By
Owen Webb
Meguiar’s Australia
Judging varies from
show to show but listed here is an overview on the system used at
all major national shows including Summernats, Meguiar’s Superstars
etc. Judging usually begins at scrutineering where the vehicle gets
classified and pre-judged. Firstly it will be decided if the vehicle
belongs in Street or Show Class. The main difference between these
two classes is the condition of the undercarriage and of course
the general build quality. If the car does not have a detailed undercarriage
then it is difficult to place that car into the Show Class, as it
will score very low, if at all, for undercarriage and therefore
very low overall. There may be some exceptions in this area, if
the vehicle is presented in such a manner as the judges find it
hard to believe that the car has regular street use. Areas such
as the engine bay finish and signs of street use on the undercarriage
will tell us if the car is to be in street or show, but this will
be discussed with the owner on a case-by-case basis.
When a car is classified as to its body style
of modifications eg. A highly customised coupe may be placed into
custom as apposed to coupe if the modifications are too extreme
for it to be considered a coupe, the same would go for all categories.
If the Judges are unsure of what category the car is to go in they
will discuss with the owner the options and come to an acceptable
result. But when all else fails the Chief Stewards decision is final.
Judging is based on:
- Quality of workmanship
The quality of workmanship is of upmost importance when a car
is being presented for judging. It won’t matter how many
or large the modifications are if there is evidence of poor workmanship.
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- Cleanliness
The judges will mark a car down on points if it is not presented
in a clean and tidy manner.
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- Innovation
For a car to perform well overall it would be necessary for there
to be a certain amount of modifications that reflect innovation
on the car builders part.
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- Presentation
The car must be presented to the judges ready for judging. The
judges will only judge what they can have access to. The car must
be unlocked and the bonnet open for the car to receive points
for these areas. If a judge cannot gain access to any part of
the vehicle then that part will receive nil points. At static
shows the display should be taken into account as your vehicle
should be displayed well for the public and judges to view it
from all angles.
Points are awarded in the following areas
and take into consideration workmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty,
cleanliness, and presentation including display (as above).
Paint
There are usually two areas in the paint category (Special Effects
and Standard Paint) and a car can only score points in one of these
areas. Special Effects Paints would include custom finishes such
as: Harlequins, Pearls, Candy’s etc whereas Standard Paint
is a solid or metallic colour found on factory produced vehicles.
The Judge will look for any imperfections in the paintwork including
the preparation and score the car accordingly. Note: Murals, graphics
etc would be judged separately if there were enough cars to warrant
the inclusion of a separate category or categories.
Bodywork
Judging of the bodywork looks at the preparation of the body before
paint is applied. Consideration is also given to both the quantity
and degree of difficulty of modifications to the body of the car.
Even if the car has many modifications they still need to have a
high quality of workmanship otherwise the car may receive a low
score, therefore it is not only how many modification the car has
but also how well they have been executed.
Interior
Creativeness, workmanship and attention to detail are key areas
for judging in the interior area. This includes all items visible
from the doorjambs and includes dash, floor coverings, rear parcel/floor,
hood lining, seats, modified/fabricated panels, car audio components
and other finishing’s etc.
Undercarriage
Includes floor pan, driveline components and all visible brackets,
fuel lines etc on the underside of the car. To achieve a high score
on the undercarriage it is suggested that considerable attention
be paid to all components available to the judges.
Engine bay
Fitment of non standard engines and accessories and all other components
in the engine bay. This includes areas such as the firewall, inner
guards and radiator support etc. Also the overall finish and enhancement
of the engine bay as a whole.
Engineering
Covers all non-factory modifications that would require a degree
of manufacturing to improve the function of a particular part/parts
including driveline and suspension components. There is also the
re-engineering of factory or aftermarket parts, this is done to
enhance the looks of the overall vehicle.
A further explanation of these areas is provided
below and should be read by all those who wish to compete in any
category of car shows. This information was written by show judges
and gives an insight into the way a car is judged and how you can
prepare your car for competition. As you read on it becomes apparent
that one of the most important areas to consider is not on the car
itself but starts before you actually lay a spanner on your car.
That is the area of planning. Top show cars are always planned,
with the builder knowing what the outcome will be, even if it is
not all achieved in the one build, and has to be done over time.
A plan is a must, know what class you are building your car for
so you can maximise your point’s gain and understand how a
car is judged. This will give you the edge. Click below for more.
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