TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:33 pm

Hey All-
As I'm sure most of you know, this 51 LHD Left hand Cargo Door was purchased and shipped from Sweden just around a year ago by a collector named Gene Langan here on the east coast.

He has quite an impressive list of barndoors at this point- (7 of them to be exact, and all nice or important in one way of another)-

After this one arrived, I buzzed out to CT to see it, and to discuss with Gene what to do about it. It's relatively straight and original, but with a horrible paintjob, some body damage, and a mostly original interior. In the afternoon I spent there, I chipped away at the paint a little bit to try to determine if I could perhaps "make it original paint" again...something I've done with buses in the past. My thinking was that it would be an early three tone white/medium grey/light grey early micro, like AB 9301- but after investigating a bit, I told Gene to send off for a birth certificate. My suspicion was that it was a grey bus originally, but not three tone. I thought he might have a "delivered in primer" standard on his hands. Sure enough, the bc arrived from wolfsburg, "delivered in Primer".

The early bus eagle eyes out there will see the small white cargo door bumper, used on 50 and early 51 buses- and the "delivered in primer" grey lurking underneath.

So Gene brought the bus over to me, and I decided to have a go stripping the paint back to the original finish. Now before we get started-- no, I won't tell you what I use to strip the paint, partially because it's not as simple as "oh, i do this...it works everytime!", but also because it's a technique I've developed over the course of 10+ years. It's a combination of a very specific chemical compound, tools, patience and persistence. Each bus I've done this to is different in some way, because all paints + application differ somewhat. I can say this- the less prep that was done to original paint the better. Sometimes (most times in the 70s) minimal prep was done, and a thick brownish red lacquer primer was used. This primer almost preserves original paint. I wish it was applied to un-prepped original paint, then sprayed more often-- it would make this job much easier, and the results nicer!!!

Here was the bus as it arrived at my shop-

I decided to tackle the right side first off- partially because I could see the outline of a logo peeking out on the side, but mostly because the other side was gonna need some body work- and before I started fixing that side, I (and Gene) wanted to know what the chances were of me making the bus "original primer" again-

well, under about 3 layers of paint-- I found this logo..

I also started stripping paint up behind the 3rd side window-- with moderate success-

So I continued-

and after about a week, I had the whole section above the beltline down to the original grey-

and that sticker on the popout glass--?

-----stay tuned for more photos--

Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:50 pm

Congratulations Mark! Incredible job.

Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:22 pm

Bitchin' bus. Keep the pics coming.

Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:55 pm

Looking awesome Mark.
Glad you are finding fun stuff to keep you busy over on the wrong coast... :wink:

Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:19 pm

Pee Wee, you are truly gifted, in more ways than one!

Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:06 am

HeHe!! I know you are but what am I?!!

Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:10 am

...moving on to the side below the beltline--

Thu Dec 19, 2013 7:29 am

That's looking great already Mark. I'm looking forward to seeingit all stripped

Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:34 am

this should be exciting to watch

Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:41 am

Really cool MaHk (as Josh, Nick & Murphy would say)

Show us your magic ...... not that one ........ but your skillz :wink:

Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:33 am

Strip tease show... 8)

Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:45 am

Mark.. if you need to touch it up in some spots... I found a euro RAL color chart for mouse grey was a perfect match when i did my kombi... very cool bus!

Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:21 pm

...decided to keep the beltline and the V of the nose green, so I did a little test

Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:57 am

what are you using to strip the paint? and good call on keeping the green...it goes with the logo,,,

Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:26 am

andre b wrote: what are you using to strip the paint?

....magic-

read the post

Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:28 am

marklapriore wrote: andre b wrote: what are you using to strip the paint?

....magic-

read the post ya,,,i have one of those magic wounds too.

Fri Dec 20, 2013 7:34 am

Quote: The early bus eagle eyes out there will see the small white cargo door bumper, used on 50 and early 51 buses- and the "delivered in primer" grey lurking underneath.

So Gene brought the bus over to me, and I decided to have a go stripping the paint back to the original finish. Now before we get started-- no, I won't tell you what I use to strip the paint, partially because it's not as simple as "oh, i do this...it works everytime!", but also because it's a technique I've developed over the course of 10+ years. It's a combination of a very specific chemical compound, tools, patience and persistence. Each bus I've done this to is different in some way, because all paints + application differ somewhat. I can say this- the less prep that was done to original paint the better. Sometimes (most times in the 70s) minimal prep was done, and a thick brownish red lacquer primer was used. This primer almost preserves original paint. I wish it was applied to un-prepped original paint, then sprayed more often-- it would make this job much easier, and the results nicer!!!

Here was the bus as it arrived at my shop-

missed this part,,i was to impressed with the bus...nice work and i couldn't agree any more...i have had my fair share of stripping buses and its sucks big time but well worth it,,every one is different that's for sure...keep at it buddy this bus rules...

Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:27 am

Is a barney delivered in primer considered rare[-ish] or is this simply a case of trying to get a bus back to its original state?

My NOV '54 Kombi was delivered in primer (and later painted, presumably by hand).

At this point, I'm fairly set of giving it a lovely coat of Dove Blue when the resto' hits that point.

Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:23 pm

The owner (gene) is interested in making the bus original- both because of it's rarity, and also because he likes original over restored if possible. The plan is for this bus to be parked next to the sudfunk '50.
I don't think it's rare for early bd 's to be ordered in primer, although they were mostly panels and kombis. I do think it's slightly rare however for an early std microbus to be ordered in primer. Most panels and kombis were ordered and used by businesses- therefor they were sign painted. But passenger buses with logos are not as common-

Either way, I'm happy Gene wants to keep this one original!!

Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:30 pm

Thanks for the input, marklapriore.

Unfortunately my bus requires more work than suitably allows for a 'clean up' operation. Perhaps the next one might be more lucky... ;)

Good going on the stripping... Keep it up.