt) to a nice, clean matte finish. Wipe dry immediately.

A customer once brought in a show-winning Torana that looked perfect, but the seat rails were greasy and full of hair. Use a damp cloth and some APC to clean the metal rails and the door hinges. It makes a huge difference.

Clean the inside of the windows twice. Use two towels, one to spread the cleaner and scrub, the second to buff dry. Do the side windows first, then the windscreen. Pro tip: Roll the windows down slightly to clean that little strip of grime at the very top.

Get down in the footwell. Clean the rubber or metal pedals with a stiff brush and APC. Most people ignore these, but they stick out like a sore thumb when the rest of the car is mint.

Now that it's clean, apply your matte protectant. Rub it in well and buff off the excess. You want the surfaces to look rich and deep, not oily. For the leather, apply your conditioner and let it soak in for 20 minutes before a final wipe.

Once the mats are back in, use a stiff brush to 'stripe' the carpet. Brush it all one way, then use the edge of the brush to create those fancy diagonal lines. It's a bit of wank, honestly, but judges love it.