Preparing Your Antique Car For Its 1st Show
March 12th, 2009
You’ve spent months, perhaps years, lovingly restoring your classic car. You hunted high and low for original parts. You scrimped and saved to make sure the body job was perfect. You even found factory colored paint. Now, it’s time to show off all that hard work and stand back and bask in the afterglow.
If you’re getting ready to share your baby with the world for the first time, there are some things about showing you’ll need to know about. While no two antique car shows are exactly alike, there are a few basic things you can do to get ready no matter the format.
Some of the things you’ll want to do to get yourself and your ride ready for the big show include:
- Getting a rule book – If the show you’re taking your car to is a juried event, you’ll want to read the rules inside out and backwards. If you have followed factory specs in restoring your ride, you should meet the criteria for just about any event.
- Putting together your information – If your car has been restored to factory original or near original status, you’ll likely want a log book of your parts and other information you can share on the restoration process. While judges may not ask you how you pulled off the job, spectators might.
- Prepping your car for the event – Serious judged shows will have serious rules about car presentation. Not only will you want to wash and wax your car, but you’ll also want to pack a kit for the day of the show to clean up any debris picked up on the way to the event. Judges will check for grass in the tires, leaking oil from the pan and even dirt on the emblems. Be prepared to clean it up.
Getting ready to show off your ride is an exciting time. Be prepared and you should have the time of your life.
|