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Annual
Concours
d’ Elegance
PCA - Hawai‘i Region
October 28, 2001 at the
Aloha Tower Marketplace
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October is traditionally concours month
at PCA-Hawai‘i. The fourth weekend will mark our opportunity
to once again prepare, clean, and display our cars. The
annual concours is back and a great turnout is expected.
The Aloha Tower Marketplace will again be the site and Sunday,
October 28th will be the date. So get busy and bring that
pride and joy back to its original beauty. Let all of Hawai‘i
see our Porsche owners’ pride. We will start parking
the cars about 8:30 a.m., with everyone in place by 9:30.
Final prep will continue until the judging begins at 10:00.
Following the judging will be an awards presentation. An
optional lunch (the last two years at Brew Moon, Ward Centre)
will cap off the event.
In Hawai‘i a Concours d’ Elegance is a participation
event. Everybody comes out and has a good time. Not that
we aren’t serious about Porsches -- just that our concours
is relaxed and low-key, with the emphasis on getting together
for a good time around our P Cars. For that reason, there
is a Wash ‘n Wax Award for the daily driver
to just do minimal prep and come on down. This category
is for judging on exterior only, with interior, trunk, and
hood remaining shut and uninspected. Couldn’t be simpler.
There is also a Modified/Competition Award for members
whose cars have been customized for street or track. As
in the past, a People's Choice Award will go to the
entrant whose car -- regardless of class -- knocks everybody’s
socks off. Each member gets one vote. Judging for the other
categories will be like previous years with a separate judge
for exterior, interior, engine compartment, and storage
compartment. Total number of class divisions will depend
on entrants, with a potential for eleven classes, plus the
People's Choice Award.
Here’s the pitch: this is an event that takes a little
planning , so please make your commitment now so
that we can order awards and do what we have to do. Just
showing up on Sunday is easy on you, but hard on the volunteers.
Fill out and mail in the enclosed entry form today. The
fee is $25 and includes a PCA-Hawai‘i T-shirt. Entries
must be received by Thursday, October 25. Late entry/day
of event: $35.
Printable
entry form - click here
opens in a new window
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How To
clean and protect your Porsche:
Tips for that Winning Concours Look
by Pierre Bonnet,
EURO SHINE
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To get your beautiful Porsche ready for the annual October
concours, I’d like to give you some tips on how to
prepare your car to show to its best advantage and, at the
same time, to protect your priceless and beloved investment.
First, the twin dangers that can attack your Porsche every
day in Hawai‘i:
HARMFUL SUN: Porsche has one of the best paint systems
available today, consisting of a base coat with several
layers of paint that contain color with a protective clear
coat designed to keep the pigmented paint from oxidation.
Recently Porsche has begun using environmental safe water
based paints. But even the best paint finishes are subject
to the damaging effects of our environment here in Hawai‘i.
One of the worst enemies is daily sunlight! The sun’s
ultraviolet rays and its heat attack your paint and promote
the aging process. The layers of paint begin to dry out
and their natural oils are lost. The paint oxidizes and
becomes duller and duller. In some bad cases you can see
the clearcoat actually peeling off the car and the paint
disappearing down to the primer. Once the clear coat protection
is gone, repainting is the only alternative. Therefore,
it is important to protect your paint with waxing! Otherwise,
it’s like hanging out at the beach all day sunbathing
with no sunscreen lotion: your skin starts to burn, loses
all its moisture and body oils, and eventually you peel
like the clearcoat of the damaged paint. Ooouch! And don’t
forget the damaging power of the sun on your Interior --
cracks in the dashboard and leather seats, fading color
of your leather interior, fading carpets, plastic, and vinyl
. . . .
COMTAMINANTS & FALLOUT: In addition to Hawai‘i’s
killer sun, our airborne salts here pit your car’s
finish and promote rust when cruisin’ around the coastal
roads of our beautiful islands! Even in Hawai‘i you
will find acid rain! Emissions from our volcano, fossil
fuel powered plants, and internal combustion engines are
transported and altered in the atmosphere, soon to be deposited
on your car’s surface in either a wet or dry state.
These contaminants can produce harsh chemical reactions
and become sulfuric or nitric acids, etching your paint
and causing severe damage. Combined with the heat and sun,
the contaminants cause hard-to-remove water spots. Even
Ozone attacks unprotected rubber, vinyl, and plastics, making
them brittle, dry, and faded.
How do you protect your car from these daily attacks?
PARK IN THE SHADE: Always try to park your car in
the protective shade at work, at home, at the beach,
etc. Use a car cover if necessary. If you are unable to
cover your car from the sun, at least protect the interior
with placing a sun visor at the front window to reflect
the sun’s rays.
WASH YOUR CAR: Washing your Porsche by hand frequently
(up to once a week, if time allows) will keep it in good
condition. Local car washes are not recommended due to dings,
dents, and scratches. Buy a quality-brand car washing liquid.
Never use household detergents for washing your Porsche,
which will strip away any protective wax from your paint
and may dull its shine. Before washing, make sure your Porsche
is parked in a shade, though not under a tree, where bird
droppings or sap could undo your labor. Check that the car’s
surface is cool. If you car is attacked by bird droppings,
insects, or sap, remove these as soon as possible using
water and very soft paper tissues. Do not "scrub"
with circular movements. Rather soak the dirt with water
and strip it off with back and forth movements. Conventional
paper towels are not recommended they are too sturdy
and can scratch your paint.
WHEELS & TIRES: I recommend that you clean your
wheels and tires first, since they can carry lots of dirt
and grime. Start by hosing down one wheel only. With a handy
sponge, wash the tire and the rim with your quality-brand
car washing liquid. For sturdy soil, use a kitchen dish-brush
and gently scrub off the dirt. Use special wheel cleaners
with caution, since many of them are acid and may stain
and harm your nice rims. "Sprayon / Rinse-off"
products as seen on TV, from my experience, don’t do
the job. Unfortunately the best remedy is your hard "elbow-grease"
by hand. Wash the entire wheel, whatever surfaces you can
possibly reach. Then hose off the suds. Follow up with a
small brush a (toothbrush does great) in those hard-to-reach
crevices and corners. Rinse off one more time. Continue
with the next wheel.
BRAKE CLEANERS: Be very careful with brake cleaners
in the spray can. The cleaning chemical stains Porsche magnesium
rims on contact (drippings). Conventional soap solutions
and a soft brush are good enough for cleaning. Clean only
the outside brake bracket. Rinse off afterwards.
BODY: Wet your car with the water hose and wash
away any surface dirt and debris.
Power washers are not recommended, since they can damage
your paint when high water pressure is applied. The garden
pistol nozzle will do fine with cleaning out the wheel wells,
wheels and tires, removing any loose dirt. Then use 2 (!)
separate buckets one with clean clear water to rinse
your special car-washing sponge or wash mitt, the other
with the wash solution to apply on the car. Wash your car
from the top down, but wash only where it is already wet.
If an area has dried before you get to it, wet it again.
After shampooing your car, rinse off the soapy suds with
a gentle stream of water. Dry the car with a damp chamois;
synthetic chamois work best. Always keep your chamois clean,
and it will last for years. Also dry your car between the
gaps: open the hood, trunk, and doors, etc. Dry all remaining
excess water with a damp 100% cotton terry cloth. This will
prevent water from dripping while applying wax. Since these
areas are mostly dirt catchers, don’t use a chamois.
To be continued . . . . In the October
2001 issue of SONNE PORSCHE, Pierre explains how to clean,
polish, wax, and buff your Porsche, plus how to condition
your interior vinyl and leather.
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