Appearance & Detailing Interior & Exterior Appearance Modifications

Dusty bumper?

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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 02:23 PM
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Default Dusty bumper?

ok guys just a quick question, I have a firebird (v6...yeah i know.) and live in a really dusty area, dust seems to settle 3x more on my bumper than anywhere else on the car and i think it might have to dow ith the aerodynamics, perhaps the air doesnt get pushes around back there enough to keep the dust from settling like it does to the rest of the paint, anyone have any ideas if this is true? I am asking you guys and my other firebird v6 owners if they experience this, i am wondering if the different spoiler that is on the TAs changes up the dynamics, possibly causing more turbulent air around the bumper area, if so i might want to replace my stock hatch with a TA one, dont worry i have 3800 badges on the way so basically, do your guys' rear bumper lips get REALLy dusty compared to the rest of your car?
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 03:16 PM
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Mine does the same thing. I have a TA. Its just the aerodynamics.
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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Even Camaros have this problem...just one of the quirky little things about these cars.
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 03:28 PM
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someone told me it was aerodynamics as well, i geuss its safe to assume that this is the truth... makes plenty of sense.. i wonder if there is anything that can be done to change the air flow... hmmmm maybe a diffuser of some sort... ill ahve to look into this, i hate "just accepting" things like this until i have attempted a solution!
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:01 PM
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You know, this area gets absolutely hammered by air / dirt / dust. Plus it's flat so that much worse since junk just hangs out there.

I clay bar / wax this area more often then other areas. I got $20 saying that if you clean this area up and feel the paint, it will feel "sandy". Clay bar that and rewax it. The change in the feel and the crap that the clay picks up will amaze you.

Plus it'll clean up easier and hold less dirt.
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:08 PM
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yeah i think ill try claying and rewaxing this area tonight... i polished it last night but i didnt feel if it was smooth, i hate how its flat and lets stuff sit there, im going to research diffusers
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:13 PM
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It's the same way on 3rd gens too, the "shelf" just attracts dirt/dust like a magnet, if someone finds a solution (that doesn't look like :crap: ) I'm all ears
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:18 PM
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mine is the worssst!! after i wash/dry the car and take it for a quick 10 minute drive when i get home the back bumper already has stuff settled on it but the rest of the car is spotless!
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:31 PM
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I have a White Camaro and most of the time that's the only area covered in dirt so I swipe it with my hand before the drive.
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:41 PM
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get a california duster, works wonders on a dusty car. i know, i live on a gravel/dust road. all cars get lots of dust on the back, i think its cause a low pressure zone is created behind the car, which pulls in air, and along with that dust, cause dust is behind the car anyway
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:42 PM
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i am looking into developing a diffuser for this area, maybe itll disrupt the turbulence.. the air from under the car is coming and swirling up and hitting the bumper, constantly bombarding it with road dust and dirt particles, it strips away the wax which is why that part of the car doesnt seem to bead as well as the rest as time goes on. The diffuser might not even be noticable on a car, ill be making a prototype and doing a simple test..

constant/same 5 mile drive test with and without diffuser attached, wiping the bumper "shelf" clean before each test. ill take pix of the difference it makes if any, and of any other shapes and that sort of thing. thisll be done within a day or two. so stay tuned!
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 04:59 PM
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also has to do with the bumper being pastic...static electricity doesn't help
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Old Sep 7, 2005 | 08:49 PM
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I clay bar and wax that area really well then use the California duster often. I start the car, pop the hatch to get the duster, dust the car off, by then car is up to temperature and im ready to go. My car looks just as good as it did after I washed it three or four days later.

The california duster works really well on a well waxed area I keep mine in my trunk and do it while I fill my tank, etc.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 12:34 AM
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you must have had to overcome the whole "look at that guy who thinks his car is the **** even though it is" looks from people around you hahaha

do you have the small, medium, or large version of the duster? i just used mine today and it did an excellent job! i think the problem is when i dust the car when the paint is really hot and the wax streaks on the paint... do you have any problems keeping it in your trunk? i did that before and the wax got on papers and stuff on the bottom of the trunk so i didnt like the idea of meting wax getting everytwhere... lol
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 01:31 AM
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Originally Posted by darkecho
you must have had to overcome the whole "look at that guy who thinks his car is the **** even though it is" looks from people around you hahaha

do you have the small, medium, or large version of the duster? i just used mine today and it did an excellent job! i think the problem is when i dust the car when the paint is really hot and the wax streaks on the paint... do you have any problems keeping it in your trunk? i did that before and the wax got on papers and stuff on the bottom of the trunk so i didnt like the idea of meting wax getting everytwhere... lol
I got a ton of weird looks for that, lol.

I have the large version. It keeps really well in the trunk of my car w/ the bag that it came in. I try not to use it when its hot out, the only thing Id recommend is shaking it out vigorously before you use it and also: you gotta know when to quit, I mean, there comes a point where the car is just too dirty to be dusted and it needs a wash.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 02:09 AM
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Originally Posted by darkecho
you must have had to overcome the whole "look at that guy who thinks his car is the **** even though it is" looks from people around you hahaha

do you have the small, medium, or large version of the duster? i just used mine today and it did an excellent job! i think the problem is when i dust the car when the paint is really hot and the wax streaks on the paint... do you have any problems keeping it in your trunk? i did that before and the wax got on papers and stuff on the bottom of the trunk so i didnt like the idea of meting wax getting everytwhere... lol
Try wrapping your duster in newspaper for about a week to get the extra parafin wax off that it is soaked in. The duster gets only better over time and getting this extra wax off will eliminate those streak marks you are talking about. We all know that streak marks are a bad thing wherever they may be
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 02:33 PM
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my cure for this is to keep a california car duster, a couple of towels and a bottle of quick detailer in the car at all times. some people have said that i'm ridiculous for that effort but it pays off: especially when i look at their vehicle.
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 04:25 PM
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i always wondered if it was dirt stured up under the car and flows over the gap right above the pontiac letters and under the tail lights? i live in a sub division that is still under constuction and live less than 2 miles from my campus. speed limit is 30 from my house to there. and i usually go slower till i get past the construction. and when i get to campus, there is dust just in that spot and no where else on the car
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 06:08 PM
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I just thought that was extra dirt that was looking for a free ride. With the price of gas these days, that's gonna have to stop!
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Old Sep 8, 2005 | 06:13 PM
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Originally Posted by todddchi
You know, this area gets absolutely hammered by air / dirt / dust. Plus it's flat so that much worse since junk just hangs out there.

I clay bar / wax this area more often then other areas. I got $20 saying that if you clean this area up and feel the paint, it will feel "sandy". Clay bar that and rewax it. The change in the feel and the crap that the clay picks up will amaze you.

Plus it'll clean up easier and hold less dirt.
Bingo!! when I first got my car the bumper felt like sandpaper I'm like WTF!!....clay bar took ALL that **** outta their,waxed it up and its now like glass!!

None the less crap still piles on it.
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