First go at cleaning my pink V70

**Foeux** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 09:37

My 1997 Volvo V70 TDI cost me £725 (I think) a couple of years ago. Since owning it I have done all the maintenance stuff (belts and tensioners etc) and continue to maintain it well, ‘Ron-boxed’ it, wound up the turbo pressure and absolutely kicked the stuffing out of it. It is often overloaded with tools and car bits, it was blasted around Europe at an outrageous average speed for 10 days last summer and still it lives, nay thrives.

Mechanically bomb proof, the biggest let down was the paint. I have tried to improve it as best I can but it is still stone chipped, faded in places and sub-optimal to say the least. I should have taken some before snaps but didn’t. Below is the process I used for making it nice. It will now be used and abused in the usual fashion until it gets its annual clean next year.

Process:

1) Wash with Halfords cheapest car wash soap and a pressure washer.
2) Silverline rotary polisher, farecla G3 paste, pump up spray bottle of water and ‘mop’ every panel.
3) Wash with Halfords cheapest car wash soap and a pressure washer to remove white G3 slurry.
4) Dry with a chamois and leave overnight.
5) Autoglym super resin polish put on with lint free cloth. Left to dry off for 40 mins or so and removed with a microfibre cloth.
6) Farecla G3 wax paste. Applied with the ‘waffle applicator’ and removed with a microfibre cloth. Doesn’t take long to ‘dry’ and goes on very quickly.
7) Windolene the windows inside and out.
8) Invisible Glass to all exterior glass and mirrors.

**Biff** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 12:10

I miss my red v70 so much.
Don't miss the polishing though!!
Good effort.

**MIXA** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 15:10

Looks good nice work always loved that colour

**500tie** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 15:23

Looks really good mate, I did mine the other day it just takes so bloody long doesn't it

**martin_r_smith** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 17:42

Vast improvement on the last time I saw it mate, but then it was next to my shiney beast lol.

**500tie** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 19:19

Martin have you had "your shiny beasts" bonnet done yet?

**martin_r_smith** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 19:24

No I have been too busy fitting the sound system, but i hope to get it done by the end of feb.

**500tie** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 20:38

Fair play, what set up have you gone for? I've gone one step further and taken mine off the road for the winter and bought a daily driver

**martin_r_smith** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 23:09

I'm doing a full Alpine system, I'll put it in my project thread when done.

Fred how's the suspension performing for you?

**Foeux** · Tuesday 5th January 2016, 23:26

We b4'd a mates t5,not mine. However, having done his, I now need to do mine! It is ace!

**Foeux** · Wednesday 6th January 2016, 18:59

Originally Posted by Biff

I miss my red v70 so much.
Don't miss the polishing though!!
Good effort.

At points I wanted to stop as it is tedious as all hell. The results are undeniably pleasing though.

Originally Posted by MIXA

Looks good nice work always loved that colour

I still like the olive green ones most I think. What is the name of this colour? Garnet perhaps?

Originally Posted by 500tie

Looks really good mate, I did mine the other day it just takes so bloody long doesn't it

Thanks, I know your pain!

Originally Posted by martin_r_smith

Vast improvement on the last time I saw it mate, but then it was next to my shiney beast lol.

It is actually looking quite fine now. Yours still alive?

**martin_r_smith** · Wednesday 6th January 2016, 22:04

She is in fine fettle, apart from the bonnet still! Currently on winter tune (200bhp 335ft/lb) but undergoing interior changes, V70 leather/suede and a complete alpine sound system.

**Nicojack** · Monday 15th February 2016, 06:30

Whow ! It looks great !! I definitely have to do the same on mine, but paint on hood and front bumper both have many stone chips on. Thank you for the list of the stops... I will make a try :-)