Out From the Shadows

E

Epimetheus

New member
Hi everyone. Since I bought my first new Volvo S60 back in 2001, I've been lurking in the shadows here. I though that car deserved better than a Tide wash and Armor All, and this site has been a tremendous resource. I thank you.



Fast forward to today: I've just bought my 16 year-old son's first car, a 1993 Volvo 240. The price was sure right, and the second owner's only had it about 18 months. Local south Louisiana car all its life. He hardly ever drove it,, and kept it parked outside, under big oak trees. While the car appears to be in great shape (I don't take possession until Saturday, so no pics), it is filthy. The blue velour interior reeks of dampness and mildew, and did I mention - it's filthy. The white exterior has been glazed over with a fine patina of tree slim and bird droppings, maybe even some mildew. Oh, the humanity! Beneath all this crud, my Cinderella lay.



I need you guys who have had other such turnarounds to come forth with sage advise. What am I up against? Will evil prevail? What do I need for good to triumph? Stay tuned for the late news kids, this could take a while.
 
First, Welcome Aboard!



It sounds like you have your work cut out for you but I don't see anything insurmountable. Photos would certainly help allot here because the image in my mind comes from what you're trying to describe.



Interior



The interior will require a complete cleaning but you already knew that. Depending on the actual condition it may make sense to remove the seats and carpets and wash them out of the cabin. Then turn your attention to the remaining items and throughly clean them with something like Meguiar's APC+ according to the instructions on the container.



Exterior



If it's as bad as you indicate you might opt for a power washer as your first mode of attack. Clean as much as you can then wash manually until all exterior surfaces are free from all the caked on debris.



At some point you'll want to stop scrubbing and should be able to start using a clay bar to remove any particles of debris that still remain embedded in the clear coat.



The order of process below will give you an idea of what you may have to do in order to bring the finish back to life. While there are a multitude of products available from a variety of manufactures these are some of what I use to give you some initial direction.



You'll definitely want a rotary and or DA polisher with appropriate pads for this adventure!



  1. Clay
  2. Swirl Remover – example Meguiar’s M105
  3. Finishing Polish – example Meguiar’s M205
  4. Finishing Polish – example Menzerna Polish PO85RD
  5. Isopropyl Alcohol Clean
  6. Paint Glaze – Wolfgang Finished Glaze, Poor Boys Black Hole Glaze
  7. Seal - Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
  8. Wax - Collinite 845, Collinite Marque D'Elegance Paste Wax, Pinnacle Liquid Souverän Wax, Griot’s Best Show Wax



Glass



Stoners Invisible Glass cleaner and don't forget a good supply of Microfiber towels.
 
A south Louisiana car?



It may have been a Katrina flooded vehicle...



I would make sure you wear a mask and gloves when working on the interior... mold induced respiratory diseases can be really nasty... :werd:
 
Epimtheus- Welcome to Autopia!



Take DaGonz's advice seriously. At the very least I'd plan to strip out the seats and carpet (don't worry, it's easy on those cars). Look into mold abatement products (wonder what David Fermani would recommend :think: ). Damp interiors (let alone the "from LA" part) are pretty much a kiss of death to me but if you remove and replace the contaminated stuff it oughta be OK. Plan to spray lots of anti-microbial stuff in the HVAC ductwork.



Check the floorpan for rust and get it fixed (properly) if it's starting to have issues there, it's a serious safety concern.

For the exterior, I'd start with a decontamination using either "ABC" from http://www.autoint.com or the equivalent stuff from FinishKare (sorry, no link handy).





FWIW, IMO Volvo 240s make for good first cars. They're slow and heavy enough that they're not deathtraps and they more or less behave as the driver instructs them to (thus ingraining decent habits). As stuff needs repaired, I *would* consider doing upgrades using stuff from Volvo Parts, Accessories and Performance Specialists Since 1963 or somesuch company so it *really* does what the driver intends. I had my 245 wagon pretty tricked out and it was great for the money.
 
Thanks, guys, for your replies.



The car is not a Katrina car, hailing from a small town north of Baton Rouge. Absolutely no rust whatsoever in the engine compartment, trunk, or chassis. Simply looks like the old lady was not able to keep it up before her estate sold it, and the second owner just never used it, except as a loaner car for occasional out-of-town guests. I really believe the "smell" in the car is from its being so dirty, for so long, and simply shut up in the outdoors. Plan to remove the seats and deep clean them and the carpets with Meguiar's APC and my Bissell Little Green. This car needs a "Spa Day."



Thanks to this forum, I've developed good washing and maintenance habits over the years. Lots of Griot's products, including Speed Shine and Best of Show, 303 Protectant, and also Mother's Clay and a stalwart - Klasse AIO. Maybe not the latest choices of product, but at least for my new cars, they have served me well. We'll see whether they're up to this challenge.
 
A white Volvo from the early 90s is probably going to have single stage paint. Going to take some serious polishing to bring it back.
 
Scottwax- Yeah, that could be...I dunno just when they switched over. Mine was ss, but it was from the mid/late-'80s.



Epimetheus- OK, glad it's not a Katrina car. 240s *do* have a, uhm...signature smell. And yeah, there's an "old lady" smell about some cars too.



I really would consider a decontamination system...you could at least get a bottle of FK1119 and use it for the initial "super shampoo", I'm confident that it'd save you a lot of grief and the stuff's basically foolproof.
 
Scottwax, you were dead right. This single stage paint is going to eat my lunch. I've only used hand-applied products to date, but may have to bite the bullet on this one. Thinking about purchasing Griot's orbital, and looking for recommendations on pads and products that would attack this single-stage paint. I did apply some Klasse AIO to a small area on the hood, about 12" x 12", and noticed an immediate improvement. Still not great, but there certainly is hope. Bird droppings and trim slime - I ban you!



Got the car home today, and maybe it's not (quite) as bad as I thought; first time seeing it in good daylight. Very first thing I did is throw away the old Volvo floor mats. The seats will be removed tonight, so a thorough interior cleaning can be done on Sunday. Accumulator - your post made me laugh aloud. The "smell" really does remind me a little of my grandmother's old house. It's much more of a closed-up, musty kind of smell than the mildew smell that I originally described.



What do you guys recommend for cleaning the exterior black trim that's around the window frames and on the lower doors/rocker panels. Because they've been exposed to UV for so long, they're looking rather milky. Strongly doubt that this was caused by wax products, because the car couldn't spell "wax." Was thinking I'd use a strong solution of Purple Power or APC with an old toothbrush or the like, followed by some Mother's Back To Black, but am very, very open to your suggestions. Also, I may have to simply replace the exterior light lenses for the headlamps, markers, and tail lamps, as it seems the years of UV has caused them to become brittle and crack, and well as made them yellowed.



Thanks to everyone who's read, and especially those who have responded.
 
Kind of curious how you like the griot's--i used the Flex for the first time yesterday myself (posted my first before and after write up; though it's a terrible write up if i do say so myself) and I must say....I realized I really did miss working with machines lol
 
Hey Alex,



I only mentioned the Griot's machine because I've really had such good luck over the past decade with their other products and customer service. I've read that their orbital may not be first choice amongst some here, with the more-expensive Flex getting that vote, but after this initial correction, I'd probably use the machine only six times/year (twice annually on each of three other cars).



Haven't actually bought the machine yet, but after seeing the car in good light today at my place, I now know it'll take more than I can deal it by hand to make it right.
 
Epimetheus said:
What do you guys recommend for cleaning the exterior black trim that's around the window frames and on the lower doors/rocker panels. Because they've been exposed to UV for so long, they're looking rather milky. Strongly doubt that this was caused by wax products, because the car couldn't spell "wax." Was thinking I'd use a strong solution of Purple Power or APC with an old toothbrush or the like, followed by some Mother's Back To Black, but am very, very open to your suggestions. Also, I may have to simply replace the exterior light lenses for the headlamps, markers, and tail lamps, as it seems the years of UV has caused them to become brittle and crack, and well as made them yellowed...
Click to expand...



My 245 came from a woman who *never* waxed it...the dealer told her the "special Swedish paint" didn't need waxing and that it could actually damage it :rolleyes: Yeah...you can imagine how bad it was.



Sure, replace trim if you can. Simple and effective, money well-spent IMO! When stuff like that gets really bad, cleaning/polishing it up can be a waste as it needs redone all the time. But OTOH, I just did a good polishing/waxing of said stuff as needed and that worked out OK. I used the same comound/polish that I used on the paint, nothing fancy at all.



On the black trim, there are a few different materials. The stuff on the "ledge" at the top of the doors/bottom of the windows (know what I mean? If not I can try to explain better..) is some kind of paint/anodizing/coating. Polish it up but don't get super aggressive. It'll start to fade/etc. again no matter what, but keepingit well waxed/sealed can help.



For the rubbery/plastic trim, I used 1Z Paint Polish (of all things!) topped with Collinite 845 wax. Yep, I know, sounds nutty. But it worked super for me. Work it until almost dry, buff off before completely dry. KAIO will work if the stuff isn't in too bad of condition, but I almost always just used the 1Z. Since you already have the KAIO, I'd give it a try and see how it goes (might take multiple tries).



FWIW, I am *NOT* a fan of using a "dressing based" approach on that trim...runs in the rain, needs redone, doesn't work as well as I would've expected. I used the "wax-based" approach on mine for years, so I can say with some certainty that it's a viable way to go, just gotta use the right wax (like the 845). Then redo (the KAIO/1Z polish too, if necessary) as needed.



For that matter, depending on just how serious you want to get with this stuff, you could do worse than just polishing the whole thing with the 1Z Paint Polish, or maybe using it after a first-round go with M105. Yeah, I know that's not really "cutting-edge Autopian" but on that particular vehicle I'd be all about getting "nice enough" results without turning it into my life's work.





I would:



Decontamination wash

Clay

Compound with M105

Polish with the 1Z PP

Wax with 845



Wash regularly and redo the 845 before you think it needs it.



Actually, I'd teach your son how to wash it properly, and have him do the waxing too.
 
Accumulator and BobbyG, Thanks for your love. You guys and Scottwax have set me on a path I shalln't deviate. Or not so badly for someone with the attention span of a gnat.



Scottwax was right, of course, about the car's paint. No clear, single stage. More on that later.



BobbyG, man you were dead-on correct and the interior. Everything's been yanked out and loved over (and some items over and over) by the little Bissell. Stripped to its bones, it was. I've also purchased a machine polisher from Griot's.



Accumulator, I really feel for you on that 245. Could be my 244 - was your PO a pig that owned a dog and spilled sodas in the car? You're dead-on about the dressing-based approach. I used some Mother's metal polish applied to an old toothbrush on the chrome band running around the shoulder of the car. I followed that with two apps (so far) of KAIO, using another toothbrush on the vinyl/rubber housing of this same moulding. It's coming along nicely. Also, about the greenhouse trim surrounding the upper doors and windows, I took your advise there, too, and used KAIO. Two apps, and it's gone from milky white to nearly the matte black that it should be. Well done, old boy.



As I mentioned at first, I have this thing about being able to stay on track for any period of time longer than a nanosecond. What between shampooing carpets and gutting out interiors, I simply had to play. Lit up the new Griot's, just for a test drive. This is my first machine polisher, mind you. Used it on the boot - er - trunk, of the car, with a little of Griot's Machine Polish #2, which they recommend for oxidised finishes. Wow. After only about ten minutes the glossy goodness of the original paint revealed itself. After a quick wipe off with quick detail spray, I could literally see myself in the reflection. I am pleased, and cannot wait to get to the rest of the car with a finer polish and a sealant or wax.



Oh, and Accumulator - my son's been out there the whole time with me, working and asking lots of questions. It's been a nice weekend. Now if I can just do something about the leaves, and the smell (see other post). G'nite.
 
I've been thinking about your leaf problem...what about getting like some kind of flexible pipe cleaner? or a detail brush?



If it's REALLY that bad..i was thinking... you may be able to wrap the head of the snake with like rags or something (because you don't want it scraping everything up) and use that to like of push everything out...i mean it's flexible and it's designed to clear out pipe like stuff... and wrapping it in cloth should help minimize scraping and stuff like that (just try not to actually RUN the snake...cause I imagine it'll break or damage something worse....
 
Epimetheus said:
Accumulator, I really feel for you on that 245. Could be my 244 - was your PO a pig that owned a dog and spilled sodas in the car?
Click to expand...



Nah, mine's PO (my father's second wife) kept it neat as a pin, well...in her way and to the limits of her interest and abilities. She just didn't know from this stuff and (at the risk of stereotyping) she was an independent old lady, single into her 70s, who was very...uhm...opinionated and confident in the veracity of those opinions ;) While she did haul dogs in it, she must've done it the way I do as there was no sign of such use.



You're dead-on about the dressing-based approach...it's gone from milky white to nearly the matte black that it should be.
Click to expand...



Just keep an eye on it and redo as necessary. Sometimes that's pretty often, depending on how badly it's deteriorated.

..I simply had to play. Lit up the new Griot's, just for a test drive. This is my first machine polisher, mind you. Used it one the boot - er - trunk, of the car, with a little of Griot's Machine Polish #2, which they recommend for oxidised finishes. Wow... I am pleased, and cannot wait to get to the rest of the car with a finer polisher and a sealant or wax.
Click to expand...



Glad that worked so well...heh heh, not being a fan of Griot's Machine Polishes I'm tempted to say that if you liked how it looks after that you'll really be impressed by how it could look with a different approach ;) But no no no, just using what's working satisfactorily for you.



Oh, and as a Jag-u-ar owner (and Wodehouse/etc. fan), I'm reasonably well-versed in Brit-speak :D



Oh, and Accumulator - my son's been out there the whole time with me, working and asking lots of questions. It's been a nice weekend. Now if I can just do something about the leaves, and the smell (see other post).
Click to expand...



That sounds great, it's wonderful that the two of you are working together on this :xyxthumbs In that light, I'll back off a bit on my final comments ("parts car"/etc.) at the end of my last post on that other thread :o
 
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