Hide your classic from Volcanic ash if you can.

spooky donkey

Ive posted this on a few forums but the more aware the better me thinks....

Found this on the interweb might be worth while reading for you guys with nice paint jobs....

Volcano Ash Could Damage Car Paintwork
Written By: Karl Connolly, Posted: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ll have heard about Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic Volcano that recently erupted and covered Europe in a plume of sulphuric ash. Although airport closures and flight cancellations have dominated the headlines following the eruption, little has been said about how volcanic ash could effect your car's paintwork. Well-known care care specialist Autoglym has released new information on how to prevent it from happening.

Volcanic Ash is composed of tiny jagged shards of rock and glass that can be highly abrasive to paintwork, windows and even to wiper blades if it has fallen on a car. The sulphuric content of the ash makes it more acidic than normal airborne dust, meaning it can be corrosive to rubber door and window seals, wiper blades and even tyres. Paul Caller, CEO of Autoglym recently commented on this problem, saying “We are concerned that, as many motorists get their buckets and sponges out for the first time in the warmer weather, they could unwittingly cause damage to their own vehicles, unless they take extra precautions when cleaning their cars. Moreover, many forecasts suggest the eruptions will continue and therefore ash deposits may present a risk for weeks, so motorists must take steps to protect their cars from future deposits.”

Autoglym’s Top Tips for Dealing With Ash Deposits:
-Thoroughly soak car bodywork with water to loosen surface deposits.
-Use a pH-neutral car bodywork shampoo to neutralise acidic fallout.
-Use a number of smaller buckets rather than a single larger bucket to minimise the risk of ash particles being reapplied to bodywork on the sponge from contaminated water.
-Keep the car wet with clean water while washing with a sponge – this keeps the surface of the paint lubricated to reduce the risk of scratching from any dust that remains on the bodywork.
-Pay special attention to wiper blades – which may scratch the windscreen when sweeping ash across the glass surface – and side window seals – which may harbour dust that scratches windows as they are wound up and down.
-Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all shampoo from the car.
-Dry the car using a high quality microfibre drying towel or synthetic chamois.
-Apply a quality polish or high definition wax in order to provide a durable, long-lasting layer of protection, preventing further contaminants adhering to paintwork, and forming a barrier against acidic deposits.
-Use a specialist automotive rubber treatment to cleanse and protect rubber seals, wiper blades and tyre sidewalls.
-Wash frequently until the volcanic eruptions cease to minimise the risk of potential future damage.

Max_Damage

My Escort and Micra are both in a shed, but it wouldn't have mattered, as the paint work on both of them are shíte!

spooky donkey

well even not worrying about your paint job there is still the matter of your window seals and that. I have noticed a lot of stuff on my every day car over the last day or so. I may clean it off soon.