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Old 07-13-2022, 05:17 PM   #1
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The next big thing: Repaint the Van

Hey guys

I’m about to make a final decision to repaint my whole van and wanted to pick the brain of the paint experts/ experienced here.

Baseline:
I bought the van with a huge dent on the driver side.
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Now, as I’m getting my wheel wells increased, the shop will also remove it. In order to do so he said he’s taking down the paint to bare metal, fixes it and primers.
Fair enough.

I also have a few areas where I had painters tape attached and when removing it the paint came off the ecoat. Some other places it just started peeling at a small crack/ spot caused by a stone or whatever.
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The body said in order to properly repaint I have to take everything down to the metal, acid primer it and start painting.
He said I have to remove the ecoat as well on all metal.

Decision to make is now:
Cheap and easy spot fix with a rattle can (sand, prime, paint) or excessively strip down one area/ part after the other, properly primer and paint. I would go for Raptor from top to bottom as it’s a fairly easy DIY job compared to a regular paint and it’s super robust.
Excessive means I would go in different steps: take off doors and panels, do those. Work the roof and finish it. Work one side, then the other. Rain gutter seal renewal, regular paint on interior a-b-c-x columns and so on.

My questions:
1. Is it true that I have to take the ecoat off?
2. Would you just go to the bare metal in affected spots + surrounding areas and go from there or really do the full body?
3. Primer. 2 component epoxy or self etching acid primer?
4. I guess I shouldn’t use chemical stripper on the fiberglass hood right?

I’m aware that a full body paint will cost days of work, but while I’m afraid and I know it will be a PITA it would also be super cool and satisfying to do it [emoji23]

Looking forward to read your thoughts on what I have to do in case of an excessive reincarnation :-)

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Old 07-13-2022, 07:52 PM   #2
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For a show quality job, yes take to bare metal. For a van, personally a really good sand down of everything making sure to get all loose spots / rough up the rest and use an epoxy primer. You really need a seal coat before painting over paint and an epoxy primer will do that, regular or self etching will not. There are other ways to do a seal coat, but epoxy primer will do that and act as a primer all in one. Then you can do regular paint or bed liner products over that epoxy primer. Epoxy primers are harder to spray than regular and you should top coat within a few days or you’ll have to sand the epoxy primer.
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Old 07-13-2022, 08:48 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SheepShagger View Post
For a show quality job, yes take to bare metal. For a van, .
That's a scary amount of sanding.
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Old 07-13-2022, 09:44 PM   #4
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If your going off road, raptor the entire van.
Address the problem areas and DIY the rest.
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Old 07-14-2022, 07:35 AM   #5
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Certainly NOT an expert here - but its all about the budget isn't it ? AND the foundation you're building on - either paint or raptor liner - the longest lasting and best foundation would be to take it down to bare metal, etc. If there's even a bit of dust or foreign material captured under the first coat of anything - its gonna cause a bubble - that will eventually burst !
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Old 07-14-2022, 09:48 AM   #6
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Thanks for the feedback so far, feel free to add more comments.

Budget is just 50% influencing this: I will not pay a paint shop to fully repaint, but 20-24l of Raptor Paint is surely in.
I dropped a mail to U-POL yesterday and already got an answer: mixing one pouch pigment into one bottle of tintable liner will come out to RAL 2008 (=UP4867). Means I can also get a regular rattle can in to paint the areas "you don't see when the doors are closed", the flares of the doors, ...

I don't fully get why the body shop said I need to go down to the bare metal. Perhaps it's only about having a flat area and no steps between bare metal and still painted surfaces... I mean... the paint comes off the ecoat so looks like the ecoat still sticks to the metal. So adhesion should be fine and it's perhaps just what SheepShagger mentions: perfect surface without "dents".

Ok, so means the following plan:
- Tape some areas to find "weak spots". Where the paint doesn't come off sanding's enough
- where the paint comes partially off, sand the area down to the ecoat or metal (depending on what I see)
- 2 component epoxy primer
- Raptor

I don't need to put too much energy in proper sanding down to 600 grit or so, as the Raptor will be so rough in structure, that you'll not be able to see a difference to 120/200 grit, which will be sufficient for adhesion.

One question left about bare metal spots:
Assumption: Sanding to bare metal, cleaning, epoxy primer all happens on a single day.
Do I need to further treat the bare metal with acids? Or is the epoxy primer enough?
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Old 07-14-2022, 10:25 AM   #7
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Some of the white trucks and vans especially suffer from the paint becoming unbonded from the primer, that is probably why the body shop said to blast the entire van.

If you Raptor the van and have a problem area show up later, you can sand prep and shoot the repair easily.
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Old 07-14-2022, 11:09 AM   #8
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Looking at the paint damage from a little tape, it looks like the van was resprayed and the top color coat did not adhere very well with the primer coat. i know a lot of the Ford OEM paint jobs have similar issues, but this is why the recommendation to do so much sanding. You want to paint over the old topcoat but if it does adhere to the primer underneath anything new will eventually fall off as well.

Going down to bare metal on the whole vehicle is probably excessive unless the painter is going to guarantee the work in which case he doesn't want to risk doing a partial sand job and having some of the remaining paint flake \off running his work.

generally, the primer holds well; it is that top coat not adhering to the primer. So as a minimum getting down to all primer and doing touchup on anyplace sanded through would be my minimum recommendation.
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Old 07-14-2022, 11:10 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilnuts2 View Post
Some of the white trucks and vans especially suffer from the paint becoming unbonded from the primer, that is probably why the body shop said to blast the entire van.

If you Raptor the van and have a problem area show up later, you can sand prep and shoot the repair easily.
I agree and just posted as much before seeing your post.
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Old 07-14-2022, 01:16 PM   #10
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I second just Raptoring the whole van if it's sole use is offroad excursions. It's so simple, and bulletproof (mostly).
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