Paint a vehicle yourself?

Question

How feasible is it to paint a vehicle yourself? We have an old school bus that we would like to fix up into a camper (sounds ghetto, LOL, but we actually like fishing and other outdoor activities so it is a perfect idea to put this otherwise useless vehicle to use). The thing is, we want to make it look nice and not so "trailer-parkish." It does not have to look PERFECT, but it should look nice have a somewhat quality appearance.

I am experienced in the actual conversion and electrical aspects of turning this bus into a recreational vehicle, but have never attempted to paint one.

How feasible is it to paint a vehicle yourself as opposed to taking it to a body shop? Is it worth the investment of buying painting equipment to do this yourself? I am actually a commercial artist by trade, so I have no fears about apearance... just process and financial sensibility. Does anyone have any advice or experience in this? Would it be cheaper to take the bus to a body shop? Suggestions? Input?

Answer 1

i painted a van myself. i used a cheap sprayer and it turned out allright. it is a good 20' paint job, any closer, and you can see some runs, etc. instead of buying an automotive paint, i used a product from benjamin moore called aliphatic acrylic urethane. it is a two part epoxy that is chemically VERY similar to auto paint. it should cost a lot less than auto paints. it might be worth checking out. i painted 3 years ago, and there is no fading, etc. looks great! you can order from most benjamin moore dealers, find one online at http://www.benjaminmoore.com
it might be worth checking into, and it was fairly easy to work with.

Answer 2

you could employ the spray guns and the compressor to run it with, although this is not an elementary pastime. study up on it as a lot as you could. i am going to't emphasise too a lot that the more advantageous artwork you position into the education the more advantageous suited the severe pastime will be. the blunders a lot of human beings make is they imagine the paint will cover scratches and different imperfections, it gained't. the persons who make POR15 reckon you could get a gentle end with their products utilising a broom. i have requested round about this and it type of feels this is actual. and on the grounds that this is thicker than spray paint this is going to cover up small imperfections interior the exterior. yet another trick i have heard of once you're utilising tooth paint is to skinny it with techniques from gently heating it as a replace of utilising thinners. you could then brush it on and get a good end.

Answer 3

Its all in the prep work and keeping the vehicle clean of dust etc. You could probably save a bundle from paying somebody to paint a bus.

Answer 4

You should be able to rent the equipment. Try Home Depot. A good quality spray gun and a large capacity air compressor should do the trick. If you are going to do it outside be aware of the elements, rain, dust, etc.

Answer 5

Take it to maaco and do the cheapest one on their list