5. POLISHING IS THE KEY

Contrary to popular belief, polishing–not waxing–is the single most important step in properly detailing a car. The polishing products you use and how you apply them largely dictate your car’s level of shine. We’ve had good luck with polishes from Meguiar’s, Griot’s and P21S.

6. WAX OFFERS PROTECTION

Automotive wax’s primary purpose is to make your polish job last longer. Properly applied wax also makes subsequent cleanup easier, as the wax gives provides a layer of protection that keeps dust and dirt from sticking. Swissvax is one example of a company that makes high-quality, carnauba-based concours waxes that apply easily and smell lovely.

7. YOUR EYE SEES CONTRAST

Humans subconsciously pick up on sharp delineations and prefer contrast. Blacks should be saturated black. Chrome should shine. There should be few, if any, gray areas on your car. When mounting our Mini’s tires, a wheel became chipped. We painted that chip. To create definition, we treated our tires with a dedicated tire prep product.

8. DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

When every car is nearly perfect, concours judges are looking for subtle differences. To set our Mini apart, we painted the bolts that got chipped when tightened. Other things that judges like: factory markings in the engine compartment, correct hose clamps, and batteries that appear period-correct.