Paint and fireworks don't mix? | FerrariChat

Paint and fireworks don't mix?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by need4speed, Jul 5, 2007.

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  1. need4speed

    need4speed Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,616
    Pacific Palisades
    Hi All,

    Last night, my wife's car was parked outside on the driveway and the neighbor's kids and friends fired off some fireworks in the middle of the street. My wife became all distraught that it was somehow going to damage her car. She thought the sparks and embers would damage her paint. We went outside and I assured her that it's all fine. The embers went out before they even started coming back down. And nothing even came close to her car. Only the smoke blew onto her car.

    We checked out her car this morning and there was some ash on her car. So I wash the car down and now she says there's little black specs on her car that wasn't there before. She washed her car less than a week ago and swears that the specks weren't there. I personally know that if you're not looking for a problem, you most likely won't find one. But if you are looking, you will find tons. Whose to say those specks weren't there and she just didn't notice them.

    Her car is a year and half old and has never been waxed since new. I told her it's time for a good detail job. I said we should clay the car and went into explaining what that will do. She still thinks it's damage from the fireworks.

    Might she be right? Might the ash still be hot enough to damage her paint?

    Thanks in advance
     
  2. Far Out

    Far Out F1 Veteran

    Feb 18, 2007
    9,768
    Stuttgart, Germany
    Full Name:
    Florian
    Maybe not the ash falling down, but what about your neighbour's kids putting firecrackers on your wife's car and igniting them?
     
  3. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
    12,755
    Dallas, Tx.
    Full Name:
    James K. Woods
    Stepson took his mom's Miata to a party in 1999 and somebody casually tossed a whole braid of regular firecrackers into the interior to see what would happen. Top was up but windows were down, so I guess they mostly all went off with it inside.

    It cost over $2000 to half*ss fix and I am really surprised that it did not just torch it to the ground, in light of how big the burned spots were in the seats.
     
  4. need4speed

    need4speed Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,616
    Pacific Palisades
    I've had some kid throw a firecracker into a car of mine. Nice big hole in the seat. No fire though.

    As for my wife's car, I had to miraculous make room in our occupied garage to move her car into. So nothing was thrown onto her car. The only things would be the smoke and ash.
     
  5. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran

    ash is caustic.

    and if mixed with higher sulfur, it can be a bigger problem when hot:

    dare ya' to take some wood ash from fireplace and place on the car's exterior, because it will cause a problem on most.
     

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