Recommendation for new Volvo

[Ddubya]

Hi, I recently purchased a dealer demo CPO 2017 Volvo S60 Inscription Platinum for my wife. 5K miles, great deal, with a solid warranty. It is Osmium Grey Metallic, which is not as dark as a charcoal grey, but still significantly darker than silver. As far as I can tell the paint it is near perfect shape (they keep them under hail/sun covers at the dealer), and it has probably been washed several times but not polished or waxed (it beads water, but has no swirl marks that I can see). I plan to clay bar it and then use a Duragloss 601 / 101 combo (I've done this to our red Mazda for its entire life, DG 105 every now and then, and it seems to work pretty well), OR clay bar it and then use either Collinite 845 liquid or 915 paste. Anyone who has used either or both on a darker metallic finish have a preference for one over the other, or other recommendations? We generally keep our cars 8 to 10 years FYI. Also, I generally hand wash/polish/wax 2 times per year, with the rest of the care being a combination of hand wash only and higher end automatic washes. Thank you.

 

[RooflessVW]

Volvo clear is fairly soft. Mine was covered in car wash scratches when I bought it Meguiar's 105/205 got them out. Parking outside allowed water spots to form - Griot's AIO removed them and I settled on that as my maintenance product. I'd recommend a similar AIO if the finish doesn't need any major correction.

 

[TTK]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

Volvo clear is fairly soft. Mine was covered in car wash scratches when I bought it Meguiar's 105/205 got them out. Parking outside allowed water spots to form - Griot's AIO removed them and I settled on that as my maintenance product. I'd recommend a similar AIO if the finish doesn't need any major correction.

Nice Volvo. But, I can tell you that my 2010 V70 clear coat is definitely not soft.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: TTK

Nice Volvo. But, I can tell you that my 2010 V70 clear coat is definitely not soft.

May be that mine was a base color - solid black.

 

[TTK]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

Originally Posted By: TTK

Nice Volvo. But, I can tell you that my 2010 V70 clear coat is definitely not soft.

May be that mine was a base color - solid black.

I don't know. But, mine is solid black too. Maybe the difference in years? On the other hand, we do not have a good definition of "soft" or "hard".

 

[HYUNDAIFAN0001]

The work you've done on your car finish is commendable and the results very nice! Of course...it's still a Volvo...

 

[Ddubya]

I'll take pics next time, but I ended up claying the entire vehicle using Duragloss Aquawax as a lubricant, washed, rinsed and dried again, and applied Jescar Powerlock with a DA orbital polisher using a black Lake County pad. Wiped everything off with Zwipes microfiber towels, and it looks great. Really makes the metallic part of the Osmium Grey Metallic pop. I'll probably apply the Jescar twice a year, use the DG Aquawax after regular washes, and clay once a year or 18 months or so. I'm very happy with the results, products and process. The car has been great so far too. My wife really enjoys it.

 

[PimTac]

The Powerlock is well known as a quality sealant. You should get good durability from it.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: HYUNDAIFAN0001

Of course...it's still a Volvo...

 

[HYUNDAIFAN0001]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver

Originally Posted By: HYUNDAIFAN0001

Of course...it's still a Volvo...

LOL. Just having some fun... I was reminded of some friends' true story about car shopping. A couple years ago...the married couple went to a Volvo dealership (as well as several others) to find a new car. After walking around and looking in the showroom for 5-10 minutes...they quietly decided to leave. The salesperson "caught them" before they left...and began a hard sell. Note: These are two very passive, nice people who would never make a scene of get into a public argument about anything. He began by telling them "this is one of the safest cars in the world"..."These are very well built cars"...and so on...for about 15-20 minutes. My friends patiently listed to the entire sales pitch (despite wanting to leave). They gently told the salesperson 3-4 times they "thank you, but they didn't find something they liked", yet the salesperson relentlessly continued on. At that point, the salesperson could sense them still wishing to leave...and told them "you don't understand...this car is built so well...it'll last you 20 years!" After looking at each other, the wife responded "you don't understand...then we'd be stuck with an ugly car for 20 years...no thank you"...and then walked out. I don't agree on the "ugly" part...but it is a funny true story.

 

[Voleak]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

Volvo clear is fairly soft. Mine was covered in car wash scratches when I bought it Meguiar's 105/205 got them out. Parking outside allowed water spots to form - Griot's AIO removed them and I settled on that as my maintenance product. I'd recommend a similar AIO if the finish doesn't need any major correction.

Beautiful!

 

[Voleak]

On my wife's 2018 XC60 Pine Gray Metallic: Today I washed with Meguiars Gold Class car wash. Then I blow dry the car with a Black and Decker electric leaf blower. Then I put on a coat of Meguiars Ultimate Polish and removed by hand. Then I put on a coat of Ultimate Liquid Wax and removed by hand. I really like Meguiars products for a new Volvo.

 

[Voleak]

A little picture happy today