1972 Transporter Bus needs autobody recommendation

[marissamitch1972]

Hello,
Does anyone have a recommendation on an experienced VW autobody shop in New York preferably in Westchester or Putnam Counties? We need body work and a paint job done in 2 weeks (bus is in decent shape). Thanks in advance.

[KentABQ]

Good morning Marissa, and Welcome to the Samba.

Your posting gave me a chuckle when I read it. One Samba member in Illinois has had his bus in the body shop for two years, and is just getting painted. Hopefully you'll have better results.

VW buses are nothing like modern cars where old panels get replaced and a coat of paint slapped on. These are unibody construction, meaning the entire body and frame are welded as one unit. So any rust requires cutting out, a new piece located or fabricated, welded in, ground smooth....etc. very expensive and extremely labor intensive.
_________________
-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea

Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM

[SGKent]

two weeks? To do it right, that would mean a shop would have to divert 100% of their production to your bus, assuming that they could source the parts, media blast it in that time. And, if you found a shop with no business there would be a reason for that. Last - who pulls everything off the bus and puts it back on? Do you strip the hardware off, or do they? Do you have the replacement rubber for the windows? If so what brand and quality did you choose? IMHO - this isn't going to have a happy ending if you are in that much of a hurry on a 45 year old car. Just telling like it is. In fact when I restored mine it took me a couple months just to find someone who was willing to work on it for less than $25,000. Paint and bodywork came to about $9,000 and several months work by the time it was done. I think one Dave down under did took about 2 - 3 years to get right. You can ask Skills in CT what he charges but I think the 2 week thing would kill any chance of having anyone do it short of a production team of 6 to 8 people. 6 - 8 people X 30 days wages would be close to $50K plus the facility cost and materials x 1\2 for 2 weeks - that would be at least a $35,000 paint and repair job by the time you were done. Maybe someone like a local MAACO can tape, bondo and spray for something that lasts a couple years before the rust comes back.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[busdaddy]

[marissamitch1972]

I thought this was a message board where helpful people would offer information for various questions. If you don't have an answer to my question, no need to post nasty or teasing comments.

Not looking for a full restoration and the bus is in great shape, we need minor dents banged out and a paint job. It's for my photography business - to cart my equipment. If it needs a new paint job in 5 years because rust has come through, hopefully, I'll be able to take on a bigger, more expensive and time consuming project. Maaco has given me a quote and they told me 5-10 days but that was a month ago when they were slow. They are super busy now and said it'll take a month.

If no one has a recommendation, that's fine. But please don't post unless you have a place to recommend.

[Randy in Maine]

Suggestion...

Find a local shop that has done work for other VW people in your area (if you are a member of a VW club ask them who they have used).

My guy took almost a year to do my bus. All of the glass really has to come out to do it right since they all rust at the windows.

My other bus was done by a MAACO and it was a lousy job.

[SGKent]

[alman72]

fast
right
cheap
pick any two....
Why did you not do Macco when they had openings? any job done in two weeks is going to be super expensive if it is done right, if not impossible to do right. Paint guys are anal about their work, because if it is bad or good, their name is attached to it. Your only hope is some kid who took auto body in community college who has 2 weeks before he goes back to school, and good luck having him do work that is excellent. If you don't care, just bust out the rattle can.
does the bus now have original paint on it? (You will never have og paint again!)you may be able to have a can or two mixed up to match and just hit problem areas.

[Xevin]

I realize you asked a simple and haven’t had it answered yet. But you gained some knowledge. Seriously. Don’t be offended by the honest tough love in here. When you have a break down question you can save time and money with all these guys. These guys don’t need to be on the Samba helping. But they are great people that enjoy problem solving and helping others. Hope you get your situation worked out. Looks like I’m covering skills tonight at bar, first round on him.


Link

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Keep on Busin'

[skills@eurocarsplus]

Go to maaco....it sounds like you just want shiny paint....not a restoration. Lots of good shops won't touch "just paint" because their name is on it.
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[white74westy]

[cmonSTART]

Also keep in mind these TV shows have 2 dozen people working 24/7 on the vehicle for the 2 weeks. Just a matter of getting in the labor hours..
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[Angus II]

[aeromech]

Maybe this will be helpful

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320572&highlight=tremclad+rolling
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[orwell84]

Seems like once upon a time every town had a body shop with an old guy called Bondo Bob or simply "Dusty". He would bang out the dents and slap the cheese on the Mercury Zephyr you had banged up before you returned it to Rent a Wreck. He would give the same treatment to any high school hotrod or large home appliance that needed some quick and cheap shiny. He never wore a mask and smoked like a chimney. Guess those days are long gone.

[andrewtf]

two weeks !!/!?!?

hahahahahahaha
damn...
I wish..............................
_________________
'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[aeromech]

Hire a house painter
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[orwell84]

Do you have any photos of your bus? Good shape is really subjective and so is the range of quality and price for repainting. Maaco is at the lower end, but is not the worst. My first bus paint job would be considered pretty low quality, but I was a student at the time. I did the body filler, sanded it all down and had a shop mask and spray it. I thought it looked amazing and it held up well for quite awhile. Anyone with any bodywork experience could spot the flaws, but to any normal non-car enthusiast, it just looked like a cool shiny bus. If this is what you are after, it can be done. But your time limits are still unrealistic. Maybe you could try another Maaco or a hole in the wall, mom and shop body shop. The kind of place you hear about by word of mouth. This is the busy season for body shops in the northeast, even the crappy ones. But most of them can still sand down a bus so paint sticks to it for a few years. There are a lot of people who can make a bus look decent with some rattle can and buffing. They are on this forum too but probably aren't going to body shops for their work.