i've seen and heard about those, but i've heard that they can leave scratches on the clearcoat because the fibers are not that soft. did you ever have any problems with it leaving scratches or swirl marks that show up when the light refelcts? thanks.

 

Yeah, some brands are actually better than others. The one I had (before it was stolen!) was, IIRC, from The Wax Shop, but I could be mistaken, as a buddy who was in to show cars had picked it up for me. Anyway, I was always paranoid about scatches and was careful to use a light touch. The car was waxed so that a rag would slide off, so I never observed a problem. YYMV.

Anyone else with car 'duster' experiences, please feel free to chime in here.

 

Brewmaster: I think you're referring to the California Car Duster or some immitation. I can't speak for the others but the CCD works fantastic and has never left anything on my trucks other than small (really small) amounts of paraffin wax and that is ONLY when it's used for the first time and the person using it hasn't read the directions and let it air out on newpaper for 48 hrs. Living here in AZ, there is a lot of dust in the air. Using the duster a couple times a week saves me alot of time and/or money in washing my truck. Assuming you've paint sealed or waxed your rig, all you have to do is dust it off, use some detail spray and terri cloth/microfiber cloths to wipe off bugs, bird droppings, etc, and she looks good as new in about 10% of the time it would take to fully wash, dry, etc. It's the best $9.00 you'll ever spend.

 

dsfuller, is the California Car Duster sold in regular auto parts stores like Pep Boys and the like? is that the same one that FoMoCoFoMe was talking about or are they different brands? (i think they are different brands, but I don't want to assume.) thanks.

 

Brew: I typically buy mine at Wal-Mart or Target as I don't have a Pep Boys real close to me. I'm not sure if the California Car Duster is what he (FoMoCoFoMe) was referring to but I've tried a couple of the imitators out there and they are just that.....imitators. Don't work as well. Don't last as long, etc. Keep in mind when using the duster, you don't have to press, just lightly guide it all over your truck. Don't mean to belabor the point, but it really does work well.
(P.S. I really need another name........dsfuller just doesn't cut it)

 

Brew: Here is the link to the web site.
http://www.calcarduster.com/originalDuster.asp

Maybe my new name will be WedgewoodScrew. What do you think?

 

thanks for the info dsfuller (or the artist formally known as dsfuller). i will check out Wal-Mart and target. and I don't mind you making a strong point for not pressing hard. i would hate to scratch Black Beauty myself. that would **** me off. i know she will get scratches in her lifetime, but i don't want to be the source.

 

Brew: I'm not sure how much you've ever gotten into detailing your vehicles and/or if you've ever had black vehicles and I DON'T want to insult your intelligence. That being said, there is a lot you can do to avoid the swirls (aka scratches, spiderwebs, etc) on your car. Obviously one is to have a clean car to start with and if you've never tried "claying" your truck, that is something I would recommend at least once, maybe even twice a year. Another thing that most people do wrong is wax in overlapping circles as opposed to forward and back or up/down on the sides of the truck. Classic Motoring accessories has a great web site with lots of good articles and is referred to in many threads on this web site. If you don't have the link, here you go.
http://www.properautocare.com/index.html
OK, I'll shut up now. Good luck and congrats on your truck. It's a beauty.

 

Well, it took some fancy keyboard work but dsfuller is officially retired. So I lose credit for all the posting I've done over the past few years..........I still think I'll sleep OK tonight.

 

I would be curious to hear more about the merrits of 'claying' WedgewoodScrew.

Ummm... seems I need a little more education on detailing. :o Thanks for the link. I will read up on the subject, but would still like to hear any other wisdom on the subject you would care to share. TIA.

 

FoMoCoFoMe: I'd be happy to share what I know but right now I've got to leave work and go pick up my 2-year old at daycare. Check out the website I listed a couple of threads back. It's not comprehensive but not bad and I'll shoot off a few more links in the thread and/or e-mails directly to you if you would like tomorrow.

 

claying refers to using a clay bar. Typically, you wash the car and strip the wax off (if it was waxed previously). Then by using the claybar, you can get all the contaminants off the paint. Then you proceed as normally.

Odd recommendation, but being a motorhead I visit a lot of different car fan sites. The guys over at www.m5board.com (owners of BMW M5's) are really into detailing. Do a search on "claybar", "zaino", etc on various detailing tips.

 

i've never done any detailing. hell, my old volvo never got washed in 5 years. but that needs to change with Black Beauty. I will read up on some of those articles. claying sounds like a spa treatment that chicks get done on their face. odd...

i will check it out. and WedgewoodScrew, I'm not insulted at all. i appreciate the help.

 

LOL!! Yeah, we will have to keep a close eye on you BrewMeister, especially if you start asking about getting an avocado cucumber mask for your truck...

 

You should check out http://www.autopia.org/index.php for a great site on auto care.

Black is very difficult to take care (good luck)