7 Best Ways to Show Off Your Restored Classic Car
What if you spent all that time and money restoring a classic car but weren’t sure what to do next?
After you restore these beauties and get the right classic car insurance, it makes no sense to just keep your automobile hidden away in your garage. You need to show that bad boy off, and the best way to do so is by taking it to classic car shows.
Once you get to those shows, you’ll have a lot of competition from the other restored vehicles. How can you make sure your ride stands out from the rest? Keep reading to discover the best ways to show it off!
1. Carefully Clean Under the Hood and In the Trunk
When you’re restoring an antique car, it’s only natural to focus on the exterior of the automobile. However, we also recommend keeping the inside of your hood and trunk sparkling clean because you’ll likely need to open these areas up during the show.
Attendees love to see the hidden depths of these vehicles just as they love to see how carefully and lovingly you restored the engine. By keeping these areas clean (and protected with the right insurance), you can dazzle everyone who looks inside.
2. Pay Close Attention to Your Car’s Body
While attendees love peeking into the nooks and crannies of your ride, they’ll mostly be paying attention to the body of your vehicle. And that means you need to pay careful attention to the body before you go show off the car.
Make no mistake: this means going beyond a simple “wash and wax.” You need to carefully examine for rust, scratches, and dents, and have them taken care of by a professional. Also, consider getting replica decals or even a brand-new paint job to help the body properly stand out amid the competition.
3. Center Your Steering Wheel When You Park
When you take your restored ride to a show, you’ll probably be hoping that people want to take pictures of your automobile. To make those photographers’ lives easier, we recommend centering your steering wheel when you park.
Why is this important? On the most basic level, it makes the dashboard look better for pictures. And it also shows everyone present that you are careful when you park just as you are careful whenever you handle this beautiful (and very valuable) vehicle.
4. Create a Restoration Album
Unless they also restore classic automobiles, show attendees probably won’t understand all of the hard work you put into the restoration and how it’s different from typical car maintenance. That’s why we recommend that you take many photos of your restoration process and then display an album alongside your car.
Such an album will help everyone who flips through it better understand the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making this automobile look so good. Who knows? You might just inspire someone present to try their hand at restoring a classic!
5. Thoroughly Clean the Upholstery
As we noted before, it’s tempting when restoring your vehicle and finding the right insurance coverage to mostly focus on the body. Before you decide to show that ride off to others, you need to thoroughly clean the upholstery and just about anything else inside the vehicle.
This should go beyond just wiping down the upholstery itself. Depending on what the material is made of, you should also have your floors and floor mats steam-cleaned or vacuumed. And if you really want to impress everyone from judges to eagle-eyed attendees, be sure to wipe the dust off your radio and gauges so they look just as new as the rest of the car.
6. Add Some Fun Items to the Interior
Generally speaking, the focus of a restoration is to make a classic ride look like it did so many years ago. After the restoration is complete, though, you should consider adding a few fun items to the car’s interior to help it stand out from the competition.
For example, children get a kick out of it when you put some stuffed animals inside the vehicle. Since car shows are typically family-friendly events, putting some vintage stuffed animals inside the ride will lead to more people getting pictures in front of your hard work.
Speaking of vintage, you should consider throwing some period-appropriate items inside and turning your vehicle into something of a time capsule. For example, some classic record albums arranged inside can perfect the “throwback” vibe you were going for.
7. Polish Wheels and Grills
If you’re hoping to win the car show instead of just getting lots of positive attention, you need to go the extra mile. In this case, that means polishing the wheels and grills of your vehicle until they shine in the sunlight.
While you’re at it, make sure to clean areas like the license plate, rearview mirrors, headlights, and taillights. It may sound like overkill, but judging often comes down to two equally impressive cars, and it’s the little things like this that make the difference in whether that car comes back with a trophy inside. Plus, going that extra mile will help your car go extra miles because it will last longer.
Give Your Classic Car the Protection It Deserves!
Now you know the best ways to show off your restored vehicle. But do you know how to give that design classic the protection it deserves?
At InsureOne, we specialize in giving classic cars the best protection. We are always ready for you to get a quote online. Alternatively, you can pick up the phone and give us a quick call at 800-836-2240 or feel free to come into one of our nearby offices at your earliest convenience!