It's not the perfect paint job, but for the $300 I spent, it looks great for the money. I knew that both my wife and my neighbors would disapprove of it being there in the condition I bought it, because it looked so bad. Different colors, primer spots, a few dings, and some old name decals that were removed, but not forgotten. I needed a quick fix to first drive it home without Johnny Law giving me a once-over, and to keep the wife and the neighbors at bay.

Publisher’s Note: We originally ran this article in June 2013, so the price will be a bit higher nowadays.

Down the road, I want a nice paint job, but that’s after I’ve completed the conversion. Now I just wanted it to be quick, cheap, and done, my version of the one-day auto paint to appease my neighbors while I work on the conversion.

In the morning, the first step was washing the bus. I used Tide dishwashing detergent at a very high concentration, mixing one cup of soap with one gallon of water. This makes for a great, quick grease, fuel, and dirt cutter for the back of the bus, where it was so dirty. Spray the soap onto the brush, let it sit and work for ten seconds, give it another quick brush, and rinse it off. Works great—first time, every time.

Next, I used a putty knife to scrape off any loose paint or decals, followed by wiping it down with acetone. This cut the glue from the stickers, as well as other “things” that had stuck to the body and paint.

Next step, apply some Bondo! In the few dings on the belt line, I ran some masking tape around one inch larger than the ding or scratch. This helps me scrape the Bondo only in the area needed and does not expand the area, which often happens. I mixed my Bondo “Hot,” meaning it dries quickly, and then I sanded it with a palm sander and 220-grit paper. I’m done with it. Is it perfect? No. But it’s pretty darn good for a quick once-over.

I did a quick walk around the bus with 220-grit sandpaper and sanded any major scratches to blend the edges down. I followed this with a quick once-over with the primer from the spray can. I used one gallon of Rust-Oleum spray primer to cover the entire bus.

Because I only painted the belt line, the area below the windows, and above the baggage doors, I didn’t even need a ladder. I masked off the top window area, which is painted black, and used another roll of paper to protect the stainless steel below. The masking paper I used came from Home Depot and is a light green, lightweight material. It is 30 inches wide by 200 feet long. One roll was all I needed. After taping off the belt line and a few lights on the tailgate, I then wiped the area I was painting quickly with acetone. I’m ready to paint.

I purchased one gallon of Rust-Oleum oil-based paint for $39. It comes in seven colors and is the only easily obtainable paint you can buy in California without being rich or owning a paint store. I mixed one part paint with one part acetone. I actually have used a roller in the past and ended up with a pretty good finish. I used a gravity-feed spray gun from Harbor Freight, which I purchased for $20. I already had a small compressor to run the spray gun. I applied a light coat and followed with a heavier coat to achieve a nice glossy shine all around the bus.

It was a lot of area to cover and took about two hours to paint, but then I was done. I started the project at 8:00 a.m. and finished by 8:00 p.m., with the paper and masking tape removed. I spent an hour wiping off a light coat of overspray from a few of the windows, but it came off with one pass with acetone-soaked rags. It looks great both sitting in the driveway and driving down the road, considering the price. Later, when I complete the conversion, I’ll have to pop for the $5,000 paint job, but for now, I’m good.

Supplies Needed

• 1 can Rust-Oleum Primer – $5
• 2 gallons Acetone – $32
• 1 gallon Rust-Oleum Gloss – $39
• 4 rolls of tape – $20
• 1 quart Bondo – $20
• 1 roll masking paper – $15
• 1 bag of rags – $8
• 1 box Tide soap – $10
• Sandpaper – $20
• 1 spray gun – $20
• 1 pack spray mask – $10
• Borrowed compressor – $10 (beer)
• Dinner for Wife’s help – $82
  TOTAL: $300