Preparing Your Car For Shows On The Go

Follow Our Ultimate Show Prep Guide To Make Sure Your Car Looks Its Best At Any Event!

The show season is in full swing, and while the British weather might change from one weekend to the next, many of us are eager to head out to our favorite events. With so many car shows throughout the season, how can you ensure your car stands out and looks its best for those important displays?

It's key to remember that car show prep involves two main stages: the detailing you do at home before the event and the final touches you apply once you arrive. Since most of us drive our cars to the event, we’ll want to complete a few quick tasks on the day itself.

So, how do you get your car looking its best before the show, and how do you keep it looking pristine during the event? What quick finishing touches and detailing products will elevate your car to an even higher standard?

That’s exactly what we’re here to help you with…

Pre-Show Detailing

Whether you’re showcasing a full-on show car or a daily driver you’d like to display, effective pre-show preparation is crucial to ensure your car looks its best at the event.

The key is to get your vehicle—especially the paintwork—up to the desired standard before leaving. After that, it's all about maintaining the look and adding a few finishing touches.

There are four essential stages to the process: safe washing, decontamination, polishing/paint correction, and adding gloss and protection. Each of these is critical to achieving the final finish and should be completed before the event. After all, it's practically impossible to do some of these properly on-site, and even if you could, you’d miss the whole event!

So, start with a thorough detail, and don’t forget to clean the engine bay and interior. The time and effort you invest will depend on the condition of your paintwork and how in-depth you want to go with correction. Once everything is done, we have a few additional tips—and some amazing products—to make the process easier, deliver maximum aesthetic results, and ensure future prep is a breeze!

Clean, Enhance & Protect With Tripple

You may already be familiar with Tripple All-in-One Polish for enhancing paintwork and restoring gloss plastics, whether applied by hand or with a machine polisher. However, it's important to note that Tripple is also the ideal solution for more challenging areas, like under door handles, in the jambs, wheels, and various other painted, gloss plastic, or carbon fiber surfaces. Tripple truly lives up to its versatile reputation.

This product uses advanced diminishing abrasives to remove oxidation and address light scuffs and swirls. And the best part? It's incredibly easy to use.

Simply take a Microfibre Applicator, Polish Pad, or short-pile Microfibre Work Cloth and work a small amount of product into the surface to break down the abrasives. Once the residue hazes, wipe it away, fold your cloth, and buff to a warm, glossy finish. You'll notice an immediate difference, and since Tripple is infused with carnauba wax, it also provides excellent protection. In this way, Tripple effectively cleans, enhances, and protects all in one application, making it an essential product in any detailing kit.

Protect Your Paintwork

When it comes to finishing your paintwork after polishing, enhancement, or paint correction, applying protection is absolutely essential. We can’t stress this enough!

Without proper protection, you risk undoing all the hard work you've put into your detail, especially for shows or summer events. For the best results, we always recommend layering two coats of one of our Signature Hard Waxes, as it offers unbeatable shine and protection.

The key benefit of protection layers is that they improve the visual quality of your paintwork by helping to level out its optical finish. Paint is not perfectly flat—there are tiny imperfections in the surface that scatter light and highlight flaws, making the surface appear less reflective. A protective layer smooths these imperfections on a microscopic level, allowing light to reflect more evenly, giving your paintwork a deeper, glossier appearance.

Car waxes, in particular, contain a small amount of natural impurities (unlike clear ceramic coatings or sealants), which bend the light and give off a warm, radiant glow. This glow is one of the reasons why many detailers consider the finish from a hard wax to be unmatched in its visual appeal.

The added benefit of protective layers is that they help shield your paint from the elements, making it easier to repel grime, bead water, and simplify cleaning for the show.

Whichever protection you choose, applying it correctly means that, when you arrive at your event, all you'll need is a quick spritz of Finale Quick Detailer to remove any light surface soiling.

Boost That Rich, Glossy Finish Even Further

While we’ve mentioned that nothing beats the depth and gloss of a hard wax, there is one exception—paintwork treated with Ultra Glaze Paint Glaze underneath.

Paint glazes are invaluable for getting the best out of both your paint and wax, and in many ways, they’re the professional secret to achieving a truly show-winning finish.

Ultra Glaze is a non-abrasive blend of synthetic polymers that serves multiple purposes. First, it reduces the visibility of fine scratches and swirl marks by physically filling them in, masking these defects from view. This unique formula also enhances the gloss and clarity of your paint, providing the perfect base for additional enhancement with your hard wax. On its own, Ultra Glaze deepens darker colors, brightens reds, and leaves a wet-gloss finish. When paired with a suitable wax, it takes your paintwork to an even greater level of depth and shine, all while offering long-lasting protection.

Most importantly, Ultra Glaze is designed to be fast, easy to apply, and incredibly versatile. Whether applied by hand with a Microfibre Applicator or Polish Pad, or by machine polisher, it’s a simple step that delivers a flawless result.

Protect You Wheels

Aside from your paintwork, one of the most important areas to protect after detailing is your wheels. Due to the high temperatures they experience while driving, wheels require a different product compared to the paint. Heat isn’t just transferred from your brakes during use; your wheels also need protection from hot brake dust.

That’s why, when driving your perfectly prepared show car to an event, your wheels deserve special attention. Applying Mint Wheels Wheel Wax ensures that harsh contaminants can’t stick, making cleaning them much easier. In fact, once you’ve applied this, all you'll need for your show is a quick wipe down with Finale Quick Detailer.

Mint Rims is a specially designed, high-temperature synthetic wax that’s suitable for all wheel finishes. It effectively repels hot brake dust, salt, and road grime. Like natural wax, it delivers a high-gloss finish, but it’s durable enough to withstand up to 3 months of extreme conditions.

To apply, use a Foam Applicator or Dual Foam Applicator to spread a thin, even layer over the entire wheel. Buff off the residue immediately with a short-pile Microfibre Work Cloth. Mint Rims doesn’t require curing time, so you can layer up 2-3 coats for maximum protection.

Restore Your Glass With Vision

Lastly, don’t overlook your vehicle’s glass, especially on older cars or daily drivers. These areas often need a bit more attention, and you certainly don’t want dull windows and mirrors taking attention away from the other standout features of your car, like the paintwork.

For stubborn stains and general glass restoration, Vision Glass Polish is your go-to product. This powerful blend of light abrasives and deep-cleaning solvents works both mechanically and chemically to break down grease and grime on a molecular level, removing even the most embedded contaminants. Additionally, Vision excels at filling light scratches, bringing clarity and life back to tired glass surfaces.

Unlike many traditional glass polishes, Vision is designed to be incredibly user-friendly. Simply apply a few drops to a Microfibre Applicator or Polish Pad, work it into the surface with gentle pressure, and buff away the residue and grime with a clean microfibre cloth. For more intensive restoration, you can also use Vision with a machine polisher.

For the best results, we recommend using Vision in conjunction with our Glass Waffle cloth. Its specially designed microfibre weave locks away debris in the pockets, ensuring a safe and effective deep clean.

Detailing At The Event

This is where the maintenance and final finishing steps come into play, though the amount of work required will depend on your car’s condition when you arrive.

Keep in mind that any vehicle heavily contaminated from a long drive through poor weather will need a full maintenance wash, regardless of the protection applied. There’s no shortcut to preventing swirl marks on heavily soiled paintwork. If your car looks like it needs a pre-wash and a two-bucket contact wash, it likely does.

However, for light contamination – such as after a reasonable drive in a well-protected car – maintaining and finishing to a show-ready standard is a straightforward process, as long as you use the right products and techniques.

Cleaning & Finishing The Exterior

Typically, the areas most impacted by your drive will be the wheels, lower sections, rear end, and possibly the front bumper. These will be the dirtiest spots, so it’s best to leave them until last to avoid transferring grime onto cleaner areas. That said, you’ll still want to give the entire car a quick once-over to remove any dust, pollen, or fingerprints that may have accumulated on the journey.

Finale Quick Detailer is a true multitasker, perfect for cleaning and finishing on the go. It works by gently lifting and lubricating light contaminants (including brake dust on protected wheels), allowing them to be safely wiped off with a microfiber cloth. This water-based formula is safe for use on all surfaces, including paint, vinyl wraps, glass, and trim. Plus, it’s infused with carnauba wax to add protection and enhance the signature wax glow.

Highly versatile for show cleaning, Finale can be used in two ways. The most common method is to tackle one panel at a time, starting with the cleanest areas and finishing with the wheels. Simply spray Finale onto the surface and gently wipe away any grime. It’s a fast, easy way to leave surfaces spotless.

For optimal results on paint, use a deep-pile cloth, such as our Ultra Plush or Primo Plush Microfiber towels. These towels are designed to trap dirt deep within their fibers, preventing larger particles from touching the paint and minimizing the risk of swirl marks. In this way, Finale is ideal for quick dusting and fingerprint removal throughout the day.

Limited-Water Wash

The second method for using Finale is for a limited-water wash, which is perfect for events, including indoor ones, and can handle slightly heavier soiling.

To do this, simply add around 50ml of Finale to each litre of fresh water in your Detailing Bucket. This wash solution can then be used to wipe down the entire vehicle, panel by panel, with an Ultra Soft Wash Mitt. The Finale in the solution will help lift and lubricate the grime, allowing it to be safely wiped off without causing scratches.

The key is to avoid letting any solution dry on the panels, so always follow up with an Aqua Deluxe or Silk Drying Towel to mop up any excess. This ensures a streak-free finish.

For more information on limited-water washing, check out our full article - How to Perform an Indoor Wash and Show Car Detail.

Get Rid Of That Bug Splatter

Summer driving often leads to bug splatter, especially during the early morning and evening hours. The issue with bug debris is that it's acidic, primarily because bugs feed on acidic substances like fruit and berries. If left on the surface for too long, bug splatter can etch through protective layers and damage the paintwork, requiring polishing to fix any defects.

The good news is, removing bug splatter doesn't need to be difficult, even at a show. On a clean, protected car, you can easily tackle the debris with Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover and a microfibre Work Cloth.

During a typical pre-wash stage, Citrus Power serves as a powerful yet gentle pre-cleaner that breaks down stubborn road grime, bug splatter, and heavy soiling, allowing it to be rinsed away with your pressure washer. However, it can also be used effectively for spot treatment of bug splatter without the need for rinsing, which is especially useful at events where water is unavailable.

Simply spray directly onto the splatter and let the product dwell for a few seconds. Then, saturate your microfibre cloth and gently work it into the surface to remove the splatter. Once the contamination is gone, wipe away any excess with a fresh part of your cloth. Citrus Power is also ideal for events since it won't strip away waxes, coatings, or sealants.

Finish up by spritzing some Finale to ensure no residue remains, while also topping up your protection.

Boosting The Gloss On Paintwork & Vinyl Wraps

In our opinion, nothing beats the look of a hard wax at showtime. That’s why our Signature Wax Collection includes a variety of options for different paint types and applications. Waxes provide exceptional, long-lasting protection. If applied correctly, you've already done most of the work — much of the grime and water will practically wipe off on the drive to the show! However, if you need a quick top-up or an even faster alternative to a hard wax, Glisten Spray Wax is your go-to.

Glisten is an advanced spray-on formula suitable for all paint finishes and vinyl wraps. It’s perfect for reaching the tough spots, like panel gaps and shuts, while also offering a quick way to enhance your hard wax and add a brilliant, high-gloss shine.

To use, simply mist a light layer over half a panel at a time, spread it with a microfiber cloth, and buff to a gleaming finish. It’s incredibly easy to use, and a little goes a long way!

Tackle Your Trim

Dressle All Purpose Dressing is one of our top showtime essentials, known for its versatility. This water-based formula contains no waxes, oils, or petroleum distillates, making it safe for all plastic and rubber surfaces.

Designed for a dry-touch, non-greasy finish, Dressle is perfect for interior plastics like your dashboard, as well as exterior matte trim, arch liners, and even engine bays.

For easy application, spray the product onto a cloth and wipe it over surfaces. For larger areas like engine bays or arch liners, simply spray directly onto the surface, then either wipe away any excess with a microfiber cloth or let it air dry — it’s that simple!

Alternatively, Dressle can be used in the wash stages of your pre-show detail. After cleaning your engine bay with Eradicate Engine Degreaser and rinsing away grease and grime, spray a generous amount of Dressle onto the wet bay. Close the bonnet and allow it to cure for 4-6 hours. If desired, finish by wiping away any excess.

Clean Your Tyres

A car isn't truly ready for a show without spotless tyres, right? However, tyres tend to collect dirt during the drive to any event, and simply applying a dressing to dirty tyres won't give you the best results. At best, grime prevents the dressing from bonding properly; at worst, it creates a messy finish.

Achieving clean, showroom-ready tyres is a simple two-step process. First, clean the tyres using Tread Tyre Cleaner, then follow up with your preferred tyre dressing.

Tread is a unique, fast-acting formula of powerful cleaners and degreasers that breaks down tough road grime on contact. During a regular maintenance wash, we use this product with our Rubber Scrubber Tyre Brush to remove heavy soiling before rinsing. For lighter soiling at a show, simply spray Tread onto a microfibre cloth and work it into the sidewalls to lift and wipe away grime. This method eliminates the need for rinsing and, most importantly, thoroughly cleans the rubber, ensuring your tyre dressing adheres properly. This not only enhances the look of your dressing but also helps it last longer.

Remember To Dress Your Tyres

When it comes to finishing your tyres, we offer two premium dressings to choose from.

Satin Tyre Crème is a water-based formula that nourishes the rubber while leaving a natural satin or matte finish. This thick cream should be applied using a Tyre Spot Pad or Tyre and Trim Applicator. Its unique, layerable formula allows you to achieve a subtle satin sheen with a single coat, or build up to a deep gloss with multiple applications.

Gloss Tyre Dressing delivers an instant, show car-style dripping wet gloss. This silicone-based formula is designed as a spray-on product, but can also be applied with an applicator for more precise coverage when needed.

Don't Forget The Metal

As they say, the details make all the difference! Mercury Metal Polish is the go-to product for restoring the shine to bare metal brightwork, polished engine parts, wheel lips, and stainless-steel exhaust tips.

Mercury is a high-performance abrasive compound that combines deep-cleaning solvents to swiftly eliminate oxidation and tarnishing. It works by cutting through stubborn contaminants, revealing the original metal beneath. Safe for all bare metal surfaces, it can be applied with a microfibre Work Cloth or Microfibre Applicator, gently worked into the surface, and buffed to a brilliant shine.

For heavily contaminated bare metal areas, Mercury Xtreme Metal Polish offers a more aggressive formula with slightly coarser abrasives, making it perfect for tough cleaning jobs.

Sparkling & Streak-Free Glass

There’s no denying it—nothing detracts from a car’s appearance like streaky, smeared windows. And, chances are, your car has accumulated some light grime, dust, and fingerprints along the way. That’s why we always finish our exterior show detail with Crystal Glass Cleaner.

Crystal is a potent blend of solvents, designed to cut through greasy films, dirt, and fingerprints. This highly concentrated formula dissolves sticky contaminants, lifting them off the surface for easy removal with a Superior Waffle Glass Cloth.

A quick spritz and a wipe is all it takes to make any glass sparkle, leaving behind a flawless, streak-free finish. Crystal also works on polycarbonate windows and tint films—just don’t forget to clean the interior too!

Finish Your Interior

Another area that will stand out, especially after you've just achieved crystal-clear windows, is the interior of your car. The dashboard, door tops, and steering wheel are among the most visible spots, so don't overlook these when perfecting your car’s appearance.

While your interior should be in decent shape after your initial detail—assuming you’ve cleared out any cups or snacks from the journey—there will always be some contaminants to clean up, like fingerprints, dust, and static-charged particles. That’s where Spritz Interior Quick Detailer comes in. This all-in-one cleaner and finisher leaves a non-sticky, natural matte finish, plus it contains UV inhibitors and anti-static agents to help prevent fading and future dust build-up.

To use, simply spritz a light mist onto a small area and buff with a microfibre cloth, or spray directly onto the cloth for more precise application. Just a few minutes with Spritz will keep your interior looking fresh, making it a perfect finisher and an essential tool for your kit.

Follow These Easy Steps, And You'll Be All Set To Shine At Any Event!