Got a van finally!

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Here she is, a 1992 Chevrolet G20 Conversion Van:

Got it from the original owner, is a delta mechanic.
113,000 Miles.
All maintenance records, oil changes, everything was included. Even the original window sticker and manuals.

She runs and drives great, took her for an hour test drive, had a mechanic look at her. Needed a little work but now she is tip top, for her age I think I got a steal. Going to post updates as I do work on it. Here is a video of the tour! Feedback is much appreciated!

I ended up doing a trade for my old 1984 VW van, that needed lots of work and was kind of falling apart.

 

[masterplumber]

Only watched a short bit, but looks good. Congratulations!

 

[eDJ_]

Yes, congratulations.  That is a very nice outfit.  I think this could take you where the VW Van could only dream of.

 

[DannyB1954]

Nice. enjoy!

 

[mockturtle]

I'm running short of available data so couldn't watch the video but congratulations on your van! Now the fun begins!

 

[ZoNiE]

Nice Rig

 

[Theadyn]

Very nice!!! Can't wait to see what you do to the inside.

 

[ilovemyvan]

Wow, what a found congratulations. I don't see any rust on it except for the tire rack., and the millage is so low. Every vandweller's dream.

Whishing you years of great traveling.

Nicole

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Thanks everyone, as soon as I get the tags for it the transformation begins. Does anyone have experience with painting a van with rustoleum? I have seen some youtube videos but never get to see how it looks after a few months.

 

[Almost There]

Thanks everyone, as soon as I get the tags for it the transformation begins. Does anyone have experience with painting a van with rustoleum? I have seen some youtube videos but never get to see how it looks after a few months.

Instead of painting it, why don't you try restoring the shine first. It looked in the video like it hadn't seen polish in a decade and the paint was oxidized.

My van looked just as dull when I got it, albeit a dull white but still. Buffed out it shines in the sun.

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Instead of painting it, why don't you try restoring the shine first. It looked in the video like it hadn't seen polish in a decade and the paint was oxidized.

My van looked just as dull when I got it, albeit a dull white but still. Buffed out it shines in the sun.

I am definitely going to be waxing and polishing it to restore the oxidized paint, that will be my project this weekend. My main concert though, since I am currently in Georgia, is the heat. To my understanding white reflects heat, and black absorbs it. So I was considering maybe painting it white to help with the heat when I move in full time.

 

[Almost There]

I am definitely going to be waxing and polishing it to restore the oxidized paint, that will be my project this weekend. My main concert though, since I am currently in Georgia, is the heat. To my understanding white reflects heat, and black absorbs it. So I was considering maybe painting it white to help with the heat when I move in full time.

IMO, most spray on paint jobs like Rustoleum look exactly like that - like someone took a can of spray paint and tried to paint the van. If there's still much of a clear coat on top of the original paint job you're going to have a problem getting rustoleum to stick to it.

Maybe consider painting the roof only in the same color gray as the striping on the body and call it good. It won't show much except to someone looking down on it from above!

Since it's a window van you're going to get a whole lot more radiant heat from the windows that you're going to get from the body. Better to put some money in to a darker tint for the windows and some reflectix than spray bombs. That and a good fan in the roof vent and a couple of portable 12V fans would go a long way to assisting in your comfort.

 

[eDJ_]

I agree with painting the roof white first.   I suggest the bright "Fleet White" so many Vans come in for
Company Fleet usage.  It is a high white like a refrigerator.

As late as it is in the season now,  why not put off the paint job off till the spring of next year.  This will give you time to make sure that the Van will be dependable before sinking loads of money into it.  It would also
give you the opportunity to do some week end trips over the winter holidays  as "shake down" tours to
learn about the things you should make sure to carry.

As for wax and polish.....I knew an old painter who once had a car that was all faded and the finish looked about like your Van's.  He had told me that Red and Blue's are fairly active pigments and tend to fade.  What he did was take a 1200 rpm buffer and a box of corn starch and he buffed out the finish and it looked like new.  Old tricks of the trade he had learned over the years. 

I asked him about how the average Guy would restore a faded out finish.  He told me about these cans of
"Cleaner & Wax" which are a thin liquid wax.   He explained how it would take off the oxidized paint and apply a little wax to keep the finish stable.  If it looks like  it needs another treatment, then do it a second time as the
wax from the first treatment would clean off again and enough wax would remain to preserve the finish for the
second treatment.

These cleaner, polish, wax, sealant products are often called AIO (all in one's) and are good for vehicles with paint in the condition your Van is in.   Finishing waxes are best used on vehicles with paint in excellent condition.  I would wait till it's cool in the evening and pull and all nighter.   Then in the early light get some photos of it for historic measures.  


You'd be looking at less than $20 bucks to do this and see what difference it would make.  .

 

[DannyB1954]

If you are going to paint it, then don't wax it. Getting the wax back off so that paint will stick can be a real pain.

 

[ahh_me2]

Another option is to use Nu-Finish, available for around ten dollars



This is what it can do...

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Another option is to use Nu-Finish, available for around ten dollars



This is what it can do...

Wow that is impressive, I will definitely be looking into that.

 

[masterplumber]

I'd just paint the roof white, but use one of the "cool roof" products. They're usually an elastomeric based coating that is designed to keep the inside cooler. Most of the reviews I've read report a 5 to to 10 degree difference in inside temperature with just that one mod. I think Henry's is the most popular - but there are probably other brands out there.

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

I'd just paint the roof white, but use one of the "cool roof" products. They're usually an elastomeric based coating that is designed to keep the inside cooler. Most of the reviews I've read report a 5 to to 10 degree difference in inside temperature with just that one mod. I think Henry's is the most popular - but there are probably other brands out there.

Have you seen black vans with a white top before? I just don't want it to stand out too much where it sticks out like a sore thumb. Ill definitely look into this though if it will make that big of a difference it is worth it.

 

[Almost There]

Have you seen black vans with a white top before? I just don't want it to stand out too much where it sticks out like a sore thumb. Ill definitely look into this though if it will make that big of a difference it is worth it.

That's why I suggested matching the gray of the striping for on the roof.  The gray will do better than the darker color for reflecting light without, as you put it, making it stick out like a sore thumb.

While I've never used the cool roof products and I'm sure they're effective but the majority of your heat transfer is going to come through the windows anyways.

The other thing you might want to do, even if you're keeping the original interior is to add insulation underneath it to the best of your ability.

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

That's why I suggested matching the gray of the striping for on the roof.  The gray will do better than the darker color for reflecting light without, as you put it, making it stick out like a sore thumb.

While I've never used the cool roof products and I'm sure they're effective but the majority of your heat transfer is going to come through the windows anyways.

The other thing you might want to do, even if you're keeping the original interior is to add insulation underneath it to the best of your ability.

I was doing lots of research on insulation. I do plan on almost gutting the interior, to the best of my ability and adding maybe reflectix along with either a foam insulation or the fluffy kind found in hardware stores. Any recommendations?