Ford uses fake bird poo to improve its paint

Friday, 8 May 2020

We can already see the comments this headline will produce but it's true. At least, mostly.

Ford's engineers know that bird poop isn't the best for your paintwork, so they have created artificial droppings that are so realistic that they can accurately reflect the differing diets (and subsequent acidity levels) of most of the birds in Europe.

The fake poo is then sprayed onto test panels (sorry) which are aged at between 40 and 60 degrees C in an oven to replicate real-world conditions.

This is what you really don't want to deal with on that first trip to the park after lockdown.

Paint can expand and soften under intense sunlight, which means any grime (like poo) can attach to the paint as it cools and contracts again. This can leave a permanent mark that requires specialist treatment to get rid of.

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Gross, huh? Make sure you get rid of any unwanted substances, unless you're okay with this being on your car forever.

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And bird poo is particularly aggressive on that front because it’s not all just poo - the white part is actually uric acid and is the bird equivalent to urine, formed in the urinary tract. The other part is made in the digestive system and while both can be secreted at the same time, it happens with such speed that the two don’t have time to mix.

By fine-tuning pigments, resins and additives within the paint, Ford reckons it has created a poo-resistant coating for all weather conditions.

Ford suggests dousing affected areas with a neutral pH vehicle shampoo and applying some elbow grease with a sponge to get rid of any unwanted leavings. Giving your car a proper wax at least once or twice a year will help keep that paint looking new.

Other paint tests Ford does include bombarding a panel with ultraviolet light for up to 6000 hours in a light lab, simulating five straight years in the brightest place on earth, getting frozen in sub-zero temperatures, being exposed to harsh winter road grime in a high humidity salt chamber and simulated fuel staining from fuel spilling onto the bodywork at a petrol station.

Who knew so much effort went into keeping vehicle paint poo-proof?