1st Place and Platinum Certified Show Winner at Eckler’s Winternationals Chevrolet Car Show in Orlando

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1st Place and Platinum Certified Show Winner at Eckler’s Winternationals Chevrolet Car Show in Orlando



Hello Mike,



Happy Birthday to you. I got your message just now and I am sorry I could not go. I just got in from a weekend at Eckler's Winternationals Chevorlet car show in Orlando . My wife took me as a B-day present to me as my birthday was a few days ago.



I can happily say that I took 1st place in my class. Not only that, I was judged and took 985 points of a 1,000 point judging, making my car Platinum Certified. The last time I competed at this show, I received 961 points and only achieved Gold Certified (Still a good score just the same). However, being able to make that leap in Platinum status was great. I feel that some of the credit for my achieving this is due to your efforts and convincing me to come to Autogeek and showing me the possibilities in making my car look great. The lessons you have shared with me as well as the terrific products offered by Autogeek made my Camaro a nationally recognized Platinum Certified show winner.



It should be said that this car show was NOT a local or small show. This show is a major annual event sponsored by Ecklers for over 20 years now and is national, bringing guys from all over the country to compete in it. Cars from as far away as California showed up along with cars driven and trailered from all over the country. Many of the cars at the show have been featured in major car magazines as well.

The Platinum Certification I received is recognized by the major players in the car world and I competed with some pretty amazing vehicles. To have been able to compete in it was incredible...to have taken first place is awesome. The Platinum Certification is beyond what I had hoped.



Up until I met you my exposure to car cleaning products was whatever was on the shelf at the auto parts store. I knew nothing beyond the basics about how to take care of my car. I have always considered myself quite proficient in many areas of car building, but my knowledge of caring for my car after all that hard work was done was not good. You can buy all kinds of magazines and watch TV shows showing you how to work on and build a great car, but there really isn't anything out there to help once all the bolts have been tightened and the paint dries.

Car magazines don't really address this area and there just aren't any TV shows showing you how to clean your car properly, what type of care is needed depending on what needs cleaning (paint, vinyl, fabric, rubber, tires, etc.). or what products to use, and what tools to use them with. I guess in the whole scheme of it, no one in the magazine and TV world considers car care "sexy" enough to go to the trouble in getting these crucial lessons out to those of us that need it most. I can easily get a magazine with an article on how to add 500 horsepower to my engine, turn hairpin turns at 80mph, and stop on a dime with 9 cents change back, but can't find a lick on how to remove swirl marks that have plagued my car like a swarm of locusts on a corn crop. All I knew was my car looked like crap and I didn't know why or how to fix it.



That is until I met you Mike. Since then, I have learned that there are so many products that are light years beyond what I have been using and there are some incredible products that can take care of my specific car needs as opposed to the "household spray cleaner and one wax for everything" approach I had been taking.



So, I want to thank you personally for taking me under your wing and allowing me to work with you on Thursday evenings for fun and learning. I also want to thank Autogeek for allowing you the opportunity to show guys like me (who were basically car cleaning Neanderthals) that car care is so much and more and can be very rewarding with the plethora of products out there that can take a basket case such as mine and make it a top notch, nationally recognized, 1st class show winner. We need more guys like you out there.

Here's some pictures...

StevesGoldCertification01.jpg


StevesGoldPlaque.jpg


StevesPlatinumCertification01.jpg


StevesPlatinumPlaque.jpg







Thanks again Mike and Happy Birthday.



Steve
 
Wow awesome man! Congrats!! This forum and the AutoGeek staff truly are great people.
 
Congrats on winning Platinum status man! Thats pretty awesome! I'm sure we were all there at one point, when we first found AG and AGO. I rememeber I wsa so amazed and overwhelmed, and still am sometimes, at all the different products for car care, as well as how to properly maintain your ride. But that first major detail job...the first time you look at your car in the sun...that feeling....man oh man thats an awesome feeling.

Congrats again man!
 
That Is Awsome.......This is a true example of the love of cars and the passion to make them look thier best!

You have A great looking car! And the fact that AG and Mike P and the rest of forum members were able to share in the experience makes that more sweeter!!!

Congrats!!!
 
Congratulations...What a great accomplishment!!

But, IMHO, another great accomplishment of yours, my good Sir, that surely came from the "bottom of your heart", is this posting of a fantastic: THANK YOU note to Mr. Phillips, and the rest of the gang at AutoGeek. :dblthumb2:


:)

Bob
 
I have to say this about teaching someone what you know...


...a post like that from a student makes it all worth while.

Whew! Gives me goose bumps. That is awesome.
 
Congrats Steve on the honors!

As for the car, you did an amazing job restoring it and bringing it to the level it is.
What an honor......Platinum....WOW...you deserve it.
I'd be proud to own a genuine piece of American automotive history, yours is truly legendary!

As for Mr Phillips, he is also a piece of automotive history and a legend in his own way. A good friend and someone always willing to give a helping hand. AG should be proud to have someone of his stature on their staff
 
The pictures of your car on this site were fantastic. The car looked perfect. I guess you have the score to back that up now too. That is awesome! Congrats!
 
Congrats Steve on the honors!

As for the car, you did an amazing job restoring it and bringing it to the level it is.
What an honor......Platinum....WOW...you deserve it.
I'd be proud to own a genuine piece of American automotive history, yours is truly legendary!

As for Mr Phillips, he is also a piece of automotive history and a legend in his own way. A good friend and someone always willing to give a helping hand. AG should be proud to have someone of his stature on their staff
Plus one on that one Robert :dblthumb2:I look forward to the next round of make overs maybe we can make another owner of a rare classic a # 1 show winner
 
Fabulous post Steve, and congratulations! I can imagine the huge smile you just put on Mike's face!
 
Fabulous post Steve, and congratulations! I can imagine the huge smile you just put on Mike's face!


I agree Rick, Steve shared a very nice success story and I'm glad to have been a part of it and yes, I did smile because our all the different things I do in my job the most rewarding part is simply helping others to get what they want and in this case it was to help Steve to get his car's finish up to the standard he had hoped for and dreamed about during the entire time he was building his 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car.

My entire career mimics this story, I meet people, usually car guys with something cool they are working on and in most cases they can get all the mechanical components up to the standard they want because it's just a matter of working with hard parts.

For example you buy a brand new water pump and right out of the box it leaks so you remove it and bolt on a replacement and you can do this with a few wrenches. While it's important to have a good seal between the pump and the block and to torque the bolts down to the proper torque setting there's not much of an "art form" to the mechanical side of a project, just using common sense and following directions.



"Polishing paint is an art form, it requires the right pads, products and tools plus the human elements of care and passion"


When it comes to creating a show car finish that's where so many people struggle and there's a number of reasons for this, like getting "good information" to start with. Heck there's a lot of detailing forums out there and hundreds of opinion on "how to do something", so for many people, finding good information is the first hurdle.

Next is finding the right products for the job and we all know there's a lot of products on the market and just as many opinions on how to use them...

So while realistically I have a very simple job in life in that I help and have helped a lot of guys learn how to polish paint the right way for decades now, for people that have invested years into building a car including the complete spectrum from frame-off restorations to home garage paint jobs, it's how the paint looks at the end of the project that makes or breaks the end result.

Steve sought out the most qualified painter he could find, maybe he'll tell the story? Here's the nutshell version, Steve found a husband & wife team that specialized in painting classic Camaros and hired them to paint his Camaro after all the mechanical restoration was finished and in my opinion they did a top notch job especially because they sprayed the orange stripe UNDER the clear and sprayed plenty of clear onto the car.

Then at some point it was sanded and buffed and a again a very good job was done but there was still room for improvement to the trained eye.

So when I first met Steve at the First Annual Gold Coast Corvette Club Car Show in this thread,

Gold Coast Corvette Club - First Annual Car Show


Look behind the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr and you can see Steve's Camaro, this is where I first met and spoke with Steve about bringing his car to Autogeek.

GoldCoastCorvetteClub095.jpg





I looked at the finish quality and told Steve I loved his car and invited him to Autogeek to "check us out" and he took me up on the offer and came to one of our "Thursday Night Autogeek's Car of the Week" events and helped us to buff out one of our project cars.

After seeing and learning first-hand how to use multiple types of tools, pads and products he decided he could trust us with his baby and brought it back for what I call a Show Car Makeover and as the saying goes... the rest is history...

1969 Camaro Pace Car - Show Car Makeover - Modeled by Michelle



Here's Steve the owner of the Camaro testing out a Porter Cable 7424XP on the hood; this is the first time he's ever machine polished and after a few minutes of machine polishing he agrees it's the only way work on clear coat paints...
1969CamaroIndyPC052.jpg




Steve decides to give the Cyclo a try...
1969CamaroIndyPC054.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC055.jpg



1969CamaroIndyPC056.jpg



Beauty Shots
Here's some beauty shots from the above thread after we removed all the swirls and scratches and then polished and waxed the paint to perfection.

1969CamaroIndyPC087.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC088.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC089.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC090.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC091.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC092.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC093.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC094.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC095.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC096.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC097.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC098.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC017.jpg


1969CamaroIndyPC019.jpg








So yeah... after reading what Steve wrote I smiled because while I have a very simple job in life I know how Steve felt about his car before coming to Autogeek and I congratulate him on his First Place Win and I along with our forum members celebrate with him because he now has the finish on his Camaro he always hoped for and dreamed about.



Congratulations!
Congratulations Steve on a well earned and deserved first place win and the Platinum Certification is just frosting on the cake!


And just as good as his first place win is, we've become good friends and that's another rewarding part of my job, the car hobby in general and the detailing world in specific attracts very high caliber people and the one thing you can never have to much of is friends like Steve.



:dblthumb2:
 
Very very nice win Steve, you and your car are very deserving of it! Love that you took one for us Camaro dudes! I also had a great experience after Mike taught me the correct way to polish, buff and machine wax my car.

After the Autogeek Show Car Makeover of my 1970 SS AKA the Green Monster won best in class in the next 3 car shows. Although these car shows were not on as grand a stage as yours, there was some very stiff compition. Each of the shows I competed in had 100 cars or more.

It was like no one ever saw this car before. Then it hit me. All the hard work at the Autogeek Show Car Garage made it happen.


Congrats again Steve on a great win! Way to represent the Camaro dudes! And thanks again to Mike for all his help. Could not have done it without you. And Happy Birthday Mike!

See ya at detail fest!


:dblthumb2:
 
After the Autogeek Show Car Makeover of my 1970 SS AKA the Green Monster won best in class in the next 3 car shows.


Congratulations Tommy!

When we talked I thought you said you won three first places at the car show you attended the Sunday after we buffed out your car... not you won first place for "Best in Class" in the next 3 car shows after bringing your car to Autogeek for a show car makeover!

Pretty cool and thanks for sharing.


For anyone reading this into the future, here's the thread for Tommy's 1970 1/2 RS SS Camaro Split Front Bumper.

1970 1/2 Camaro - Show Car Finish by Pinnacle - Modeled by Amy

Before

Okay... so when the Camaro arrived I took this picture and most people just by looking at the picture or even the car from a few feet away would die to have a custom paint job this nice....

1970Camaro001.jpg



But the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light reveals the true condition of the paint and that is a surface filled with,

  • Swirls
  • Scratches
  • Pig Tails
  • RIDS
  • Tracers
  • Micro-marring also called DA Haze
You can find a definition for all of the above in either my e-book or in this article here,

Tracers Tracers - RIDS - Pigtails - Cobweb Swirls - Rotary Buffer Swirls - Holograms - Water Spots - Bird Drooping Etchings - Micro-Marring



Check it out...

Pig Tails
If you look closely you can see a scratch that looks like the letter e in cursive writing running horizontally across the paint, this is called a Pig Tail and it generally comes from an abrasive particle that gets trapped between the paint and a sanding disc when machine sanding. The entire finish had Pig Tails plus Tracers randomly dispersed...

1970Camaro028.jpg




Micro-marring also called Tick Marks or DA Haze
The millions of tiny, small scratches highlighted by the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light are caused by improperly worked abrasives when using a DA Polisher like the Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's G110v2, Griot's Garage 6" ROP or Shurhold DA Polisher. These types of scratches are through out the entire car but you can really only see them on the black stripes not the metallic green paint. The point is that even though your eyes can't see them on the lighter colors they still cloud and dull the finish and keep you from seeing the beautiful color and/or metallic finish under the clear. These have to go!
1970Camaro029.jpg





RIDS - Random, Isolated Deeper Scratches
These types of scratches come from normal wear and tear and don't have any pattern to them thus the use of the word random in the description.

1970Camaro030.jpg



More information on RIDS here...
RIDS - The Definition of RIDS and the story behind the term...


Swirls and Scratches
What I see here is a combination of RIDS, swirls, DA Haze and Arc Scratches probably caused by wiping but they are also caused by improper use of a rotary buffer.

1970Camaro031.jpg




And just for the record, the nickname for the Brinkmann Swirl Finder Light is the Cruel Master because it's hard to please...

1970Camaro032.jpg


1970Camaro033.jpg





Not only did Tommy come to Autogeek and learn the art of polishing paint but he also brought his daughter Nicole...


Working the defects out...

A little hands-on training to get a feel for how hard to push down, how fast or s-l-o-w-l-y to move the DA Polisher and the pattern to use for consistent, repeatable results...

1970Camaro047.jpg


Being new to machine polishing Thomas and his daughter Nicole learned very quickly and were both buffing like pros after just a panel or two...
1970Camaro044.jpg



1970Camaro048.jpg



1970Camaro034.jpg



1970Camaro037.jpg





After

1970Camaro069.jpg


1970Camaro061.jpg






Thanks for adding this to Steve's thread.


:dblthumb2:
 
Sorry about the confusion Mike . Hear is the break down on the three shows . One 1st place best in show . And two best in class . I guess I was happy just to win something ! Lol
 
Sorry about the confusion Mike . Hear is the break down on the three shows . One 1st place best in show . And two best in class . I guess I was happy just to win something ! Lol

Can't wait to see the new interior....


:xyxthumbs:
 
Just to add to this thread,


Best of Show Win! - 1970 1/2 Camaro

Last weekend my good friend and fellow geek, Tommy entered his 1970 1/2 Camaro into the 2012 Cars of Dreams car show in North Palm Beach, Florida at the John Staluppi Cars of Dreams Hospice Benefit Car & Truck Show and won Best of Show!

Tommy sent me the below pictures...

TommyBestofShow01.jpg


TommyBestofShow04.jpg




:xyxthumbs:
 
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