I have done quite a few 50/50 paint jobs (looks good from 50 feet or at 50 mph) on VW Buses, and even a Ghia and a Bug or two. Actually, the Ghia was done in my driveway with a small $35.00 compressor many years ago, and turned out the best of all. The hardest one of all was a '77 Bay Westy that I took from that gawd awful school bus yellow (Marigold) to a Chrysler/Jeep color, Lapis Blue. I gutted the entire camper, glass an all and did it inside and out. The only "Marigold" left was up under the dash. Before you buff, wet sand the rough spots with 1200 or even 1600 grit sandpaper. Don't waste time with with "polishing" compounds from FLAPS like Turtle Wax, etc. Go to a real auto body supply shop and get 3M polishing compound. The best I have ever found was made by The Wax Shop, but I've been told they were bought up by Turtle Wax who then killed the brand. I have some painting to do on my '85, the passenger side door, sliding door, and rockers, and mine is the (name escapes me) metallic brown. I've NEVER been been able to get a good even flow of the metallics, it always comes out uneven. I've even considered changing mine to the Hershey brown, Do-Do brown, whatever you want to call it, as I like it better than the metallic brown. Jeff 

Jeff Stewart 

----- "B Feddish" <uprightbassghost@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: 

>> Having the proper light as you spray...that is also really helpful. You need to see if the paint is 'wetting out' completely as you spray, so a reflection of some sort is what you want to see...If you are looking right straight on..it's easy to get that orange peel or a dry area where you didn't quite get enough on.. << 

This was actually my biggest problem. The sun was directly on the passenger side so it was a big “glare”. It always looked fine whereas the driver’s side never looked right. The driver’s side ended up looking better. I could not have painted in my garage though even if it would have come out better. I have allot of buffing to do some day. 

Overall I’m much happier with the way the van looks compared to the rusty faded look. 
Bryan