MY VINTAGE VOLVO|DETAILING 101.
A Car should be a experience, not just a mode of transportation. Every time I slide into the drivers seat. I fall more in love and when it sparkles. I’m one happy car owner.
This past weekend I did a first full interior detail of my beloved vintage Volvo. A 1993 240 Station wagon. The previous owner kept it clean as whistle, so detailing it wasn’t too hard core.
I started with assembling my detailing kit. Most of the items I got when I first came back with the car from Utah. I have been doing mini detailing maintenance since then like keeping the Dashboard polished and conditioned weekly. One thing to keep in mind with older cars. Their interiors can be pretty fragile, my last two Volvo’s had a lot of interior wear and tear. Not this one, so I want to keep it that way ♥️.
My current car kit looks like this…
Tried and Trues, but always looking for more ideas. It would be fun to create my own line named after my Dad in honor of all the times we spent detailing cars together.
Mr. Clean Sheets-for taking off scuffs on my white interior ceiling. It was somewhat effective. Definitely looking for a better alternative.
Meguiars Rich Leather Wipes. Great for Dashboards, Car Seats and those iconic Headrests. Any surface that needs to shine and be conditioned.
Sprayway Glass cleaner for the interior windows. As you know with a Station wagon, I’ve got lots of windows. 😂. This stuff is my go to for years. It gets the job done.
Black Duct Tape for my Driver seat. It’s the one part of the car that is not in mint condition. Wear and tear on the seams. A quick fix until I have the money to re-upholster the seat to its former glory. In the meantime it gives it character 😊. I also use the sticky side to pick up hard to reach vacuum spots.
Swifter Dust Sheets and Q-Tips. I always dust first before using the Conditioning wipes and Q-tips to get into those hard to reach corners or vents. *I also use a microfiber rag for this as well. All my bases are covered 😂.
Lastly…
The Iconic Little Trees Air Freshener. I chose Fresh Shave in honor of my Dad. It smells like him when I was a kid, super 70’s. Shaving Cream, Leather, Talcum Powder and Musk. I hang it in the back so it’s not overwhelming. And it kind of matches the faded black to blue carpet. ♥️.
My overall detailing process itself is pretty straightforward. I start Back to Front of the car. Top to Bottom. Put on some good tunes and get to it.
I First Open all the Doors and Let that Wonderful Spring Air in. Dust all the Surfaces. Get in every nook and cranny. Vacuum with my little Handheld and then Polish and condition away:)
Volvo Life is good and being a steward of this old car makes me really happy. A huge reminder that they don’t make things like they use too and it’s truly privilege to have it.
My Dad would of loved this car and it’s story. It’s been such a part of the grieving/healing process for me. To remember all the cherished moments we had with old car love and a way to honor the things he never got to do with his own car restorations in the years before he passed away.
🫀.