How To Prepare Your Car For Any Show On The Go

Follow our ultimate Show Prep Guide to get your car looking its best at any event...

The show season is well underway and, even though the British weather can be a little varied from one weekend to the next, most of us can't wait to get out there to our favourite events. But, with so many car shows each season, what's the best way to get your pride and joy fighting fresh for those all-important displays?

The thing to remember is that there's two distinct stages to perfect car show prep - the detail you perform at home before the event, and the preparation and finishing processes you carry out when you get there. As most of us have to drive our cars to every event, it stands to reason that we'll want to perform a few finishing tasks on the day, right?

So, perhaps the biggest questions are - how do get you car looking it's best before the show, and keep it that way during the event? And what are the quick finishing touches and best detailing products to push your pride and joy to an even higher standard?

Well, that's exactly where we're here to help…

Detailing Before The Show

It doesn't matter if you have a full-on show car or a daily driver that you'd like to display, the effective pre-show preparation is vital ensure that your car will look its best at the event.

The premise here is to be sure to get your vehicle - especially the paintwork - to the standard you're looking for before you leave. Then it's just a question of maintaining the look and adding a few final finishing touches.

There are four main parts to the journey - safe washing, decontamination, polishing/paint correction and adding gloss and protection. Each and every one of these stages is vital to the final finish and will need to be carried out before the event, simply because most of these are practically impossible to carry out effectively when you get there. Besides, even if it were possible, you'd end up missing the whole show!

So, first thing's first, carry out a thorough detail, and don't forget to clean your engine bay and interior. The condition of your paintwork, or indeed how far you'd like to dive into full-correction, will also dictate the time you'll take and the amount of work involved in your preparation. But, once all this is complete, we have a few extra tips - not to mention amazing products - to make life easier, give maximum aesthetic results, and make your car far easier to prepare for the next one!

Clean, Enhance And Protect In One

You may have already used Tripple All-in-One Polish for paintwork enhancement and gloss plastic restoration, either by hand or with a machine polisher. But it's always worth remembering that Tripple is the perfect cleaner and enhancement product for more awkward areas like under door handles, in the jambs, your wheels and all sorts of other painted, gloss plastic or carbon fibre surfaces. Trust us when we say that Tripple really does do it all.

This product uses advanced diminishing abrasives to clean away oxidation and remove defects such as light scuffs and swirls. And, what's more, it's extremely easy to use.

Take a Microfibre Applicator, Polish Pad or a short pile microfibre Work Cloth and gently work a small amount of product into the surface to break down the abrasives. Once the residue has hazed wipe it away, fold your cloth and buff to a warm gloss finish. You'll immediately see a huge difference and, as Tripple is also infused with carnauba wax, it adds plenty of protection, too. In this way Tripple can effectively clean, enhance and protect in one single application, and that makes it one of the all-time great kitbag essentials.

Add Paintwork Protection

When it comes to finishing your paintwork after any polishing, enhancement or paint correction process you must add protection. We really can't say it enough!

The point is that, if you don't apply protection (and for the summer, shows we always recommend layering on two coats of one of our Signature Hard Waxes, nothing looks better), you're risking the work you've put in to your detail.

Protection layers make your paintwork even more pleasing to eye because they help to level the optical finish. Deep down paintwork isn't actually flat, there's all sorts of ruts and recesses in the top layer, these refract light in different directions highlighting flaws and making the surface appear to be relatively shallow. By adding a protection layer and smoothing out the surface on a microscopic level, the surface reflects light more uniformly, making it appear deeper and glossier.

In the case of car waxes, which contain a small about of natural impurities (unlike ceramic coatings or sealants which are man-made and perfectly clear), they will also bend the light to give the appearance of a warm glow. The soughtafter glow is why many detailers say that nothing can ever look quite as good as a hard wax finish.

The other huge advantage of course, is that protective layers are designed specifically to shield your surfaces from the elements, stopping grime from sticking, beading off water, and making the car far easer to clean when you get to your show.

No matter the protection you choose, apply it correctly and all you should need is a little Finale Quick Detailer to remove any light surface soiling when you get there.

Further Enhance That Deep, Glossy Finish

Okay, so we've said that nothing makes your paintwork look deeper and more glorious than a hard wax, but there is one exception to the rule - paintwork that has Ultra Glaze Paint Glaze underneath.

Paint Glazes are extremely useful tools for getting the best from both your paint and wax at the same time - in many ways they're the professional secret to a truly show-worthy finish.

Ultra Glaze is a non-abrasive blend of synthetic polymers that performs a number of tasks. The first is reducing the appearance of fine scratches and swirl marks by physically filling them in, obscuring these kind of defects to the eye. This unique formula also brings a high-gloss and clarity to paintwork, offering the perfect base for further enhancement with your hard wax. On its own Ultra Glaze is capable of deepening darker colours, enhancing fiery reds, and leaving a wet-glossy finish. Locked-in with a suitable wax, it makes paintwork appear even deeper and glossier, and then you get the protection side, too.

Most of all, Ultra Glaze has been developed to be quick, simple and extremely versatile in application. It can be applied by hand using a Microfibre Applicator or Polish Pad, or using any type of machine polisher, making it a quick and simple step to a flawless appearance.

Protect Your Wheels Before You Drive

Apart from your paintwork, arguably the most important area for protection after your detail will be your wheels. These require a slightly different product to your paintwork, purely because of the temperatures involved when driving. Heat is not only transferred from your brakes when they're in use, but the wheels need to be shielded from hot brake dust, too.

With this in mind, you can see why - when you're driving your fully prepared show car to an event - your wheels will need a little protection. But doing it the right way with Mint Wheels Wheel Wax will also mean that harsh contaminants can't stick, making cleaning them away so much easier. In fact, once again, all that should be required at your show will be a little Finale Quick Detailer.

Mint Rims is a specially-developed, high temperature synthetic wax, suitable for use on any wheel finish and capable of repelling hot brake dust, salt and road grime. Like a natural wax-based product, it will also install a high gloss finish, but this will be durable for up to 3-months in this, the most extreme of protection scenarios.

Application is similar to other hard waxes, simply apply a thin, even layer over the whole wheel using a Foam Applicator or Dual Foam Applicator, and immediately buff off the residue with a short pile Microfibre Work Cloth. Mint Rims requires no curing time, so subsequent coats can be layered up immediately. We recommend 2-3 coats for the ultimate protection.

Restore Your Glass

Finally, it's important not to neglect your vehicle glass, especially on older cars and daily drivers. You may find that these require a little more TLC than usual. Besides, you don't want tired windows and mirrors drawing the eye from other more important areas such as your paintwork, right?

Eradicating stubborn stains and general restoration of all glass surfaces is always a job for Vision Glass Polish. This blend of light abrasives and deep cleaning solvents both mechanically and chemically removes stains, breaking down grease and grime on a molecular level to safely remove even the most ingrained contaminants. What's more, Vision is the master at filling light scratches to further restore clarity, bringing the most tired glass back to life.

Unlike many traditional glass polishes, we've developed Vision to be extremely easy to work with. Just apply a few pea-sized drops to a Microfibre Applicator or Polish Pad, work into the area with a little pressure, and buff away the residue - along with the grime - using your microfibre cloth. You can also use Vision with a machine polisher for more intensive restoration.

We always recommend partnering Vision with our Glass Waffle cloth, which has been specially engineered for the safest, most effective deep cleaning. The special microfibre weave is specifically designed to lock away any debris in the pockets, keeping them away from the surface.

Detailing At The Main Event

Here's where the maintenance and final finishing begins… but obviously the amount of work involved here will depend on the condition of your car when you finally touch down.

It's worth noting that any vehicle that's extremely contaminated through hundreds of miles of driving in bad weather will need a full maintenance wash, no matter the level of protection. There are no shortcuts in keeping heavily soiled paintwork swirl-free - so, if your car looks like it needs a pre-wash and two bucket contact wash, it probably does.

For light contamination though - say, after a reasonable drive in a fully protected vehicle - safe maintenance and finishing to an immaculate show car standard is a simple case of using the correct products and processes.

Cleaning And Finishing Your Exterior

Generally speaking, the areas that will be most affected by your drive will be the wheels, lower halves, rear end and possibly the front bumper. These will be the grubbiest bits you'll need to leave until last, purely to stop the transfer of grime to cleaner areas. But, of course, you're still going to need to give the whole car a good once-over to rid all surfaces of any dust, pollen and fingerprints you may have picked up along the way.

Finale Quick Detailer is the master multitasker and the go-to product for tackling cleaning and finishing on the go. It works by gently lifting and lubricating light contamination (including brake dust particles on protected wheels), allowing it to be safely wiped off of the surface with a microfibre cloth. This water-based formula is safe for use on any surface including paintwork, vinyl wraps, glass and trim, and it's even infused with carnauba wax to add a little protection and install more of that characteristic wax glow.

Infinitely versatile for cleaning at shows, Finale can be used in one of two ways. The first is the most common, tackling one panel at a time (starting on the least grimy areas and finishing with your wheels), mist a few spritzes of Finale over the surface before gently wiping away any grime. The quick and easy way to leave surfaces spotless.

For the best results on paintwork, wipe in one direction using a deep pile cloth, such as our Ultra Plush or Primo Plush Microfibre towels. These are designed to pick up and trap any dirt deep within the pile, keeping larger particles away from paintwork to further cut down on the risk of inflicting of swirl marks. In this way, Finale is just the ticket for periodical dusting and fingerprint removal throughout the day, too.

Limited Water Cleaning

The second way of utilising Finale is when performing a limited-water wash. This is ideal for events, even those indoors, and can tackle slightly heavier soiling.

The process involves adding approximately 50ml of Finale to every litre of fresh water you put in your in a Detailing Bucket. This wash solution can then be used to wipe down the entire vehicle, panel by panel, using an Ultra Soft Wash Mitt. The Finale in the cleaning solution will lift and lubricate the grime, allowing it to be safely wiped away without scratching.

The key is to not let any solution dry out on each panel, so always follow your 'Finale Wash' by mopping up any excess with an Aqua Deluxe or Silk Drying Towel. This will ensure that there's no streaks left behind.

For more details on this kind of limited water cleaning you can check out our full article - How to Perform an Indoor Wash and Show Car Detail.

Eradicating Bug Splatter

Summer driving means that, almost inevitably, you'll pick up a little bug splatter, especially during the morning and early evening. The problem here is that bug blood and debris is acidic, chiefly because these tend to feed on acidic substances like fruit and berries. This means that, if left for an extended period, splatter can etch through protective layers and into paintwork - requiring polishing to remove the resulting defects. 

The good news is that splatter removal isn't a problem, even at a show. On an otherwise clean, protected car the debris can be tackled using Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover and a microfibre Work Cloth.

During a normal pre wash stage, Citrus Power acts a powerful (but extremely gentle) pre-cleaner that will break down the worst road grime, bug splatter and heavy soiling, allowing it to be rinsed away with your pressure washer. But, it can also be extremely effective for targeted use on bug splatter without the rinsing, which is particularly useful at events when water isn't available.

Simply spray directly onto the contamination and allow the product to dwell for a few seconds. Then saturate the surface of your microfibre cloth before working it gently into the surface to remove your bug splatter. Once the contamination is removed, wipe away any excess with a fresh piece of your cloth. Citrus Power is also ideal for shows because it won't strip your waxes, coatings or sealants along the way.

Follow this process with a spritz of Finale, this will ensure that no residue is left over, and even top up your protection.

Topping Up The Shine On Paintwork & Vinyl Wraps

In our humble opinion, come showtime, nothing looks quite as good as a hard wax. It's the reason why our Signature Wax Collection contains options for every paint type and application. Waxes offer amazingly durable protection, too. And, if you've applied yours correctly in the first place, you've already completed half the battle - plenty of the grime and water will have practically removed itself on the drive to the show! To top up your wax finish on the go though, or even as lightning quick alternative to a hard wax, Glisten Spray Wax is the answer.

Glisten is an advanced spray-on formula that's suitable for all paint finishes and even vinyl wraps. It's not only ideal for offering wax protection to the hard-to-reach areas (by spritzing directly into panel gaps and shuts), but it's also the speediest product out there when it comes to topping up hard waxes and installing a high-gloss shine.

Working on around half a panel at a time, spritz a light mist over the area, spread with a microfibre cloth and then buff to a high shine. It couldn't be simpler, and you only need a small amount of Glisten for each panel - a little always goes a long way.

Quickly Tackle Your Trim

Dressle All Purpose Dressing is one of our all-time favourite showtime essentials, it really is as versatile as they come. This water-based formula contains no waxes, oils or petroleum-based distillates and is safe to use on all plastic and rubber surfaces.

Developed for a dry-touch, non-greasy finish, Dressle not only makes a great interior dressing for your dash and other plastics, but it's also ideal for bringing a deep, rich finish to matte plastic exterior trim, arch liners and even whole engine bays.

For targeted application spray onto a cloth and wipe over surfaces. And, for engine bays, arch liners and large areas, simply spray over the entire area and either mop up any excess with a microfibre cloth, or simply allow the solution to dry. That's all there is to it!

Alternatively, Dressle can be used on your engine bay when in the wash stages of your pre-show detail. After cleaning your bay with Eradicate Engine Degreaser and rinsing away any grease and grime, apply a liberal amount of Dressle over the whole bay while it's still wet. Then simply close the bonnet and leave the product to cure for 4-6 hours. After this time a quick wipe to mop up any excess is an optional step to finish off your newly transformed bay.

Cleanse Your Rubber

A car just isn't ready to show without immaculate tyres, is it? Unfortunately, of course, tyres tend to get a little grubby on the way to any event, and simply applying a dressing to dirty tyres isn't the way to get the best results. At best the grime will stop dressings for bonding properly and, at worst, all you'll get is a messy finish.

Getting your rubber up to scratch is a simple 2-stage process, first they need to be cleansed using Tread Tyre Cleaner, before applying a tyre dressing of your choice.

Tread is a unique, fast-acting blend of powerful cleaners and degreasers designed to break down extreme road grime on contact. During a routine maintenance wash, we utilise this product with our Rubber Scrubber Tyre Brush to clean away the heaviest soiling before rinsing. For lighter soiling at a show though, Tread can be used by spraying directly onto a microfibre cloth, and then working the solution into the sidewalls to physically lift and wipe away any grime. This process negates the need for rinsing afterwards and, most importantly, fully cleanses the rubber surface, allowing your tyre dressing to adhere properly. This not only makes the most of the look of your dressing but helps it to last much longer.

Dress Your Tyres

When it comes to finishing your tyres, we have two top dressings for you to choose from.

Satin Tyre Crème is a water-based formula designed to nourish rubber from within and leave behind a natural satin/matte finish. This viscous cream should be applied using a Tyre Spot Pad or Tyre and Trim Applicator and has been developed as a unique, layerable formula. This means that a single application will give a subtle satin sheen, or you can build up a deep gloss through multiple applications.

Gloss Tyre Dressing, instantly installs a dripping-wet, show car-style gloss. This silicone-based formula has been designed as a spray-on product, but can also be used with an applicator when more targeted application is necessary.

Don't Forget The Metal!

You know what they say - details matter! Mercury Metal Polish is all about the finer details and the ideal product for bringing the shine back to bare metal brightwork, polished engine parts, wheel lips and, of course, your stainless-steel exhaust tips.

Mercury is an advanced abrasive compound that contains deep-cleaning solvents designed to quickly remove oxidation and tarnishing, physically cutting through ingrained contaminants and exposing the original metal underneath. Safe for use on all bare metal surfaces, Mercury can be applied using a microfibre Work Cloth or Microfibre Applicator, before being gently worked into the surface and buffed to a high shine.

For bare metal surfaces with extreme contaminant build-up, where a little more bite may be needed, Mercury Xtreme Metal Polish contains slightly coarser abrasives, making it a real heavy-hitter thats suitable for the toughest tasks.

Get Sparkling, Streak-free Glass

There's no doubt about it, nothing lets down any car like smeary, streaky windows. It's also almost inevitable that your car will have picked up a little light grime, dust and fingerprints by now, so that's why we always finish our exterior show detail using Crystal Glass Cleaner.

Crystal is a powerful mix of solvents, specially blended to cut through greasy films, dirt and fingerprints. The highly concentrated solution literally melts away sticky contaminants, lifting them away from the surface and making them easy to remove using a Superior Waffle Glass Cloth.

All it takes is a light spritz and a wipe to make any vehicle glass sparkle, leaving behind nothing but a streak and smear-free finish. Crystal is also suitable for use on polycarbonate windows and tinting film… just don't forget to clean the inside as well!

Finish Your Interior - It Shows!

One other part of your car that will be obvious, especially after you've just treated your windows to a crystal-clear finish, is the interior. The most visible areas include the dashboard, the top of your doorcards and the steering wheel. So, don't forget to make sure these are perfected, too

It's true to say that - assuming that the cup holders and crisp packets from the journey have been emptied - your interior should be in good condition following your preparation detail. But we all know that there will be a few contaminants to tidy up following any journey - fingerprints, dust and static-charged particles being but a few. This is where Spritz Interior Quick Detailer comes in. This all-in-one cleaner and finisher leaves behind nothing but a non-sticky, natural matte finish. It's also packed with UV inhibitors and anti-static agents to prevent fading and future dust build-up.

Application is as easy as spritzing a light mist onto a small area, and buffing with a microfibre cloth. Spritz can also be sprayed directly onto your cloth and spread across surfaces for more targeted application.

Just a few minutes with Spritz will keep your interior looking fresher for longer, offering the perfect finisher and one of the all-time great kitbag essentials.

Just those few simple steps and you'll be ready to take on any event!