So um, I found something out about where the air is one of my flathood 242s on one of the many days it pours rain.

Basically, over the last few days, I have been doing a panel by panel job detailing my 240, whereby every day after work I wash it with boiling hot water, clay it, and then work on the hood, which is the worst panel paint wise (car has never been buffed since new). Tonight, I get down to fine hand polishing the hood. Then, I start the car in the shop and let it run and polish the hot hood again. Then wax it hot. Then add a top coat cold. By now, if you wedge a rag at the cowl it'll be on the floor in seconds. This should have clued me in a bit. So I think "cool, hood is sealed up and I can drive it home, even if it looks like two different cars from the nose being polished and roof being not so polished."

It is pouring rain like it always is in Portland. I hop on the freeway. Then I hear a big *SPLAT" of water hitting the windshield and immediately look for a truck. Nothing. Then it happens again. I look again, but there is no one else on the freeway. Then I look at the hood and note globs of water that start out at about 1/2" at the top of the hood and pickup more water as they slide toward the front. By the time they reach the front from their journey along the borders of the center channel of the flattie on each side they seem to be about 2" around. At the end of the hood they do an abrupt about face and come howling back to the windshield.

So yah, 240 aerodynamics for the epic FAIL. It begins to rain harder with about 8mm droplets hammering the car by now. Soon, I have the wipers on "high", and they can barely keep up with the additional water from the hood. . I am taking this as an omen that this might be my "nice weather driver." Still funny as hell though. Pictures to follow. I think my boss has me corrupted to make a pretty car...even if it is a freaking 240.

Pretty sure they dont call em bricks for shits n giggles...

Where on earth did you get that procedure, James?

And I've never noticed that happening at freeway speeds. At 15-20 kph, sure, but never moving that fast. Then again, a) it's been a few years since I've owned a flathood 240, and b) I've just taken it for granted that you get the hood splat once in a while.

What's the stance of the car like? Have you got it all nose high & stuff?

I made the procedure up and have watched a few guys do similar little things.

By "hot" I don't mean very hot, just hot enough that I can do it and some of the stuff goes into the paint easier. Then cool it down a bit so that I don't get an oily sheen from wax or polish left if that insanity makes sense? I am too lazy to turn on the heater to heat the car from freezing and wait when the car has an engine and a metal blade fan to spread out the heat on the nose. As to a panel at a time, I just work on the worst panel first and get it really good, then do the next ones to match, and to just get the hardest out of the way first. Seems to work fine with an original single stage paint car like mine. In the future, they say wax wears off about once every 10ish washes. A 240 has what? 10ish major panels? If you do a wash and clay and then do one panel each wash you can keep the car looking good more or less continuously if that makes sense? That is sort of how I've done them, being a lazy bastard.

Nose is a mile high. Car is a bone stock '80DL with commandos/no airdam/splash pan currently (hey, I've only had it registered for a few days to drive it and clean it before I tear it down). The hilarity will probably die down a bit with a splash pan, skinnies, airdam and a bit of rake. I drive about 50mph on the freeway (M45). I notice a lot more splatter getting on the freeway more than anything. It rains hard enough sometimes that I think it just kind of flows down the hood driving about 50mph. *shrug* I just couldn't help but laugh now that the hood is so smooth...it didn't used be more than a once in a while splatter when it was dull.

I am a car slut, but I am strangely attached to this car. I used to pass it on the way to elementary school. It has been mostly garaged, but it would be parked near our house as the guy worked at the college. I drew it with a crayon once because it seemed so easy being a 2-door box (before I knew or cared about anything car/volvo related). The funny thing is that it looked about as oxidized in 1994 as it does today. The oxidation has been largely responsible for protecting the good paint below that I think. That and it being garaged or under a carport when home and outside just during the day. Any car that makes me feel like a 10-year old (either an exotic dream car or my super plain jane 240) I feel some connection to for whatever reason.

pics!