Spring is here-it's time to get your Pontiac out of its winter hibernation to prepare for this year's upcoming car shows and drag races. If you live in a perfect world, you had your faithful hired servants meticulously detail your Pontiac before winter came, following all of the storage procedures outlined in "35 Winter Storage Tips" (HPP, Feb. '09); then you stored your Pontiac in a climate-controlled, space-age bubble that even the H1N1 flu virus couldn't penetrate.
Let's face it, though, you probably don't live in a perfect world. At the first sign of sub-freezing temperatures, you quickly put your Pontiac in the garage or under its car cover and said, "There's plenty of time later to take care of those storage steps." Then came Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, and before you know it, it's spring and your Pontiac is in the same condition you parked it in last fall-if time and climate have taken their toll, it may even be worse.
That's why HPP brings you two checklists to follow before you bring your Pontiac out for the 2010 season: a Car Show Preparation Checklist and a Drag Racing Preparation Checklist.
For car show participants, we asked Trans Am Nationals judge Scott Scheel to give us a 15-point checklist of what you should do before you take your Pontiac to the show field after its winter nap, even if you put it away fully detailed last winter.
For the drag racers, we asked Pure-Stock racer Mark Weymouth to give us a 15-point checklist on what you should do to your Pontiac racecar before taking it to the starting line for the first time this year.
2010 Car Show Preparation Checklist
By: Scott Scheel
• Safety first! Check belts, hoses, fluids, filters, tires (air pressure, tread depth, sidewalls for cracking), lights, wipers, and horn for proper operation. Change and/or top off fluids and replace wear items as necessary.
• Thoroughly wash the vehicle. Pay special attention to areas where dirt tends to collect: door jambs, cowl/firewall, fenderwells, ahead of the core support, radiator/condenser, inside bumpers, trunk surround, and undercarriage-especially in the rear around the springs, axle, and gas tank. This is a good time to put a little clean engine oil on hinges and latches. Wipe up drips and runs.
• Spend some time on your back removing tar and road debris from the vehicle's lower extremities.
• Touch up any rock chips or scratches. The main problem areas are the rockers, the lower half of the quarter-panels, and the front fascia/header panel, as well as the front spoiler and air deflectors on Trans Ams. If you are up to it, you can build the touch up in layers and color-sand it smooth.
• If you drive your Pontiac (which we always strongly encourage!), you will likely want to use a quality swirl remover and foam pad to remove any film or fine scratches from last season. Follow that with a good coat of your favorite wax. Wax everything that's body color, especially door jambs, rocker panels, and spoilers, as these attract dirt and are much easier to keep clean if protected by a layer of wax.
• Grab some old toothbrushes and/or cotton swabs and remove the wax from all the crevices: hood, door, and trunk-panel gaps; around moldings, nameplates and decals. Follow the toothbrush with a clean microfiber towel to pick up the residue left behind.