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Spotlighter
101 SHOW-WINNING TECH TIPS
Ideas and Technical Information to Help most Showgoers
Author
Andy Williamson
Words & Photography
SOMETIMES IT IS difficult to know exactly what to do when you arrive at a new show. The judges can be finicky and we all want to do the best that we can at any show we enter. This generally means that we must please the show judges as well as the spectators. It can be kind of hard to know exactly what to do—what’s in and what’s not. The show scene is constantly changing and if you are not clued into what’s going on, you could be passed over.
Attention to the details is likely to remain supreme, such as how a car should be presented, as well as certain modifications and finishing that show judges examine. Any of this can be valuable information that, if put to use, may help you score dramatically better at a show.
We have compiled 101 show-winning tech tips that will make it a bit easier on you when you are about to get ready for a show. There are certain things you should know, along with things that you should do to your car to grab the attention of show judges and competitors alike. Staring you in the face right now are tips that will take you to the next level. Enjoy these bad boys and we look forward to seeing you at the next show.
1. You may think that if you lower your car enough at a show, judges won’t be able to tell whether your suspension and fenderwells are detailed (dirty) or not. Wrong! Also, if you don’t keep your coilover suspension clean and free from dirt and grime, it will become more difficult to maintain your car in show-quality condition.
2. We all understand that mishaps happen over time, especially with turbo cars. Take this downpipe, for example. It looks as if it had some kind of sensor welded on, possibly an EGT gauge or some other connection. Obviously it was removed, and whoever welded it up did not do a tidy job. One easy way to clean up this area is to use heat wrap around your downpipe. Not only will this clean up the pipe, but it will improve performance as well.
3. Fluidyne radiators are trick additions—and a must-have for anyone with a modified engine compartment, show scene or not. Check out this Fluidyne piece. It is connected to a stock radiator fan, when it should be connected to a Flex-a-Lite fan. An FAL fan would clean up this engine bay in a big way and it would do a better job of cooling down the modified motor.
4. Turbo Hondas are just plain awesome. We all know that there are many advantages to a Honda turbo setup. Now check out how this piping was routed on this Honda. Instead of using the factory hole that’s already there, making sure the piping is built to fit through the hole, this installer decided to hack up the area to accommodate his install. This is not a clean installation and will not score high points with show judges.
5. Show car or not, your wiring should look better than this. Check out how this wiring was routed over the shock tower. That’s not particularly attractive. Make sure to take your time and plan before you start your wiring job. Judges dislike wires sprawled all over the engine bay.
6. The first thing that you notice in this photo is the rusted wastegate (connected to the turbo manifold). This turbo manifold has been heat coated with a polished look, which is great if maintained, but this wastegate was allowed to rust. One way to dress this up is to use a can of high-temperature spray paint, available in a polished silver color, which will look better next to a manifold coated with a polished look.
7. Aluminum piping is great for many reasons, but it’s also high maintenance. As you can see, this piping is dull. Aluminum piping can be polished. Initially, this is best done mechanically and then you can maintain it by hand with Mothers polish. This will help change the look of piping and turn it into a showpiece.
8. Check out how this stainless line is run. Many times we see fuel or oil lines running crazy all over the engine bay, but this one is nicely secured to the valve cover, keeping the engine bay well organized.
9. When you have a turbocharged Honda that retains air conditioning, this is awesome. As you can see, though, heat can be a problem with the turbo sitting close to the A/C lines. This installer wrapped the A/C lines in a heat wrap to protect the lines from excessive heat, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that it can look sloppy for a show car. If you do wrap your A/C lines, make sure that you wrap the complete line carefully to make it look clean.
10. Here’s a little JDM flavor and something that looks particularly clean. Many guys who turbocharge their cars cut out the front bumper to fit the intercooler. As you see here, the intercooler fits nicely behind a painted bumper.
11. Nissan 240s have those monster radiator fans that just don’t look good. A cool trick is to swap out the factory radiator for a nice polished one and slap on a slim-line fan. This way you don’t have to cut up your factory fan shroud and make things look all messy.
12. A body kit like this needs a bit of assistance. You can either mold it to the car or use a piece of molding to make it look nice and clean. Either way will look better than just allowing the fiberglass side skirt to rattle against the side of your car.
13. An oil feed line is necessary for a turbo car. Note how this line runs across the valve cover to get to the turbo. If it weren’t covered with the silicone hose, it could mar the valve cover over time. Here you see how a red piece of silicone hose is used to cover the section of the braided line that runs across the valve cover. It looks good and it helps keep the line in place.
14. Battery corrosion happens to the best of us. Make sure that before you roll into a show, you take time to check details such as this. Pull back the battery terminal covers and make sure that you clean those terminals completely, neutralize them and coat them.
15. Installing a body kit after it has been painted can be tricky. Be careful or you may chip the paint. If this happens, you can have it touched up, but that can be tricky. It’s better that it doesn’t happen in the first place.
16. Motor mounts can be a pain to replace when they split. There are a few reasons why motor mounts split open; mainly, the motor has more power (torque) than the stock mounts were designed to handle. This can shorten mount life. There is an answer to this and one with plenty of advantages. Hasport specializes in motor mounts that are direct replacements for factory designs. Not only are they stronger than the factory mounts, but they have that show car look as well.
17. When lug nuts get all torn up like this one, it’s time to replace them. This lug nut not only looks terrible, but it also may be a pain to remove when necessary.
18. Vinyl graphics look cool, but you have to know a few things about the process so that you don’t get burned down the line. Here you can see where the vinyl used to be, because it was left on the paint for too long. The paint will fade around the sticker and can actually shrink. There is nothing wrong with vinyl stickers; you just want to make sure that you remove them periodically, wax the paint surface and apply new vinyl. Don’t leave it on longer than a couple of months at a time or it will leave an “impression” that becomes one with the paint.
19. When it comes to anodized or polished pulleys, not every engine is covered. The owner of this car took off the stock pulley and painted it himself with a cool burnt orange paint. It may not be an aftermarket pulley, but it looks just as good and is a whole lot less expensive.
20. Let’s face it, after a while carpet can get old and look worn. We have seen many guys try adding new floormats to the interior mix in an attempt to cover up anything that might look worn or old, but this generally doesn’t do the trick. Nothing beats the look of fresh, new carpets, so take a trip to your local parts supplier or dealer and pick up a fresh set of mats and carpet, or have a shop custom fit a set—it will be well worth it.
21. Wheels are awesome, but they require constant attention. We zoomed in to show you that you need to clean not only the outer face of the wheel, but also the inside of the wheel, or it can get really nasty. If left unattended, it may not clean up and brake dust can be terribly corrosive.
22. Grease, oil, grime and dirt are an engine’s worst nightmare. In this photo, you can see how a power steering connection was not properly connected and it ended up spraying power steering fluid all over the engine bay. If the engine bay is not cleaned completely of all oil film, the car will pick up dirt of all kinds when it is driven and this dirt will turn to greasy grime. This is just one of those potentially troublesome situations that will make an engine compartment look horrible. Preventive maintenance will help. Next time you clean your engine, check around to make sure that everything is fastened properly and clean up any oily deposits with degreaser.
23. SR20DET motors are great, but those plastic factory turbo tubes must go. It doesn’t take long to change the plastic parts to stainless pipes or to reroute the new piping with a front-mount intercooler. Either way, it will look better and run better, too.
24. We all hate it when our factory reservoir tanks get cracks or holes in them. It’s such a headache to have to go out and find a new replacement. Well, here’s an idea: instead of replacing the ugly factory reservoir tank with another ugly factory one, why not have someone help you make a new tank out of aluminum? This way you can polish it and give it that show car look.
25. After a time, a master cylinder can begin to look old and dingy. This is not good, especially when you are trying to build points for your show car. It doesn’t help that your motor bay looks outdated because of this unsightly appearance. Remove the cover from the master cylinder and give it a fresh coat of black, contrasting or matching paint to clean it up, or you can detail it in some other fashion.
26. Many show judges are paying far more attention to the detail that goes into the interior. We have discussed this with many of them and found that they are keeping their eyes open for such items as JDM gauge clusters. In this photo, you will see a JDM cluster for a Nissan 240. This can be a great, uncomplicated upgrade.
27. Worn, stock steering wheels look horrible. If you are building an older car, one that didn’t come with an airbag, then throw it out and pick up some slick, custom aftermarket design. It will look trick and your interior will be the better for it with that new look.
28. One of the hottest cars on a lot of peoples’ build lists is the Nissan 240. You can pick up a 240 pretty cheaply and then do a JDM conversion. If this is your plan, make sure that you don’t forget about the rear quarter glass. The 240 actually has a sticker embedded in the glass that reads 240 or 240SX. When you go to do the JDM conversion, you will want to do the rear quarter glass swap as well. The JDM glass will say something such as 180, which is the JDM counterpart to the 240. Yes, we’re getting down to the minute details.
29. When you wash your car, that doesn’t mean just the outside. Pop open the hood and give your engine a scrub. Take a look at how dirty this motor looks, but with a little tender care and a lot of elbow grease, you can have it looking as though it just came off the assembly line.
30. All you need is some Purple Power or Simple Green (either be purchased at a local parts store). Spray down the entire engine and let it sit for about 45 seconds. Then take your hose and start to spray down the motor. Be careful not to soak the air filter box and stay away from spraying water directly at the distributor cap and the spark plug wires. Washing the motor will not hurt it as long as you keep those things in mind.
31. JDM plates are hot right now. As you can see, this plate shows that this car should be a Civic. We know this by the badge saying that it is an EK9 model, and it says that it is a Type R. Badges like this are awesome, but know what you are getting. You don’t want to put an EK badge on your EF Civic. That just wouldn’t make sense.
32. You’re looking at a Honda transmission that has no badge or numbers on it. Actually, you can see where someone popped off the badge. Before you buy something off the street, make sure you know where it came from. The only reason we can think of why a tranny like this would be missing a badge is because it has been stolen. Avoid this. The last thing you want is to be caught with a stolen tranny.
33. This engine bay may look a bit normal at first, but take a look toward the throttle body. That’s right, this car was entered in a show without any kind of intake system. Definitely not good for the motor or for a show car.
34. A show car should never have a battery tiedown that looks like this. Plenty of companies offer trick battery tiedowns for all makes and models. There are custom universal billet ones as well.
35. Before entering your car in a show, make sure that you have everything ready. As you can see, this car had an intake system on it, but it was not hooked up completely and was definitely missing parts. This is not good and it can easily be fixed if you take your time.
36. We are starting to see different techniques for propping up your hood. Here you can see that a complete coilover was used to prop up the hood, which is kind of cool.
37. Graphics can add a lot to your show car. Take a look at the flames on this gold car. They look really cool and they can be done in no time.
38 A,B. When you get ready to do over your interior, take it to the next level. Instead of using vinyl, spend the extra money and buy leather or suede. To add some flavor to your interior, you can also go with a two-tone package, as this car owner did.
38 A,B. When you get ready to do over your interior, take it to the next level. Instead of using vinyl, spend the extra money and buy leather or suede. To add some flavor to your interior, you can also go with a two-tone package, as this car owner did.
39. This custom gas filler cap is trick. It came off a street bike and when installed properly, it looks super hot.
40. When you start to have custom setups such as stereos, you may want to go with a better battery than your factory unit. As you can see here, Optima makes some great batteries—and they look cool, too, in red or yellow.
41. When you go to have turbo piping made, you will usually get some kind of flange welded to the piping so that you can fasten it and keep it in place. In this photo you can see how there is a flange and there is a bolt off to the side, but they didn’t take the time to put the car together properly. This tells the judges that you don’t care what the motor bay looks like, so they won’t either. Pass!
42. If you’re going to use a wire loom to cover wires, then make sure your wires fit inside the loom. In this photo, you can see how the wires are too big to fit in the loom, making it look awkward and unfinished.
43. Stereo enclosures always help score points with the judges. Here there’s a nice enclosure for the amps, but the Plexiglas is old and scratched and should be replaced. Before you go and show your car like this, take the time to replace the Plexiglas and make it fit so that the install will look fresh and clean.
44. Race graphics are awesome. Check out this WRX: It looks so sick with race graphics. This is a hot look.
45. STR battery tiedowns are cool, but they are meant to actually tie down the battery, not just lie on top of it!
46. Judges look in all the crevices to see if the owner took the time to clean and detail the entire car. Dirt piled up in the corner of an engine bay and then sprayed over with paint is a big no-no!
47. This is different and pretty cool. Note the way the trunk door opens. The owner of this car customized the trunk in a way that brings more attention to not only the trunk lid, but the trunk in general.
48. Mugen products are always hot and well respected, but they should be used only as intended. Note the Mugen reservoir sock that is slipped over the window washer lever. This will not score points with judges.
49. Tow hooks are cool, especially if they are functional. Check out how this RSX has the tow hook coming through the front bumper—very racy looking and extremely clean.
50. This Integra’s interior has it going on. The owner completely re-did the interior with a purple, white and black theme. We love how the dash is recovered. This will score points with the judges.
51. Custom stereo enclosures are great, and they look even better when they use aluminum, like this setup. This caught our eyes and we know it will catch the judges’ as well.
52. Judges always look to see whether your headlights and taillights are clean and clear, or if they have water residue like the ones you see here. Now you know.
53. This is pretty cool. We’re not sure exactly what those toggle switches control, but they look really trick. This is a prime example of, “If you can think it up, you can have it.”
54. Now this is really sick: BMW 540 headlights on a Honda Civic. The headlight conversion is great, but check out how the front bumper flows to the headlights as it would on a BMW. That’s how it should be done!
55. Zip-tied brake reservoirs are never a good sight to see on a show car.
56. Now that’s a custom nitrous bottle stand! This will definitely catch the eyes of the judges.
57. A wire loom can be good, but it doesn’t have to look like it’s taking over your whole engine bay. This is a very busy engine bay and judges hate to see that.
58. This is a great setup showing off the rear brakes. You can even see how clean the fenderwells are. This is exactly what show judges are looking for when it comes to displays and setting up your car for a show.
59. The new APR F1 mirrors are a huge hit. They usually come in black carbon fiber. As you can see here, the owner of this car made something good even better. Instead of black carbon fiber, these little mirrors have a red tint on them, making them stand apart from the norm.
60. Colored carbon fiber hoods always seem to capture your attention a bit more than a regular carbon hood. This hood screams for attention and we saw everyone stopping in their tracks as they passed this car.
61. You never want to rush when it comes to fabrication. Note that these mirrors are not made for this car, but someone attempted to make them work. There is nothing wrong with the idea—that’s sound—but the execution needs more attention. Instead of trimming up a panel and using a wood screw to make them fit, we suggest using a professional body shop.
62. This is a killer direct-port NOS system. Look how clean everything is. The fitment is just perfect—they even went so far as to install a nitrous pressure gauge in the panel that covers the valve cover.
63. Many people use props to keep their hoods open at shows, so we asked a judge what he thought about that. He said some hood props are cool if they are done properly, but the old star-lug wrench has to go. It’s too played out and old-school.
64. This stereo setup is killer looking. Check out that huge screen; it jumps right out at you. This is a very clean setup using up-to-date products. Judges love this.
65. We have seen gull-wing doors before, but never a gull-wing roof! Check out this Honda Del Sol and its custom, gull-wing-style roof. This is trick, will definitely catch the eyes of a show judge, and will score points.
66. This was a very cool trick. We have seen it before and it never gets old: gauges mounted in the motor bay. This is a great tool to have, especially if you are dyno tuning. Other than that, it just looks trick in the engine bay.
67. Sometimes less is more. Look at this interior. Even though it doesn’t have a million things going on, it still has some unique features. Check out the dash, which has been ’glassed over and painted. Along with the black painted dash, you can see the carbon fiber accents running throughout. Very clean!
68. This is a great idea, but hard to maintain. As you can see, the header was coated white. This may look good at first, but once it gets a bit of wear and tear, this nice white exhaust manifold will begin to look very dirty. Be ready for the upkeep.
69. This is the ultimate motor. This Toyota Supra motor has been laden with tons of polished parts that look amazing. Along with the polished parts, you can see bits and pieces of anodizing and just enough color in the purple valve cover to make this motor pop. This is exactly what show judges are looking for. All of this makes sense. There is nothing there that isn’t needed and nothing needed that isn’t there.
70. At a show such as Import Revolution, you can show off your muscles. You will see many performance-oriented cars showing off their stuff. Check out this RX-7. The hood is off for a reason—to show judges that this car has some serious muscle. If you have a car that has a beautiful motor, you want to show it off like this as well.
71. This is a killer stereo setup, definitely bringing it back. As you can see, there is a cool turntable just floating from the roof, but that’s not all. Check out the TV monitors. Obviously there are cameras somewhere in the setup, because you can see the whole stereo on the TV monitors. Very trick!
72. We have seen some really weird things next to cars. We’ve never understood why people would bring out their stuffed animals to place around the car, but whatever turns you on. This in no way gains points with judges. It’s probably safe to say that the stuffed animals are better left at home.
73. Special effects are cool at car shows. Check out this RX-7 surrounded by smoke. This will definitely draw some attention to your car.
74. Doing a motor swap is a great idea. There are some things that you will want to remember, however. Make sure that you have all your motor mounts installed. Look at the bottom right of this motor—it’s missing a mount. That’s not good for obvious reasons and show judges will hate it.
75. A nice fresh paint job on your car is great, but make sure you paint the whole thing. Check out this paint job. It’s nice and shiny red outside, but once the hood is cracked open, you see that they didn’t paint the motor bay.
76. Old-school wheels are making a big-time comeback. We are seeing more and more people looking for old wheels, such as these Racing Hart wheels. Judges like to see you going the distance to bring back this flavor.
77. If you’re going to have your car at a show, make sure that you at least wipe off the road dust. This photo was taken at a show where this car should have been immaculate.
78. Here’s a trick little setup: Note the JDM one-piece headlights for this EF-bodied Civic. This is a very hard part to find and one that is really trick looking.
79. Here’s a unique way to mount gauges. Luckily this owner/builder took his time when installing these gauges in the dash. We have seen some very messy-looking gauge setups, so plan your installation carefully.
80. This motor is great looking. This is a Zetec motor that has a Gude turbo kit installed. It is a very clean install.
81. Turbo piping: We don’t mean to beat on this topic, but it can sometimes get in the way of things. As you can see, the bumper had to be cut to fit the piping. This is fine if it’s done neatly and cleanly. Otherwise, it would be better to run the piping so that it won’t interfere with the bumper.
82. Chrome vinyl is cool, but it is worse for your paint than regular vinyl, which (as we mentioned previously) needs to be replaced regularly. If you want to use chrome vinyl, use it only as a temporary tool to draw attention at a show. Never leave this stuff on longer than a week or so. It is very difficult to get off and we have seen chrome vinyl take paint with it when it is removed.
83. Having a theme for your car is cool if it has some type of meaning. Pulling cotton across the car’s hood to give it a cobweb look doesn’t really make sense, unless you are Spider Man.
84. Could we be seeing a new trend here? Suicide doors infiltrating the tuner scene? Here’s a good look at a PT Cruiser with a killer set of suicide doors. If it’s done right, it will always look good.
85. Another thing that judges hate to see is a car which is only half-done. If you’re going to paint your car, you should paint the whole thing. It’s probably best that you don’t paint your car in sections, starting with the front bumper.
86. If you want to show off your car in a way that will attract judges, you may want to put some serious thought into it. As you see in this photo, these folks tried to jack up the car with a factory car jack to make it look aggressive, but they left the jack and the handle out in the open where everyone can see it. Judges won’t score well here.
87. Chroming your suspension parts scores big points with the judges. It’s not always easy to do and sometimes it’s very hard to keep clean, but once you have your car on display showing off your stuff, it’s all worth it.
88. Tubes of neon should never be seen. You should see only the effects of neon, not the bulb itself.
89. Front-mount intercoolers are great. We love to see them flush-mounted to the front of the bumper, as you see here. This is an awesome look and one that is very aggressive.
90. This is a killer stereo setup because of its effect. Check out how the stereo shines with the effect of the neon. Very cool!
91. Big brakes are starting to become the norm these days. Everyone wants them because they give you incredible stopping power, along with great looks. Every show car should be equipped with a good braking system.
92. Taillight conversions are still big. This Skyline conversion on the Accord is done very well, resulting in a killer appearance overall.
93. This is a great shot of how bodywork should be done. Note the trunk keyhole: the whole trunk has been shaved except for this little keyhole. This may sound like no big deal, but they had to put in a lot of work to make it look that clean. Judges think it is a big deal.
94. This wide-body is killer. As you can see, the body flows very well. It is a great effect and will score big with the judges.
95. JDM stickers are cool. This is a sticker that came off a car in Japan. You usually find them on Hondas. This may seem like something minor, but it’s one of those things that if we can’t have it, we want it really badly!
96. MR2 taillights always look cool. Toyota did a great job designing these taillights. Having said that, they make for a great taillight on which to do a conversion. As you can see, this Civic went all out with the MR2 conversions and it is perfect.
97. Proper lighting is essential at an HIN event. Check out how this interior is perfectly lit up.
99. A sign such as this one is great to have at a show. It draws people to your car and gives them something to expect while enjoying it.
98. This will be the next big craze in the show scene. Lambo-style doors will reign here for the next couple of years. Get them while they’re hot. Contact Decah (www.decah.net) for your bolt-on kit or call our pals at JT Autostyle (www.jtautostyle.com).
100. This car has a ton of race in it, but it has been executed in such a way that it would wipe the floor at any tuner event here in the U.S. Note the use of aluminum across the front. It’s very clean and extremely aggressive.
101. Take a look at this distribution block for vacuum lines. This is an awesome way to clean up your engine bay and it looks great.