2002 S60: Can you please help me with some cosmetic repairs?

[starspeedr]

I just bought a 2002 S60 non-turbo Volvo sedan with 95,000 miles and I LOVE it. However, it came with a few dings and aesthetic needs. I've googled a lot, but can't seem to find non-dealer (think inexpensive) ways to fix the problems. Here is a link to some photos:



The photos show the following problems:

1) Interior trim around the door handle, including the part you grip with your hand, is worn and ugly. This is the case for all four doors.

2) Center console cup holder (and lid) need to be replaced. Also in the photo, the passenger seat is discolored (from water probably)

3) Exterior trim along the roof (near the doors) is worn and needs repair.

4) The door weather-stripping is worn and whistles when I drive on the highway.

5) Various dings and scratches in the exterior paint need to be touched up. I've never done anything like that.

6) AC/Fan knob has popped off, leaving a clear plastic rod that works but isn't pretty (not pictured)

Really any links, advice, help, or tips would be great appreciated. I love this site and look forward to hearing from you.

[benrk]

Hi & welcome to the forum as much as in the circle of Volvo owners!
The cost & headache of keeping these cars in mechanic & cosmetic near new condition is still gona cause you some grief, but much less as some other luxury cars & it will reward you with a very long & comfortable driving experience.

Most of the parts you'll need are only available oem, so check your local Volvo dealers for prices & compare them to sites like volvopartswebstore.com which is a dealership that sells online @ competitive rates. These cars are also showing @ the wreckers quite frequently now, maybe you'll find something there.

Once you're @ a dealership (of any brand) ask them who's reconditioning their lease returns & trade-ins, there are companies specializing in this sort of repair that work sheer magic at very low prices.

Start out with a really good cleaning, that seat should improve a lot if cleaned properly & treated with some leather care.

The plastic trim on the inside of the doors are clipped from behind in a way that has me assuming they were not meant to be removed, you can either take the door cards off & try to remove the metal clips, or try to very carefully pry them off from the face of the door card & then glue them back into place once you refinished or replaced them.

The trim on the roof I would just very carefully sand with 400 wet paper to get rid of the remaining shiny spots & have an evenly matte finish all the way, but be careful, there should be Aluminum under that plastic coating, if you sand too much you'll get silver shiny spots.

If you don't want a paint bill for the roof you're probably best off to fill those scratches with black wax & a good polish, painting them over with a small brush usually looks worse after than the actual scratch before.


Good luck, Ben

[scot850]

When we bought our 2006 XC70 from the dealer, they had a trim guy come in and spray paint the interior grab handles on the front doors. They still look good after 3 years.

Neil.