Painted our 1961 MCI Bus this summer. I will post pictures first then talk about the paint job.
More Pics
More Pics
Front Picture
I painted the bus this summer, it took 2 months after work, weekends and long hours. I used a urethane primer and a metallic urethane one step paint. The metallic green glitters in the summers sun and looks darker after sunset. I am a huge Saskatchewan Roughrider football fan and that is the colors and logo on the bus. Also this this is my username "Bus Riders". First the roof was sanded and painted. Also having to mask off the side and cover with plastic. The white color was masked and covered so I could paint the green sides, front and back. When the white was painted the green was covered. I painted a black 1 in strip between the white and green to cover up the over lay. I had lots of help and my buddys shop to work on the bus and park it in after painting. I did paint it out side on nice days. It turned out great as this was the first time I painted. It is great satisfaction to say I painted the bus..
My honey and I took it to Saskatchewan this summer to Candle Lake. On the road there people were taking pictures, waving out the windows and honking horns as they passed us on the highway. It was great and I didn't paint if for that reason to get attention but it does stick out in a crowd.
That's a beautiful bus. I think a lot of vehicles from that time just looked right. My friend's 1966 Hewlett-Packard Crown is also quite similar, and that's also a handsome bus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGFreWF_Nq4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGFreWF_Nq4)
John
That is really sharp, and I can imagine lots a sanding n prep work.
hey thanks for posting the pics
Floyd
Prep work is a big part of what the final product will look like. The hundreds of rivets on this year of bus was fun sanding around. They do stand out nicely when painted.
She sure is purdy, well done! 8)
I know what it takes to do one, I've done ours twice. It's a lot of work but worth it in the end!
Most Awesome!
I cant even imagine painting a whole bus, as ive done smaller pieces. What was your dry time between coats?
Sami
I painted the bus on mostly sunny days and little or no wind. I had big areas to paint so by the time I filled the paint gun a few times and went around the bus the paint was already for another coat. I really enjoyed putting on the primer coats, it covered so good. The paint itself was thinner and you really had to watch so you didn't get runs. I did get a couple runs that I sanded out later and touched them up. I saw a few insects land on the paint but if I try find that spot now you would never now. The job was not 100 percent professional but it does look good going down the highway at 60 miles and hour.
I spent 40 years in aircraft assembly, specializing in paint and corrosion protection. You took on an enormous task and by what you describe and what you said, you did good. It looks great and you should be proud. It is a tough, physical task, paint is not cheap and it takes dedication and stamina to pull it off. Great job. I like it.
After this year's Banjo Bowl, did you drive through Manitoba late at night? Very, late! .... j/k
I have family in Saskatchabush and I am usually on the receiving end after the bowl :-[
Great job on the paint works. Any special paint gun to use with the metallic paint?
EDIT: Wait a minute ... is that an Alberta plate I see on the back?
Nice job! Friends of ours in Winnipeg also have an MCI 2.
Next time you are headed east to Manitoba, we have a spot for overnighters in our yard. Power,water, WiFi...just outside of Brandon along #1.
How about them "Blue Bombers!!" ;D
I like the air intake on the roof, not as dusty up there.
JC
The paint gun I bought, because of my sore shoulder was a 2 quart pressure pot with gun and hose. The air hooked into the pot so you only had the sprayer in your hand. It was a Astro Pheunamatic Tool Company Model 2PG8S. So the pot was full of paint and I hooked it on to my waist and there was 6 feet of hose to the sprayer. Spraying with just a sprayer in hand only, compared to the sprayers that have the gravity feed pots was way easier on the arm. Also the 2 quart capacity paint pot allowed for longer spraying before mixing up another batch of paint, reducer and hardner. The paint, primer, hardners, reducers, sanding supplies, masking tape cost $2700. Two hundred of that was paid labour for a friend that did some of the sanding. Thanks for the compliments
I appreciate that you went through a lot of work to do everything mostly by yourself, and you can be proud of the results. Do you remember how much paint mix you used per coat, and how many coats of primer and topcoat did you use? What you have done saved you thousands of dollars. I suspect that many people would like to try, but it is not for the faint of heart. Did you have enough fun to want to try it again in the future? ::)
That is really beautiful. Sure to attract attention with that classic.