Volvo 745 Touch Up Paint (12 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

Volvo kept things sensible with a palette of 12 recorded colors for the 745. They weren't trying to win any neon light shows; they were building the ultimate Swedish "brick." You've got the staples like Classic Red and Midnight Blue, and a surprising amount of sophistication in the metallics-like Mystic Silver and Blue Green Metallic. With three different shades of gray/silver on the list, it's clear Volvo knew their audience: people who wanted to look good while hauling a bookshelf through a snowstorm.

What to Watch For

Before you start, you need to find your "birth certificate." Open the hood and look at the driver or passenger side strut tower (the metal hump over the wheel) or the radiator support bar across the front. You're looking for a small metal plate with a 3-digit number. That's your code.

Now, the reality check: If you're driving a Classic Red wagon, you've probably noticed it's trying to turn into "Classic Pink." These solid colors tend to get a chalky, faded look over the years. If you have a metallic like Silver Gray, keep an eye on the roof and hood; the clear top layer can sometimes get "cloudy" or start to flake away. Also, take a peek behind the door handles-paint tends to bubble there first, so catch those spots early before they become a bigger project.

Driveway Repair Tip

Since many of these colors-especially Wine Red or Light Blue Metallic-rely on tiny metallic sparkles to look right, you have to be the human paint-shaker. Shake your touch-up bottle or can for a full two minutes. If you think you're done, shake it for another thirty seconds. This wakes up the "metal" in the metallic so it doesn't just look like flat gray when it dries.

When applying, don't try to fill a deep chip in one go. If you put down a giant blob, it'll look like a pimple on your car. Use the "dot" method: apply a tiny drop, let it dry for 20 minutes, and add another. It requires some patience, but your Volvo has lasted 30 years-it can wait another hour to look its best.