Car show prep for my Frontier? Help

512detail

512detail

New member
To prove a point to some friends (hopefully), I`m entering a car show with my 2006 daily driver

32c2536b8098cd309d8e38e701c9c633.jpg


I have never entered a show before. As you read this I will be washing my truck and placing it in the garage to lay down a fresh coat of whatever I feel like later or tomorrow. the pbl sealant... im done with that for now.

I know i need to clean the engine for sure , tomorrow after work will have to be the time for that... then motor kote for it.

I`ve never entered a car show before. I will be in the 66 to present truck category. Which I`m being told is quite bare at this time. Show is Saturday night.

I need some tips/pointers

I don`t even know what they look for or look at.

Only solid embarassment on my truck is the front plastic windshield cowl by the wipers (i have wurth trim paint but afraid to use it)

The engine will be taken care of tomorrow.

The rubber around the windows doesnt like many products though.

Never really tried my entire line at it however.

What should I put as the LSP?

Paint is already about 93-95% and unless i polish off all the essence, its still there.

I`m thinking panel wipe and nattys red

Or

panel wipe and synergy or dodo nano

Help me win this show for Autopia! lol
Or hopefully place at least.



Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
The panel wipe and Synergy would give it a nice look. You really can`t go wrong wth any choice of lsp. Good luck. Win one for the Autopians!
 
House of Wax said:
I gotta ask.....what`s "the point" you`re trying to prove to your friends
Click to expand...
That nobody cares about a 127k mile 2006 frontier that is properly maintained...as opposed to a poorly cared for vehicle with some shiney add on stuff.


But hey I might be wrong, it sure does look nice when cleaned up.

It`s not exactly a large show either.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
There is no way for us to answer the question "What do they look for" It totally depends on who is doing the judging. You may be able to call the people putting the show on and ask them what they will be looking at. Most times the smaller shows just pick the car they feel is the coolest. Your cleaning ability will most likely go un-noticed if you do not have "cool" stuff on your truck. I hate to be a negative Nancy but the majority of people ("Show Judges included) do not know a swirl from a squirrel as Mike Phillips always says.
 
Instead of going bananas about this, I would just pick an LSP and go with that. I am sure most of those judges would be looking for shine and not so much swirls.
 
Trim restorer on the cowl. Apply, let bake in sun, wipe w terry cloth, repeat a couple of time if you have the time. If not once will work but not have the longevity. Best advice I can give you is have fun. If it`s work, it ain`t worth it. You`ll find lots of like minded car freaks. Bring a chair and some water and have FUN.

As far as "what they look for"........... I can tell you I`ve won shows when I thought my car was a mess, and I`ve lost shows that (personally I thought) I should have won.
 
Your nissan is fantastic looking for a 2006!! I would just do a final wipedown with a product that will make it pop. Any of the spray and wipe products or spray wax.

BF WD Poloymer spray.
DODO RED mist.
WG Spritz sealant.
PRIMA WAX AS YOU DRY.
Pinnacle spray wax.
Duragloss AW,
Any good spray wax you have.

As mentioned above, they will be looking for POP. Good call on the SONUS for the motor. Most of all HAVE FUN and good luck!!
 
thanks everyone..i think im just gonna wash it with Glissante again after work and use Hydro Wax as you dry or Dodo Future Armor Sealant and then hit it up with some QD plus tomorrow at the show

I ended up cleaning the barrels of my wheels last night and debating if I should just enter my car as its already show ready out the garage
 
Good luck Brandt, it should be fun. I just saw the show is going to be participant judged, so no telling how it`s going to turn out.
 
dieselwrench said:
Good luck Brandt, it should be fun. I just saw the show is going to be participant judged, so no telling how it`s going to turn out.
Click to expand...

I know I might need to get some things chrome plated. lol

Mike said there were hardly any entrants in the 66 to present truck category

hopefully I can at least place by default
 
If the show was going to be attended by Autopians, you would win. That truck looks awesome for 127k miles...actually, it looks awesome for vehicles with a lot less miles. I would not stress on what to use on it....the paint is likely much better than most of the vehicles you`re competing with already.
 
briarpatch said:
If the show was going to be attended by Autopians, you would win. That truck looks awesome for 127k miles...actually, it looks awesome for vehicles with a lot less miles. I would not stress on what to use on it....the paint is likely much better than most of the vehicles you`re competing with already.
Click to expand...

thanks

yea I think its a matter of mitigating the bad looking spots like the plastic and rubber areas.

I`m guessing there will probably be a ford lightning or raport truck or two there, and they do look a lot cooler than a 2006 frontier,,so we`ll see
 
HYDRO WAX AS YOU DRY the night before will POP it for sure!

Question, How is the DODO FUTURE ARMOR SPRAY SEALANT? Curious ever since it came out. Never mentioned here.
 
PA DETAILER said:
HYDRO WAX AS YOU DRY the night before will POP it for sure!

Question, How is the DODO FUTURE ARMOR SPRAY SEALANT? Curious ever since it came out. Never mentioned here.
Click to expand...

I bought the tiny 100ml bottle back several months ago..its very nice stuff. smells great too..i should have done a review but I only used it on parts of my truck and parts of a friend`s vehicle

I would have purchased the larger bottle on the last sale but it was out of stock.
 
512detail said:
That nobody cares about a 127k mile 2006 frontier that is properly maintained...as opposed to a poorly cared for vehicle with some shiney add on stuff.


But hey I might be wrong, it sure does look nice when cleaned up.

It`s not exactly a large show either.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

This is what I noticed at the car shows I`ve checked out. The cars with stickers and swirl up paint end up winning because of some modification that makes it appealing (stance, chrome dress up kit, wrap, plasti dip, wheels, and who they know).

I was the only car at the car show without a swirl, scratch/RIDS, or dent. I didn`t enter but I checked out the winners and wasn`t impressed. A wide body GTR R35 took first place and his car was covered in holograms and the wide body kit was just bolted on (looked like a 10-year-old installed it).

I`m going to stick to the Classic Mopar shows where people are about shine and power, but not one is interested in a 09 Jeep SRT8 other than the 16-24-year-old crowd.

Anyways good luck hope your truck wins! It all really depends on the type of car show that it is. There`s a huge difference depending on the attending demographic (concourse car show vs import tuner car shows). My personal favorite car show is the international one were all the manufacturers present their concept and production line up.


What kind of car show did you enter?
 
512dertail- When I do my pals Jag showcar, I always warn him that it won`t turn out as nice as my beaters. He accepts that and doesn`t really care as he scores well anyhow. Don`t underestimate how much better your DD is compared to lots of "showcars".

My advice is to simply work on anything that "looks bad". Yeah, very general, but certain issues draw the eye and will matter a *LOT* more IMO than which LSP you use.

And I agree that the "coolest" vehicles will probably score the best regardless of whether they really deserve it, just the way it seems to go.

What`s the issue with the rubber/etc.? I`ve brought back rubber and plastic that looked like it`d need replaced (and always did it without any "dye"). Gotta get the "dead material"/oxidation off first...
 
4u2nvinmtl said:
What kind of car show did you enter?
Click to expand...

It’s a fathers day classic car show our car club puts on every year for charity

Categories anywhere from pre 48 hot rod / antique/ to your vehicle specific categories-
Camaro/trans am
Mustang
Corvette
Mopar
Muscle streetcar
Rat rods
Vw
Trucks
16 different categories
(each of those categories have year model brackets)
 
Accumulator said:
512dertail- When I do my pals Jag showcar, I always warn him that it won`t turn out as nice as my beaters. He accepts that and doesn`t really care as he scores well anyhow. Don`t underestimate how much better your DD is compared to lots of "showcars".

My advice is to simply work on anything that "looks bad". Yeah, very general, but certain issues draw the eye and will matter a *LOT* more IMO than which LSP you use.

And I agree that the "coolest" vehicles will probably score the best regardless of whether they really deserve it, just the way it seems to go.

What`s the issue with the rubber/etc.? I`ve brought back rubber and plastic that looked like it`d need replaced (and always did it without any "dye"). Gotta get the "dead material"/oxidation off first...
Click to expand...

I will dig up a pic on my next break and post....its just really really faded, almost white looking...I tried Trim Restorer,, a lot of it... it made a huge difference but was still in dire need of more... On Ray`s recommendation I picked up Wurth Flexible Trim Paint

and have it at home..probably should just tape off and give it a shot- can`t be too hard to use and I just need to tape off the window and hood with newspapers or something and spray it in the garage

there is also the same faded plastic on the top of the rear bumper (two pieces)

then the rubber around the window trim needs some love too
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top