Clear Coat on 1992 Volvo 780?

[BriLam]

I'm going to detail a Volvo 780 Bertone Coupe from 1992. I don't have the car in front of me so I was curious if anyone knew for certain if the paint had a clear coat on it or not. I'd suspect it did, but I'd like to be certain before I begin. Thanks.

[Murr1525]

Well, not sure myself, but you will be able to use the exact same products either way... unless yo uare worried about getting paint on good pads, etc?

[BriLam]

I didn't realize I could use the same products anyway. Do I discard the pads and towels used if the situation occurs or can the towels be washed? I'm not as concerned about the pads as much.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Clear Coat on 1992 Volvo 780?

Originally posted by BriLam
I'm going to detail a Volvo 780 Bertone Coupe from 1992. I don't have the car in front of me so I was curious if anyone knew for certain if the paint had a clear coat on it or not. I'd suspect it did, but I'd like to be certain before I begin. Thanks.

From Meguiar's *NEW* FAQ

Here's the link, below is the answer,

How can I tell if I have a clear coat finish?


To determine whether you have a clear coat or a single-stage finish perform this simple test.

• * Find an inconspicuous area to test, such as the lower rear quarter panel of your car's fender or inside the door jamb.
  
  * Clean this area first with car wash and water or Meguiar's Quik Detailer. You don't want any dirt or grime to interfere with your test.
  
  * Using a small piece of white cotton, such as a piece of terry cloth towel, rub a little paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the paint of this inconspicuous area.
  
  * After rubbing for a few moments, turn your cloth toward you and look to see if there is any color from your paint on the cloth.

If you have a red car and you now have red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a single stage finish. If you have a red car and you don't see any red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a clear coat.

To be 100% sure, you should test in a couple of different areas.

Note: If you have a white, or very light colored car you should use a dark piece of cotton cloth and look for the color of your car's finish on it after rubbing some paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the finish for a few moments.

[Accumulator]

Re: Re: Clear Coat on 1992 Volvo 780?

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
...Find an inconspicuous area to test, such as the lower rear quarter panel of your car's fender or inside the door jamb....

...To be 100% sure, you should test in a couple of different areas...

Do try the additional areas, as many of today's cars don't have clear on "out of the way" areas. IIRC the early-'90s Volvo I used to do was this way but I can't remember for sure.

BriLam- No, you don't have to toss stained pads/etc. The pigments might not fully wash out, but they won't hurt anything or transfer to the next job as long as you clean them well. I've even used pads stained with red and black single stage for subsequent details on white cars with no problems. Just clean them as best you can.

[Murr1525]

You didnt mention if you were planning to use the Deep Crystal System, or the 80-series products with the PC, or some mixing and matching, but either way they will work fine.

The profesional line may have a couple products that arent clear coat safe, I'm not sure. But if it is clear coat safe it is single stage safe.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Murr1525
You didn't mention if you were planning to use the Deep Crystal System, or the 80-series products with the PC, or some mixing and matching, but either way they will work fine.

The profesional line may have a couple products that aren't clear coat safe, I'm not sure. But if it is clear coat safe it is single stage safe.

Close...

All the paint care products in the Professional Line, (Which includes the 80's series products), are safe for clear coats, but not all of the Professional Line is safe for use by hand, with a dual action polisher, or an orbital polisher. Some of the Professional Line is only to be applied using a rotary buffer.

Here's a list of Professional Line products and which pads to use with them, it also includes what tools they can be applied with.



Here's a link to the above picture/thread...

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2524

[BriLam]

Thanks for the tips. I knew how to test, just didn't have the car in front of me. I have some more info regardless. Thanks!