Paint and body work

[Markus]

Last year was engine and transmission so i can dedicate 2015 to the body. After i get something back from tax returns i should be in good shape to get a paint job on my westy. I have many questions. There are a few spots that have rust that i can punch through with a pick. I dont know what it looks like under the windsheid seal but there are no rust drip stains visible. I dont think it will need any sections replaced. I want to return the bus back to former glory, which was mexico beige. The bus is currently a flat maroon with some bright green underneath in places. So its been repainted but definitley not professionally.

So I'm looking for advice on where to go, what to do. I have no experience painting besides rattle cans. I have virtually no experience with body work. I could try to get some help sanding/patching the rust myself and then paying for paint, or i could just let a pro do it all.

who does body and paint on a bus locally? Is Maaco definitely a bad idea? This is not a show car but i do want to get it looking stock/original. I will not be doing a total tear down to have the interior painted. just exterior.

Any, all advice is appreciated as I have no pre-conceived notions on how to go about it.

[Raj]

You got the first step right.... ask questions!

Just like any trade, time is money. If you can do the disassembly and reassembly, you will save some greenbacks. With this is, how far do you disassemble? Def factor in the seals ( glass, signals etc) as no sense in putting old rubber on new paint.
Maaco is hit/ miss.
My buddy recently made an offer to me. His bro owns a shop that recently got bought by maaco. Down side, the historical negative connotation of the name plate. plus side - same guys, same equipment, same knowlegde. And now they get some pain super cheap and can offer a lower price. They can still paint a car for 5k-10k if you want.... but know you can get its sprayed for under 1k. He offered to spray my 63 for under 1k..... and I was really tempted by it. But with the 3k ish in add ons I'll need after wards ( rubber, interior, headliner new rag, and some better dent free medal) I think its wiser to use that cash on other projects. Cant vouch for the guy, but if you want his number, let me know. He's out by me in nassau.

As for the rust repair. Pro work isnt cheap... again its 100/ hr give or take, so you gotta pay to play. You seem like a real hands on guy.... Id suggest you buy a welder and give it a go. If you F it up, cut it out and your back at square one.

[Markus]

Hey Raj- definitely interested in your paint guy's contact!

someone else recommended a maaco recently, i think in nassau. i wonder if its the same shop...

in terms of dissasembly, i am willing to do it, i just wanted to make sure what i would get charged is worth the time and towing money i would have to put in.

[Tom]

Be aware that all the rubber for a bus is over a grand, don't cheap out either because the cheap ones suck.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

Try to keep the bus the same color, it'll avoid you needing to change out nonessential rubbers. Doing the windows is cheap, doing the whole bus is not cheap.
The guy that painted my bus is Jim, he's here by me - a town over in greenlawn.
I took the windows out, removed everything I could to save him time.
631-902-7111
I was very happy with his work.
Strip off the bumpers at home, light trims, bezels, handles etc.
Drive the thing out to me, we cut out your windows and drive it two miles to Jim's. Then, I bring you to the train and it's done. As for putting it back on the road, we do it in the opposite order!

[Markus]

keep it the same color? much of it is filler and kids fingerpaints. I hear what you are saying, but i cant keep it that color.

I have a new windsheild seal in hand already. The good one that I had to wait 8 months to get. As for the rest, they definitely are old and dry so i guess I wouldnt be replacing them unecessarily.

Mike i hope you are serious about that offer, would be a huge help. At the end of winter i will give the guy a call.

[Brown]

keep it the same color? much of it is filler and kids fingerpaints. I hear what you are saying, but i cant keep it that color.

I think Mike's point is door jams and things like that don't need to be repainted if you stay with the original color otherwise you have a red bus and then open the doors and see some other color.

Like Raj said the more time someone is going to spend painting all the door jams etc, will cost more money!

[EDNCAROL]

At the end of the day you can change every seal and rusted out part on your car or bus. But if it's not prepared correctly your not going to be happy. A nice new paint job really brings out the worst in bad body work and sanding scratches. Figure out how much you want to spend and what you can live with. Daily driver or the $70000 Bay.

[ObnoxiousBlue]

I'm saying out the bus back to the original color - the same color as what's on the insides of the door jambs, engine compartment etc. this will save your having to spray those areas. You'll need to replace your windscreen seal, rear window seal, and the two fixed side widows on the rear 1/4's. The jalousies come right out, if they're not leaking - don't mess with them. You'll need front door, sliding door, rear hatch and engine lid seals. As well as new seals for the turn signal buckets in the nose, as well as tail lamp seals.
You'll want to replace the mirror grommets on the front doors and will need to see how bad the doors are as to if you're going to remove the scrapers and seals there. It's not a simple job, and if you can get a clean sand/mask job in there it will save you several hours or removing then trying to fit the crappy aftermarket scraper sets in place.
While the windscreen is out, paint the dash. Repair any issues under the dash since it'll be readily accessible.
This is also a good time to replace/upgrade your headlights, plus out nice OEM turn signal lenses, tail light lenses and new side markers/reflectors on.
You just have to take the bumpers off back home by you. The lights and windows come out easy.
Jim did good by me. I wanted a NICE paint job, but not (as Ed would say) the $70,000 Bay. I'm very happy with it and after my last "project" I went into the bus with realistic expectations that wouldn't bankrupt me or cause me to lose my bus.
I envision you drive out one day that I'm off work. We show Jim the bus to get you a number and see if you & he are even both interested. Then when you're ready to go, you drive out one Sunday that I'm off from work, we strip the externals off the bus and bring it to Jim. I drop you at the train after and it's done.
Jim is a great guy, he's an old school "hot rod" guy, runs a one man shop in a three car garage behind his house. Don't be fooled, he has a nice set up. He's done several cars I know of, including a beautiful ElCamino for one of the guys I work with, also work on my boss' 64 T bird, and our hearse... Also, airbrushed a blemish on the bumper of my 13. Can't even tell there was ever any chip at all.

[Markus]

keep it the same color? much of it is filler and kids fingerpaints. I hear what you are saying, but i cant keep it that color.

I think Mike's point is door jams and things like that don't need to be repainted if you stay with the original color otherwise you have a red bus and then open the doors and see some other color.

Like Raj said the more time someone is going to spend painting all the door jams etc, will cost more money!

right. original color was beige and those jambs and interior and such are still beige.

It sounds like a lot of work but i'm willing to see if I can budget it and talk to Jim.

[Markus]

keep it the same color? much of it is filler and kids fingerpaints. I hear what you are saying, but i cant keep it that color.

I think Mike's point is door jams and things like that don't need to be repainted if you stay with the original color otherwise you have a red bus and then open the doors and see some other color.

Like Raj said the more time someone is going to spend painting all the door jams etc, will cost more money!

right. original color was beige and those jambs and interior and such are still beige.

It sounds like a lot of work but i'm willing to see if I can budget it and talk to Jim.