Professional paint job

[TomC]

Once again-I today went and put $275.00 Diesel in. While fueling, a guy driving a nice Lexus and second guy driving a new Cadillac both made favorable comments on how nice the paint job looks on the bus-and I had it painted 17 years ago! Good looking bus makes for nice comments and keeps doors open even though many of us are driving older buses (mine is a 1977). Good Luck, TomC

[eagle19952]

Donald, wasn't that brush on paint different chemically than the paint the government allows us to use today? That stuff flowed and laid down really nice compared to the stuff we use today...


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yes i belive you are right nitrocellulose laquer , they still use it on high end guitars and other acoustic instruments....tell them you have a very large guitar

but google roll and tip...that was the pre sprayer method...tom knows
https://youtu.be/DGHucs9FpmU?t2m44s

[rusty]

I will be looking for a good shop to paint the 15 next summer. M-Werx will you post the information on the shop in Texas. Don will you post the information on the shop in Kansas. I had the Paint department paint the 05 and they did a good job, but I will visit a few other shops to see what they have to offer. If anyone has good or bad about any shop I would be interested in what you have to say. If you don't want to post here you can PM me or call.

Thank You
Wayne
303-591-0372

[Branderson]

I'm with Floyd, this is a discussion about finding ways to get our coaches painted nicely and relatively inexpensively...I sound like a broken record but off topic stuff keeps clouding otherwise good threads and forums. Anyway, I know for a fact you can spray it yourself for $6000 or less and I used middle to upper grade material. Not the best stuff but definitely not the worst. If you have a friend who is talented at spraying, have him do it like I did and you'll be happier. As mentioned, you absolutely cannot be lazy about prep. I spent an entire week prepping my coach for paint. Sanding sanding sanding and wiping down and taping and wiping down and more wiping down. My paint is far from perfect and has some orange peel but when washed and waxed it's a really pretty coach. My colors and graphics are muted and we like that. And yes, if you plan to Fulltime like we do, it makes a remarkable difference how nice your coach looks as to how you're treated by everyone, parks, churches, and even friends/family when you ask if you can park your coach in their driveways. When it looks like a classic beauty or like a million bucks, people are very likely to allow you to park. And for crying out loud people, if your bus looks like some people dress at walmart, you can't possibly expect to get treated like you're wearing a nice suit. It's not racism, sexism or anythingism...it's just having some basic class....


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Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the skill to do it myself.  Yours turned out really nice though. 

[Branderson]

Hi Branderson,

Check out StarJet! They painted my bus 11 years ago and is holding up nice. Very Reasonable too!!
Dick & Dee Cahill are the owners. They are in Columbus, OH  
My bus is on their website as well as others on this board.

http://www.starjetbuspainting.com/

Nick-

Thanks Nick, I will check them out.  Ohio isn't too far if I can find a deal.  For those that were asking, i'm south of Atlanta near Fort Benning GA.

[Branderson]

If you can schedule your time Navarro Bros in Algodones Mexico not far from YUMA does a good job for the price around 4k for a single color for a 40 ft bus with white on the top he paints a lot of buses and Rv's

That's not a bad price at all.  I wonder how much for more than 1 color?

[Branderson]

I'm stunned at the way people spend more on paintwork than their busses. I thought we were making busses into motorhomes because we couldn't afford ready made motorhomes and or needed cheap accommodation.


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I'm sure there are a lot of different motivations but my bus cost me a lot more than what it would cost to repaint it.  My motivation is to have a nice bus to relax and camp with and I selfishly want it to be nice to look at as well.  I appreciate everyone's feedback and ideas though.  That's what I was looking for.  For example, If I remember correctly, you have a bucket you use for a bathroom.  That's something that would be a no-go for the wife and I. 

It's actually not too bad from a distance but the closer you get, the more you see the clear coat peeling off.  I also have some window seal issues on the front windshield.  In fact, I can see daylight haha. 

[luvrbus]

That's not a bad price at all.  I wonder how much for more than 1 color?

I don't think it's that more expensive for just 2 colors ,when you get into graphics with fading and blending colors it gets expensive

[Scott & Heather]

Having spent days running fineline tape to mark out my graphics, I can tell you without a doubt it takes a steady hand and eye and insane patience to get the graphics laid out. In fact, My painter friend told me that the best pinstripers and fineliners he knew always had to be slightly drunk to actually do a good job. True story. So yeah graphics cost more for a reason. Solid colors or two colors can look really nice though. Sometimes I think less is more with that stuff.


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[jmblake]

I also had Starjet do mine about 10 years ago, still looks good but it is garage kept, I think back then it was around $9000.00 for the 5 color paint job but I had him buy and install the fender flares and install new windshield seals witch leaked on the way home, and I ended up with around $11,000.00 when we left. I fill they did a decent job for the price, there is a few things I wanted fixed that didn't get fixed and it took about 3 times longer for them to do then what they told me. but overall we were pleased and it gets a lot of complements at the campgrounds.
Jason

[luvrbus]

I was told StarJet did a lot of work on the DL3 we own now,it's not a A1 job by a long shot but I saw a Eagle they did that was decent

[jmblake]

Yah, I wouldn't call it a A1 job but it is a decent job, Like I said there is a lot of little things that wasn't done that they said would be done and I was out of time for leaving it there any longer. When I have to have another paint job I would probably check elsewhere or plan on several trips to there shop to check on things as they progress.
Jason

[muldoonman]

Having spent days running fineline tape to mark out my graphics, I can tell you without a doubt it takes a steady hand and eye and insane patience to get the graphics laid out. In fact, My painter friend told me that the best pinstripers and fineliners he knew always had to be slightly drunk to actually do a good job. True story. So yeah graphics cost more for a reason. Solid colors or two colors can look really nice though. Sometimes I think less is more with that stuff.


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Slightly drunk huh? I might be an expert graphic man and painter. 

[B_K]

Slightly drunk huh? I might be an expert graphic man and painter. 

Yup most of the guys I knew who were artistic and did pin striping and graphics h was had to "get in the mood" and it done by alcohol or weed!
  BK 

[Branderson]

Branderson -

We got our MC-5C painted at Fleet Painting in Spokane, WA.  Their specialty is D-9 Cat dozers, IH combines and other types of industrial/farm equipment, thus they use industrial Delfleet from PPG.  Two colors, $5K.

Those of you who have seen the coach after it was painted can attest to the quality and appearance.

Based on the comments I've received, it was worth far more than what I paid.

FWIW & HTH. . .

I really like the Spokane area.  Lived there for a cpl of years in 05.  Unfortunately, I'm near Atlanta now.