<strong>Club</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>America</strong> REGION FLORIDA 2004/2 LORIDA EDLINE THE FLORIDA REDLINE IS BROUGHT TO YOU QUARTERLY FROM THE GOOD FOLKS OF THE FLORIDA REGION FCA
2 <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Red</strong>line Debbie PYLE Racerchick our Bolito THE FAMILY THAT CONCOURS TOGETHER,STAYS TOGETHER Ok ladies, do you want to participate in the <strong>Ferrari</strong> hobby with your guy but aren’t quite ready to hit the track? Having just finished getting the 550 ready for the first Disney concours, it occurred to me that preparing and showing a <strong>Ferrari</strong>, or any car for that matter, is something a husband and wife team can do together. Now that we have a number <strong>of</strong> serious concours here in <strong>Florida</strong>, I thought it was about time that I wrote an article about the art <strong>of</strong> preparing and showing a car. First you need to have a plan. This planning stage needs to start months or perhaps even a year in advance. <strong>The</strong> last time we showed the Dino at Cavallino we started in September. Planning includes just looking over your car. Deciding what needs to be cleaned and what is good to go. Make a list <strong>of</strong> everything you need to get done. If pieces need to be painted or plated allow time to get this accomplished. Once you get your plan and timeline down, double it! Jobs that look simple can sometimes turn into frantic calls to your friendly neighborhood mechanic. Trust me, I have been there, done that. <strong>The</strong> next step is the actual preparation. I’d recommend starting at one end <strong>of</strong> the car and working towards the other. We usually start at the front and work to the back. <strong>The</strong> main areas on the Dino would be the front compartment, interior, engine compartment, trunk, exterior, and the undercarriage. You can divide these areas up so you might be working on one area while your significant other is working on another, although there are times when you will be working in the same area. In most cars detailing the engine will take the most time. <strong>The</strong> good thing about working in an engine compartment ladies, is that you don’t have to know how the thing works to clean it. <strong>The</strong> bad thing is that new French manicure is not going to last long. <strong>The</strong> solution is gloves. Surgical gloves will keep your hands clean and protect your skin. So many guys are using gloves now that a lot <strong>of</strong> automotive stores keep them in stock. If you have access to compressed air, you’ll need to blow all the loose grit, grime and sand out <strong>of</strong> the enclosure. Watch out as this stuff will really fly around; a mask and eye protection are a must. After the loose stuff is gone, get out the old elbow grease and get going. I would recommend using a mild solvent such as mineral spirits for cleaning. Just remember to start with the top <strong>of</strong> the engine and work down, you know what and mineral spirits all flow downhill. Q-tips, s<strong>of</strong>t brushes, gauze squares, hemostats, and a small bowl to hold you cleaning solution are the basics <strong>of</strong> our cleaning kit. Some folks prefer to use spray on engine cleaners, but since we’ve never used them I can’t advise you on this approach. Another place that is quite time consuming, and is a nasty little job to boot, is the undercarriage. Like the engine compartment a good blow <strong>of</strong> compressed air will start the process. Tires and fender wells may need to be removed and cleaning <strong>of</strong> suspension parts with mineral spirits or brake cleaning fluid is in order. Plan to spend more time here than you expect. In some cases painting <strong>of</strong> fender wells may need to be done. This can be accomplished without sending them to the painter. A good leather care product for the interior is a must. <strong>The</strong>re are several on the market but make sure you don’t use Armorall on interior services. Armorall is a good product, just save it for the exterior. Give the interior glass a good cleaning, vacuum the carpets and clean out the glove box out and you are done here. Exterior paint is <strong>of</strong> course key. Like the old saying goes, “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Ladies, your guys have probably done extensive research on wax and have their favorite so don’t pick up Turtle Wax at Wal-Mart for him. Modern <strong>Ferrari</strong>’s have little chrome but the Dino, in comparison, has a lot. I use a lot <strong>of</strong> different metal cleaners such as Flitz, Semi-Chrome, and yes a Turtle Wax product simply called Chrome Polish. Now that your baby is spic and span you have two jobs left. Practice the showing <strong>of</strong> your car. Yes, and this goes for you too guys, practice turning your car on, operating the lights, the turn signals and the like. You will be asked to operate you car so make sure you are familiar with all those knobs and switches. On more than one occasion I have seen owners not know or panic and forget how to operate their car. Your last job will be to collect cleaning supplies to take to the show with you. I would suggest purchasing a big plastic tub in which to transport your material. Towels, glass cleaner, brushes and anything you might need at the last minute should be taken with you to the concours. Now I know what you are thinking. Why should you go to all this trouble if dirt is not suppose to count against you in a concours? If you believe this little fable, then I have some nice <strong>Florida</strong> land to sell you and it’s dry, most <strong>of</strong> the year. In other words, when was the last time you saw a dirty car win a concours? FLORIDA REGION <strong>Club</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>America</strong> FLORIDA CALENDAR OF EVENTS SUMMER SOIREE: ISLAMORADA July 23-25 <strong>The</strong> Cheeca Lodge SEBRING TRACK EVENT September 24-26 Sebring Int’l Raceway CONTACT LARRY SIETSMA AT 321 777 3857 OR E-MAIL: SIETS@AOL.COM FOR FULL DETAILS fcafloridaregion.com 2003 REPORT <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ferrari</strong> Maserati Group reports 7,077 cars were delivered to end clients in 2003 as opposed to 7,536 in 2002. <strong>Ferrari</strong>’s delivery figure was in line with the previous year’s (4,238 as against 4,236 in 2002). Maserati’s financial year, on the other hand, was heavily influenced by the downturn in its Coupé and Spyder segments, which shrank by as much as 10.2% and 50% respectively. In total, Maserati sold 2,839 cars to end clients in 2003 compared to 3,300 in 2002.
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