Today’s special guest post is courtesy of Black Magic Fan and Avid Car Enthusiast, Gary “Gooch” Honaker.
It’s fun to attend car shows and view the works of art that can actually be driven. People always say that most of the crowd at car shows dreams about owning one of these creative, and often historical, beauties themselves.
Speaking to the owners of these vehicles gives one a rare insight into the time, attention to detail and labor of love that goes into this passion of the heart. As an owner of a classic car, I’m always more than happy to oblige – and today is no exception.
Maybe you’re wondering “what would it take to enter one of my vehicles into an event?” My answer would go something like this:
There are several things to consider and many decisions to be made prior to participating.
For instance:
- Which/what type of vehicle to enter.
- What type of show are you entering? e.g. parking lot show or national event.
- Are you entering a show-n-shine or a judged event?
- What class to enter?
- If there is racing involved, are you going to enter?
- What products to use and how to use them?
These are important questions to ask yourself because the answers will determine what type and what level of detailing is necessary to participate.
Determining the type of car you will enter is based upon your current inventory. If you only have one vehicle and it is your daily driver and is in good condition e.g. decent paint and interior, then you have a good starting baseline.
Next, you need to choose the types of interior and exterior cleaners and detailers you’ll use.
Now, let’s educate you.
Think of this as a recipe for success. Here is a list of “ingredients” you will need:
- A non-abrasive and mild car detergent like Black Magic Wet Shine Car Wash.
- Clay bar (if needed)
- Micro-fiber towels (Spend money for good ones).
- Wax
- Engine shine
- Leather care
- Interior protectant wipes
- Wheel and tire cleaner
- Wheel buffer (Black Magic Bullet)
- Tire and wheel wet detailer
- Detailing brushes
All of these products are produced by Black Magic (with exception of the micro-fiber towels) and may be obtained at most automotive supply stores or family dept. stores such as Walmart.
The following are the steps I take to prep my classic Corvette for a show:
Cleaning
Engine
Start with an engine degreaser that will not harm electronics. When choosing a product, it’s important to know whether your engine bay be sprayed with water. For example, Corvette LT1 engines cannot be sprayed with water due to the opti-spark. It will ruin it and require replacement, which is not cheap. Read your owners manual. If it cannot be sprayed, wiping with a cleaner will suffice.
Exterior
NEVER, and I mean NEVER, clean the exterior by running your vehicle through an automatic car wash system and NEVER use high pressure spraying systems at drive-in car washes. I realize that this is quick and easy, but both will strip clear coat and protective layers from your paint and will not completely remove debris.
- Hand wash the exterior. Do this in the morning or early evening because heat will bake soap and water onto the paint. Use a cloth car wash mitten, not a sponge. Sponges trap dirt/debris and will score the paint (ever notice the swirl marks?).
- Clean wheels and tires using a spray on wheel and tire cleaner or car detergent. If you decide not to use a spray on wheel and tire cleaner you can hand clean them. You can use a sponge for this as wheels are more durable than paint. Use a scrub brush to clean the tires.
- Dry paint using micro-fiber towels.
- Dry wheels using a regular towel.
- Wash micro-fiber towels and regular towels separately because they are used for different applications. Regular towels are used in the engine bay and on the wheels so they pick up more abrasives due to the nature of the environment they are used in. You do not want those abrasives embedded into your micro-fiber towels
Interior
- Vacuum and remove all trash, excess items and fast food remnants. I’m sure you’re not going to eat it later.
- Use a damp micro-fiber towel to wipe dash, steering wheel and all other panels.
Detailing
If you can, move your vehicle into the garage or shaded area. Note: Do not park underneath trees due to sap residue.
Engine
- Dry engine bay with a towel.
- Use an engine detailer such as Black Magic 2-in-1 Engine Shine
Exterior
- If you feel “bumps” in the paint using the back side of your hand, then you will need to clay bar your paint and then rewash. NOTE: Use the back side of your hand when touching paint. The oils from your finger tips can degredate your protective coating. Plus, it will leave oily marks.
- Apply liquid wax and remove. I use a polishing orbital buffer. Use micro-fiber towels if removing by hand.
- You can use an exterior molding protectant to provide a nice shine that will look like new. I use a UV type protectant.
- Polish wheels with a Black Magic Bullet and BM Titanium wheel polish.
- Apply tire detailer. You will need to determine if you like a wet look or a matte look. Black Magic makes both. I usually apply it and then wipe it to remove excess and splaying when I drive.
Interior
- Dust with detailing brushes to get to the hard to reach spaces such as air vents. I use Black Magic Detailing Brush pack because it comes with different size brushes.
- Clean windows with a foam type cleaner.
- Wipe interior panels with either a spray or wipe based protectant. You will need to decide if you like it shiny or natural looking. Black Magic provides both. I use a natural look.
- Clean any leather including steering wheel. It will not only clean, but will provide a layer of protection from harsh sun and UV rays.
Day Of Show
Ensure that you pack a detailing bag that includes micro-fiber towels, detailing spray, tire and wheel detailer and interior detailing wipes or spray.
Once you get to the show and enter, you will need to perform a minor level of detailing to remove dust, minor road debris and bugs.
Perform a quick detailing and relax. Go view the other vehicles and chat with the owners. Trust me; asking a car guy to talk about his car is about as hard as breathing. God help anyone that chats with me about my car. I’ll hold them hostage for days.
Do These Methods Work?
You be the judge!
This is my 25 year old original 1984 Corvette with 100,000 miles. It is fully documented and has won three national events and is considered a “Bow-Tie” survivor by GM.



