Putting it all together
If you're rolling on dubs with your chameleon paint job freshly applied to the latest kit from Wings West but still listening to tunes from the OEM head unit, chances are you can kiss that trophy goodbye. From experience, the more complete car will beat out the one-dimensiona car nine times outof ten.That is to say that if you've covered one aspect of the car completely (for example, only exterior modifications) but ignored others (in this case, In-Car-Entertainment), it will definitely reflect on a judge's score sheet. A car that collects points in every judging criterion can surprise even the judges when all the point-sheets are tabulated. The flashiest car may not always be the most "complete".
Be a good sport
Anyone who has ever applied their own personal touch to their vehicle possesses a certain sense of pride for the work that they have put into their ride. One thing that should never be forgotten is that every other car you're competing against probably has an owner who's spent just as many hours on their car as you, if not more. In any competition there are winners and there are losers, and while losing is never fun there are very few cars out there that are "guaranteed" to win. Before you go into a rage over why you didn't win, take a step back, have a good look at the winner's car and see where he or she may have beaten you in the points. Any show with even the slightest sense of integrity should be more than willing to provide you with input on where you might be able to improve for the next event. And when you take that step back to check out the winner's car, don't forget to congratulate them on a job well done. They'll do the same to you when you beat him at the next one.