Just because a Bus has patina, doesn’t mean it can’t hold a shine. Whether you have an original paint Bus, a neglected repaint, a new paint job with some orange peel, or even paint that looks like it was applied with a roller, this how-to applies to you.
It’s easy to look at a Transporter with neglected paint and think it needs a respray, yet, these days, the patina look is all the rage. My buddy Martin’s 1970 Deluxe was one such candidate. Having been owned by him since 2005 and never polished in that time, the paint was very tired and dull and, to most people, looked like it was ripe for restoration.
There is a difference, however, between patina and neglect and, like a lot of so-called ‘Rat look’ cars, I knew it could look like a million dollars with a little time, effort and patience.
The following tips should guide you through the daunting task of taking a lacklustre Bus and making it turn heads at 20 paces. These tips can be applied to all kinds of paint finishes; original paint often takes the least effort and ends up with the best finish, repainted cars require a little more care and badly painted cars may take more work, but the effort can be very worthwhile. Even cars with some surface rust and primer can be kicked into shape, by removing the rust staining.
Buffing and renovating your paint finish is often seen as a daunting task, but it is relatively easy to do with patience and a fair amount of time – it is hard work. If
