My Syncro Rustoleum paint job

[Atadloco]

****One year update****

Here is a quick update and back story of my $53.00 paint job I did a year ago. As I was getting close to finishing the Syncro, it was time for paint. I went to 4 different shops in the NH and Mass area and the price range was $7,800 to $12,500 (ouch). So, what did I do?? I used and oil based Rustoluem and a foam roller after seeing a friends Ford van he did 7 years ago and still holding up fine. Quite a few articles of folks doing this and the vehicles are holding up fine years later. The trick is the prep work and taking your time

$53.00 in supplies and a few hard weeks of my time.

I started by sanding the entire van to rough up the existing paint, no real rust to speak and what little rust there was I took care of both inside and outside with rust converter and POR15 The undercarriage has been all ground down and covered with POR15 as well along with all suspension parts after sandblast.

3 coats of oil based enamel primer and wet sanded between each coat and 9 coats of base and wet sanded between 8 of the 9 coats. The first two coats of base I wet sanded in between with 800 grit, took the most of it off each time, the next two coats I wet sanded with 1000 grit between each coat the next two with 1500 grit between each coat and finally the last two with 2000 grit but for the last coat I did not sand. After the above I let it sit for a few weeks to completely harden and then sanded with a 2000 grit and then waxed and buff.

I mixed both the primer and the base with mineral spirits so it has almost a milk consistency (50 / 50) and ends up drying quicker than not. Rolling it on with a 4" foam roller was time consuming but if you're careful and take your time, the lines are non existent. My original color was the Metallic Silver and after a few test coats with different colors, I went with a lighter silver so the door jams almost match. All in all my shoulders, arms, and whole body ached from weeks of sanding and painting, but the end result of saving $9,947 was well worth it.

Here are the various stages after removing 80% of the seam sealer and replacing with a quality 3M product, sanding and sand and sanding and the process continued.

So one year later and about 8000 miles the paint is holding up fine. No chips in the front (I try to stay off the highways), any branch scrapes from camping buffed out and I also do not drive in the salty winters of the northeast. The Syncro is stored in a garage in the winter but the rest of the year it is outside in the elements.

The color has also held true with no fading or shade discoloration, granted it has only been a year, so far it has done quite well. I hope to update this next year and years after as well.

[djkeev]

Looks good!

There is no shame in painting a vehicle by hand, it used to be how it was done.

Henry Ford had acres of drying sheds where the auto bodies were kept while they dried and cured after a quality brush job by local workers.



Dave
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[Alluvial Van]

Looks good. Any close up pictures? I know there have been a ton of people who have painted there cars this way and, like you said, the quality comes from the prep work. But, I imagine a lot of the cost a $10k paint job comes from the prep work. You might have been able to do the prep yourself and have someone just paint it for you. That would have probably cut the cost in 1/2 or more.

[PDXWesty]

Looks good from your pics. I found the key to getting a reasonable cost, as Dave suggested, is to find someone who will work with you. I've painted two cars (77 bus and 74 Alfa Romeo) for a very reasonable cost by working with a paint shop and doing all the disassembly and reassembly myself. For the van I went to a paint and body shop on a Saturday for a quote. The guy was there by himself and I just asked him if he did any side work. He said yes and he took the van home, did all the prep, sprayed it in his shop, and I did all the reassembly. Cost me a grand. Did the same thing with the Alfa with a different shop. Cost $2500 that time. I know materials are getting real expensive, but it's the labor that is most of the bill.

Did you keep track of hours on your paint project?
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[romanoga]

That's amazing! Looks great and provides the protection you need. I don't need a show car so I may go this route. Thanks for taking the time to the year later update!

[Abscate]

You silly fool., The rust will still be there, rotting out your Van Bus like a cancerous sore..

(quote from the Bears)

Props for doing this and posting it up. At least 30 colons dumped in puritanical hell.

My first car was a rotted out 1972 KG convertible that I brush painted in Rustoluem Blue.
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.ssS!

[Atadloco]

[mikemtnbike]

Looks great. I stopped counting hours on my roll-and-tip paintjob at about 100, got there before I even started painting. Just disassembly, light body work, sanding, masking had me over that. Painting does take a lot longer than spraying with a gun, but was still faster than the prep work.

100% worth the effort.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[bettingonvans]

Looks great. I like inexpensive paint work that keeps rust at bay.
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1990 Westfalia, GW2.2, Peloquins TBD

[levi]

[jimf909]

Thanks. I love one-year updates. They're some of the most helpful posts here (after the honeymoon is over and we know more). That reminds me that I have a few to post (Bostig after four years, suspension changes after 10K miles, etc.).

The silver looks great. My van has a paint job in its future but for now I'm going camping instead.
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- Jim

[MayorMcCheese]

Did you use real seam sealer or 8115 panel adhesive? Were the seams rusty to begin with and did you do anything special to treat them?

[Abscate]

Next time you can use a fine nap roller for that Mecum auction finish!


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.ssS!

[Atadloco]

[Atadloco]

[Atadloco]

Here is a quick 3 year update. So far the paint is holding up fine, I did have a few road chips in the front, but a quick touch up took care of that. The only issue I've come across is without a clear coat and with all the rain we've had in the northeast this summer, I do have some slight streaking up close, still looks fine from 10ft away. I do wax in the spring, mid summer and before I put it away for the winter, so that may help.

[Steve M.]

So...what did you name your Syncro? "The Rattle Can Express"?


Looks great!
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[dobryan]

Still looks great!
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[mikemtnbike]

Wonderful follow-up!

I really enjoy my roll-and-tip paintjob and would do it the same way again, it's "custom."
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual