Vanagon paint complete!

[Mulcheese]

I have finished this summers van project, painting the van. . I went in to this with the intention that I did not want the typical paint job. I did not want to sink all this time and money and then on my first camping trip put a scratch or ding in to it or have my son ride his bike ito it and put a scratch down the side. This is our camping/utility vehicle. I intend to use it and do not want to worry about the the paint. Why paint you may ask, well for those of you who own one you know that they are old and rust was setting in. The old paint was peeling and faded and some. It was time. I felt it was my civic duty to preserve the VW.

I settled on a single stage urethane and decided to shoot it and leave it. Leave the orange peel. Any scratches or digs should not show as easily. I was a bit torn as to the completed finish. It came out with an eggshell type finish, very rough. It is beyond orange peel and and even equates to a bedliner or Monstaliner look. Im torn because it is not "what a paint job is supposed to look like".











Here are some close ups of the texture.





I like it and it will serve us well.

Now I am starting to pack it up for the westward trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Onward

[Randy in Maine]

Looks good from here!!

Enjoy the trip!! One of my favorites you know.

[airkooledchris]

I think the paint looks great, both from afar and up close.


What sort of prep did you do?

Enjoy the trip. The Tetons are one of my top 3 favorite places on earth. I had my 76 Westy there and can't wait to get back.

[cegammel]

Good work!

[Mulcheese]

I think the paint looks great, both from afar and up close.


What sort of prep did you do?

Enjoy the trip. The Tetons are one of my top 3 favorite places on earth. I had my 76 Westy there and can't wait to get back.

Thanks. I actually followed most steps with prep. Sanded areas that needed>Filled dents and dings>High build primer>Sand to level areas needed>Shoot 2 coats of urethane sealer>Shoot 3 coats of SS urethane>Spray (can) black all exterior compnents>Sit back and have a beer....

The beauty with this finished texture is if I do get an area that needs to be fixed (more rust, deep scratch....) I can use a small foam roller or even a brush and get pretty close to the same look.


We are very excited for the trip!!!! It has been a few years since we have been in the region.

Now that I have had time to sit back and look I am pleased with the results.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

Beautiful thing about body work ... if you don't like it, it's mostly labor to fix it, cost is relatively minimal. You've got two options:

- D/A it all down and shoot it again.
- Wet sand and buff it out. I would start with pretty aggressive grit - like 400. Just be careful not to sand all the way through the paint. Then go to 600, then 1000. I would use a rubber sanding block. Take your time especially at first - do a lot of feeling with your fingers - you only want to take enough off to get it flat/smooth w/o going through. If you do happen to go through the paint, since it's white and single state, will be very easy to touch up. After wet sanding use a high power buffer - you can get these from harbor freight for $50 or less - with a wool pad and buffing compound. Do all this and you will have super shiny job professional paint job. Single stage urethane is very forgiving in this respect; if you had done two stage base and clear you could do the same thing, however, it takes longer as the clear coat is much harder than the single stage.

Time involved for either option will be about the same...maybe a little longer for the wet sand option, although an advantage of the second is you can use it and piece meal the effort.

Looks like your gun wasn't setup right, or the paint wasn't thinned enough.

[Mulcheese]

Beautiful thing about body work ... if you don't like it, it's mostly labor to fix it, cost is relatively minimal. You've got two options:

Yes, very true. I like the results for now and if I change my mind than yes I can change it. I will check it out this summer and make a decision by next summer.

Thanks for the tips.

[Jivermo]

Your paint looks like FRP (fire retardant panels) that we use in restaurant kitchens. With all of the bus fires, it's a great finish.

[cegammel]

So, did you settle on a single stage? You inspired me to repaint mine today, with single stage urethane. I am considering letting it cure and then shooting clearcoat for added protection...any idea if that would work?

[TrollFromDownBelow]

I think you can shoot clear over single stage ... but not necessary. if the car is garaged go single, if it sits out go BC/CC - two stage.