KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 22) -- By the calendar, the Super Chevy Show season opener is still four months away. But car show judging coordinator Andy Hendricks said this is time that can make the difference when the season kicks off in early April.
Hendricks recently offered several tips for competitors, who should pay special attention to the engine, body, paint and interior areas of their show cars.
"We look at body, paint, engine and interior," Hendricks said.
Here's a brief breakdown of each area that participants should concentrate on their off-season work:
ENGINE
Hendricks said the initial work should be in cleaning the front pulley area, The headers should be painted, sand blasted and jet coated. Next would be to detail the wiring before cleaning and painting the fender wells and firewall area.
Another important area of concern is a basic one - the condition of the engine, which should be checked for leaks. Finally, the underside of the hood should be painted, with the frame rails, cross-members and core supports cleaned and painted to give a new look.
BODY AND PAINT
The first order of business is to prepare the body, removing waves and dents that may have occurred during the winter. Next up is to check over the body. Do the panels line up? Also, check from the fenders to the hood. The molding, outside trim and the emblems need to be installed correctly. The paint should be applied very detailed and check the drip rail areas and make sure there are no dry areas or overspray. Then the final finish can be applied.
INTERIOR
The interior area is a key component to any show car, and the best entries have that new car look. The first order of business is to clean the carpet. Also, the interior should be free of cleaning materials and jackets. The trunk area is considered part of the interior, and that is an area that needs to be cleaned as well. Next, check the condition of seals and whiskers. Also, leave the door ajar or open.
CLEANING TIPS
Hendricks offered some cleaning tips and those include checking and cleaning some hidden areas in the engine compartment, door jams, and trunk lips. Also clear the wax out from and around trim pieces and emblems, as well as the wheels and tires, which need a thorough check and cleaning.
