This is my parents' Volvo V70 estate in a fetching shade of matt faded red...

This is its paint close up...

Really bad bonded contaminants like that all over :rotz: . They literally haven't washed it since they bought it.

As my parents were nice enough to take Mrs wega3k to the airport while I was at work yesterday, I got them to call in at Halfords on their way home and pick up some SRP, a Megs wash mitt and a Megs Clay kit on the old 3 for 2 and said I'd try and get it looking a bit more respectable for them.

I set to work on it this morning, starting with a rinse off and 2 full washes with quite strongly mixed Autoglym shampoo (2BM). Then set to work claying...

The paint was disgusting.

After claying I set about polishing. The bonnet and roof got a good going over with some Autoglym Paint Renovator I found in the back of their garage, then two coats of SRP. That's about as far got so far but it's looking better...

I managed to get a lot of that big scratch on the rear nearside out with some ScratchX 2.0 and invoking a kind of arm seizure (you know that same technique you had to employ to get the really high scores on Decathlon).

In the morning, the plan is to rinse it off again and SRP the doors, tailgate and front bumper, probably try the paint renovator on the rear bumper, then SRP that. Then I'll wax the whole lot with the megs cleaner wax that came with the clay and if I've got enough time, have the wheels off, clean those and treat them with some wheel sealant I happened to have with me.

Would it be worth putting a coat of NXT tech wax over the megs cleaner wax? Would it bond properly or would I be wasing my time and product? Is there anything else I should be using or doing / not doing? Any advice appreciated.

Edited 16 August, 200916 yr by wega3k

Hope they didn't put Mrs wega3k in the cage in the back of the car !

Have to say it's a vast improvement

Hope they didn't put Mrs wega3k in the cage in the back of the car ! :

Ha. It would have been relative luxury compared to the Ryan Air flight she had to endure once she got to the airport.

Ha. It would have been relative luxury compared to the Ryan Air flight she had to endure once she got to the airport.

I know what you mean Nick

BTW my car can auto-pilot to most airports due to the number of those runs it does.

I mean it's not as if it looks like a mini-cab

Looking good dude!! ...get some Brisky stickers in it!!

Simeon - watch my lips :-

"It's a V-O-L-V-O"

BTW my car can auto-pilot to most airports due to the number of those runs it does.

I mean it's not as if it looks like a mini-cab

So life really is a series of

then Darren

Start of day 2.

I realised I had to get serious and break out the tools of the pros and if that meant sacrificing health and safety then so be it...

This decision paid off and with flip flops on feet and applicator pad in hand I arrived at

Quite pleased with the results. Dreading doing the interior. I've got a couple of fiddly exterior bits left to do another day like the moss sandwiched between the head lamp and indicator clusters(!)

Is that the same car?

So life really is a series of Planes Trains & Automobiles then Darren

Yup pretty much, that film & Clockwise (John Cleese) are like documentaries to me.

Oh wowee!! Some serious flip-floppage going on there!!

You're gonna have Baker21 getting worried...

Before vs After - stunning!!

You've got a thing about flip-flops haven't you?

In my before & after thread you asked if I was wearing flip-flops

& I just thought you were being "a bit random",

but, now I'm seeing a pattern emerging.

@Wega3k ... you could have had a nasty injury there, dropping a spongy thing on your unguarded toes, you were lucky this time.

Next time, take precautions ....

Such a big difference.

@Wega3k ... you could have had a nasty injury there, dropping a spongy thing on your unguarded toes, you were lucky this time.

Next time, take precautions ....

Oh no - you're not suggesting.......

You've done a good job with that !!!

My wifes Octy gets similar black spots the car is parked near railway lines during the day and i think its either diesel spots or rail dust

Nice one Nick, what a difference! :eek:

Top work

Cheers

Damian

You've done a good job with that !!!

My wifes Octy gets similar black spots the car is parked near railway lines during the day and i think its either diesel spots or rail dust

Most lower body panels on our trains are a rusty brown colour from brake dust.

The roof panels of our loco's tend to be a little blackened by diesel exhaust soot, the actual diesel is dyed red. Older loco's used to throw out a fair amount of oil too, but they're pretty rare nowadays.

Probably Magpies stealing oil from a nearby garage & deliberately putting on your wife's car.

Hey - do you want to pop over and have a go at my Fabia for me? - not just moss growing in between the headlamps and the body but now, after our hols moss growing on top of the window rubbers with a black roof from all the tree sap and some sort of rotting leaf mould on the panel at the bottom of the windscreen?

Seriously though it looks like you've done a good job there - just hope I can manage something similar!

Most lower body panels on our trains are a rusty brown colour from brake dust.

The roof panels of our loco's tend to be a little blackened by diesel exhaust soot, the actual diesel is dyed red. Older loco's used to throw out a fair amount of oil too, but they're pretty rare nowadays.

Probably Magpies stealing oil from a nearby garage & deliberately putting on your wife's car.

Wife's car often has small metal shards on it from the rails as well as i have learnt to my cost when drying it i am sure the black spots are some airborne containment from the trains its probably soot

Nice results there but get that bottle of SRP on a microfibre cloth.........:eek:

Nice finish, can't really fault SRP on flat red paint

Four month update. My dad washed it for the first time today. With just water and a nylon brush!!! I could honestly see the scratches even though it was overcast. Can still very much feel the benefit of the claying though and pleased to still see it beading a bit.

I would have gone mad!

At least I've taught my Dad how to wash cars properly

Most lower body panels on our trains are a rusty brown colour from brake dust.

Most lower boby panals on our trains are brown due to the toilet flushing all over the track

Edited 16 December, 200916 yr by Audric Goldfinger

Four month update. My dad washed it for the first time today. With just water and a nylon brush!!! I could honestly see the scratches even though it was overcast. Can still very much feel the benefit of the claying though and pleased to still see it beading a bit.

Does he still have all his body parts intact?! I'd have gone mental, especially after the graft you'd put into that. I do appreciate how much work that was, as I've done a V70 via manual labour once before! Never again, it's a massive piece of metal

Steve

Nice work on it - really doesn't look like the same car Just a shame what your dad did to it. :( Maybe his Christmas present is a bucket, mitt, decent shampoo and a drying towel?