TheSamba.com :: View topic - 59 Panel Project W/ Trial & Error to get OG Paint

Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:45 pm

Picked it up late last week, got it in the garage (Ever unloaded a bus off a trailer on a downhill slope by yourself with ZERO brakes?), and have been reading posts on paint removal ever since. My goal with this project is to hopefully get down to the OG paint and make it decent looking (hopefully), fix most of the rust, get it running, and DRIVE IT.

The PO got the bus off of a farm where it had been sitting for 30 years. He had to many projects so he sold it to me.

The paint: Well the bus was L53 Sealing Wax Red with unknown logo's, then primer, then L53 again with another logo, then cheap black right on top of the red with yet another logo. Now as you can see the driver side was obviously was in direct sunlight so a lot of the black is gone and you can see a couple of the logo's. I decided to start on the passenger side so that I could possibly save the logo's that are hopefully still on the OG paint. I have done much research in the forums and decided to try the Acetone first, but picked up a couple of different things to try while I was at it.

Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:11 pm

Keep scrubbin!

Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:45 pm

Yeah, that's roughly how mine started out...
Love the SWR...it's gonna be PRIME!
Unfortunately, my raingutters and doglegs were too far gone...so, I hadda repaint..
Hopefully you can roll it in the patina...you will be really proud.
Cool!!

Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:14 pm

I found that bus for the P.O. It was sitting about 1 mile from my house. I used to play in it when I was about 7. I'm 32 now. I'm glad somebody is gonna save that. We will need progress pics! Good luck!

Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:48 pm

Just be patient, dont be afraid to use some 1000 grit with soapy water.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:54 pm

Well I would update, but Photobucket is having server issues. :(

Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:10 pm

UPDATE: Started on the passenger side where the black is thick.

The Easy-Off worked to get the black off, but it took a bit of soaking in and then I was still left with 2 more coats to deal with so scratch that. I put some of the Jasco stuff on, but it started bubbling almost instantly and it scared the shit out of me so no more of that. Then I found that as long as I keep the razor blade fresh, the scraper will take off everything down to the sealer (or primer) that is just above the OG paint.

Then acetone on that with a rag and it the sealer comes off.

Then 1500 grit sandpaper, rubbing compound, then wax and LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!

It would be a happy day if I could get the whole bus to look like this, but....

The lower part cargo doors it looks like they sanded the area down to metal on some of it before the red repaint. :(

I sanded the black down on the upper part to see if I could get to the logos on the red repaint... they are there as you can see. The plan was to get to the OG SWR and that hopefully there would be logos... but when I made a swipe above the SHRUB (logos on the repaint) I saw that they took it down to bare metal there. :cry:

Got a lot done in 2 nights, and I guess now the plan is to take it down to the OG SWR everywhere that I can, and then blend some SWR where needed. Hopefully the other side will not be like that.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:32 pm

That thing is gonna make me regret my decision to pass it on! :lol: I can't wait to see what's next. Major props for bringing that sucker back.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:37 pm

Try and save all of the signwriting you can! You could even redo the part that came off.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:12 pm

Well the problem with that is the SHRUB is on the repaint.. it is not nearly as good quality paint as the OG, there is more red in the respray than OG Sealing Wax Red, and the SHRUB is already faded away on the other side... there is just no saving the logo.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:53 pm

Make a tracing of the logo. That way you'll have if you ever change your mind or want to do a different restoration your set :)

Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:33 am

63crewzer wrote: That thing is gonna make me regret my decision to pass it on! :lol: I can't wait to see what's next. Major props for bringing that sucker back.

Man!!! long time no see, how is that DC coming? :D

Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:52 am

Too bad they took it down to bare metal. Will you be painting it?

Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:05 am

Anywhere they sanded off the OG I am going to try to blend to see what happens... the OG is just to nice not to use it.

Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:42 pm

Got more done last night.

Did some around the front to see how it was:

All the trim around the doors and such is tedious work, but its looking pretty good under there.

I didn't sand any of it so its not finished, but you get the idea. I am going to try to do a lot tonight and hopefully roll it outside to get some good pics tomorrow.

Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:02 pm

frijole73b wrote: 63crewzer wrote: That thing is gonna make me regret my decision to pass it on! :lol: I can't wait to see what's next. Major props for bringing that sucker back.

Man!!! long time no see, how is that DC coming? :D

Slowly, but surely! :) How ya been? Looks like you sold this sucker to the right guy, it's looking awesome!

Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:48 pm

Major props....it's looking GREAT.
GOOD WORK!!

Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:23 am

63crewzer wrote: frijole73b wrote: 63crewzer wrote: That thing is gonna make me regret my decision to pass it on! :lol: I can't wait to see what's next. Major props for bringing that sucker back.

Man!!! long time no see, how is that DC coming? :D

Slowly, but surely! :) How ya been? Looks like you sold this sucker to the right guy, it's looking awesome!

I been good, yeah I happy that he is getting done. I had plans but life got in the way as you may remember.

SO any how I got me an SC that's pretty sweet. I sold the panel and i am selling my bug to fund he build.

Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:39 pm

and they say you cant polish a turd!

good job and keep going! check out my gallery for some motovation.

Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:58 pm

I know what your going through. I did the same thing on my 62 vert to get to the OG paint. Some times I had wished I had never started removing the primer.. It was worth the hard work in the long run.