Hello Everyone!



I bought a volvo 240 out of Gumtree for $500. I bought this model because of zero rust and good engine. Other things around it needed changing such as the gearbox, interior parts and new radiator. The car mechanically is in excellent condition, but the exterior could do some work.

Clearcoat has peeled off, and the previous owner had a stupid cat that sat on the warm bonnet after they returned from work, resulting in massive and somewhat alarming scratches on the bonnet. I am also mid-way through de-kebbabing the car (returning it to original spec as best as possible).

can clearcoat be re-applied without a respray?
I don't have any suggestions but my 940 is the same colour as your 240. It's clear coat is also starting to peel especially on the roof and upward facing surfaces of the doors.
Anyone know whether the light blue colour is more prone to clear coat peeling? Or is it just an age issue?
You won't get a panel shop to do it because they don't want you (a) complaining if it isn't perfect (b) coming back in a few years with issues so it's a DIY job. There's plenty of how to's on YouTube.
Clear coat is designed to bond to fresh paint. So if you clear over old (fully hardened) paint, it will generally peel/flake back off unfortunately. The time this takes depends on sun, moisture, surface prep, etc, but it likely won't last a year :(