Preparation

A guide to preparing cars

It is apparent to the organisers of the event that many of the clubs that regularly display cars on the day are not entering a team simply because they don't know how to go about preparing their cars for the competition.

Many clubs assume that one of the usual teams will always win. Not necessarily! Consul, Zephyr, Zodiac did it twice. More variety would be most welcome. There are financial incentives for your club too.

YOUR CLUB CAN WIN!

• Plan ahead. Appoint someone to manage your team well in advance of the event.
• Cars don't need to be fresh restorations, or new, just very clean and original.
• Don't expect the car's owner to do all the work alone. What owners would decline having their club clean their car? A very ordinary car can be transformed by 'many hands' in a short time leading up to the event.
• Pool the resources of all the useful trades-people on your membership. Seek advice on cleaners, solvents, paints, etc. Get the car up on jack stands; wheels off and remove all the easy bits.
• Make a list of willing club members and roster them to work in groups in evenings and weekends, e.g. give four a wheel arch each. When you think it's clean, swap them around and they'll do what the first person missed. If you can get both cars together under one roof it can become a good social event.
• Many people think its crazy, but concourses are won with cotton buds and toothbrushes. That pay-out your club gets from the Intermarque Concours will more than cover the cost of some cleaning supplies. Attention to detail is essential. You must clean everything, everywhere, right down to inside the tail pipe!
• Worn or unoriginal parts, tool kits, documentation and handbooks can be swapped, stolen or borrowed from other cars. Have the clubs 'old hands' check originality.
• Start with a water blaster, steam cleaner or a trip to "Washworld" (take your own ramps) and save a lot of labour on degreasing the engine and underside.
• If you can't clean it then paint it or plate it. Touch up bombs and paint pencils are essential. Use plenty of newspaper and masking tape.
• If you can't hide a defect at least make it spotlessly clean. You'll lose fewer points. Wax, Armourall and silicone everything, but not the pedal rubbers or anything else that could compromise safety!

The Ellerslie Intermarque Concours and Classic Car Show Incorporated, PO Box 99-272, Newmarket, Auckland.  Email: info@concours.org.nz