Date:         Wed, 17 Jan 2001 10:14:18 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Organization: TransCanada
Subject:      Re: painting questions
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

> Just be careful. These paints are nasty and can do permanent health
> damage in a short time.

One of my teachers in high school sounded like the Marlboro Man from
some damage he did to his lungs while painting a car.  If you do decide
to do it at home, above all else, protect yourself.  A dust mask is not
enough.  VOCs in paint will do damage.  Rent a breathing apparatus
particular for the paint you are using.  I repainted my old Volvo about
5 years ago, and had a friend of mine who was a body man do some work
for me.  We primed it in my garage, painted the door jambs and trunk and
such, but did the main painting in  downdraft booth.

Most of the cost of a paint job is prep work (like I'll bet you 80% or
so).  Sanding the old finish, touching up rust, then sanding the primer,
sanding the top coat.  You may be able to work a deal with a local shop
to do the priming for you, then you (and volunteers) can do the
sanding.  Wet sanding primer is a PITA, especially something as big as a
Vanagon.  There's a lot of hours of work, just in that.

When we were done my Volvo, we looked at the number of hours the three
of us put into it (I put the least in, and owe my friends forever), and
there wa about 100 hours just in sanding, etc.  At even $25/hour, that
makes the cost of the paint pretty cheap (and the paint I used was $250
per gallon, plus a gallon and a half of primer, and a half gallon or
maybe a full gallon of clearcoat).

When my Volvo came back, it was beautiful (Ford Ultraviolet Purple,
faded down to black violet pearl at the bottom).  The only reason was
all the hours of sanding.  However, about 3 years later, the chunk of
bondo in the door (from the DPO) that we didn't feel like removing and
repairing properly fell out.  Big silver hole in a purple car.  Don't
cut corners.  This is why I DREAD repainting my van, because I know the
hours and hours and weeks and months of labour that is going to go into
it to do it right.  And I know I can't afford to pay someone else to do
all the preliminary work.

Sorry for the ramble,
Keith Adams
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia "Roxy" (seam rust, window rust, ugly white)