Yellow bus or repaint? State info requested.

Dapplecreek · 04-23-2016, 04:24 PM

In Virginia, ONLY school buses can be yellow, have safety lights/signs, and have the "school bus" label in 8" high black letters. The key word is "AND". Keeping it yellow is legal if I get rid of the last one or two items. We're low-budget, and would like to avoid the paint cost (and effort) if possible.

But I want to travel across country and don't want trouble.

What is the situation in your state? Can I drive across it in a yellow bus with lights and stop sign removed, and with the school labels painted over?

Thanks!

Robin97396 · 04-23-2016, 04:54 PM

This is a common discussion. I too live in a state where it can be yellow as long as it doesn't say "SCHOOL" or "BUS", or does have flashing lights painted over and not having a working stop sign. Between us are states that do not allow school buses to be yellow, or sometimes not more than 50% yellow. If you're going interstate it's generally considered to be safer to paint your vehicle in the most inexpensive way you can find. Real paint jobs are touted at about $5k.

cadillackid · 04-23-2016, 05:50 PM

in ohio its supposed to be less than 50% yellow.. but it seems there are lots of old yellow busses around here with simply black spray paint over the school flashers and the word 'STOP' and the school names blacked out, as well as 'SCHOOL BUS' at the top...

there are nicely painted busses but plenty of mostly yellow ones too...

-Christopher

Dapplecreek · 04-23-2016, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin97396

... Real paint jobs are touted at about $5k.

Yeah. Mine would be more like two hundred ($5K is what I expect to pay for the bus, the setup, the diesel, AND the food we eat on the trip). Yay for rollers and Rustoleum! Thanks...

cadillackid · 04-23-2016, 05:55 PM

I guess I got lucky that my paint job including quite a bit of metal work is less than 3k.. and ive seen their work.. but I also bought the bus from the same place so i may be getting a good price because of that..
-Christopher

EastCoastCB · 04-23-2016, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Yeah. Mine would be more like two hundred ($5K is what I expect to pay for the bus, the setup, the diesel, AND the food we eat on the trip). Yay for rollers and Rustoleum! Thanks...

If you prep carefully and put it down right, you can paint your bus WELL for a couple hundred bucks or less.
And it will look better than the Maaco-type jobs people cough up the thousands for.

Dapplecreek · 04-23-2016, 06:08 PM

Yeah, searching for Rustoleum brought me to a couple of threads which looked intriguing...

EastCoastCB · 04-23-2016, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Yeah, searching for Rustoleum brought me to a couple of threads which looked intriguing...

I've been painting mine with Rustoleum. I like it a lot for the money.

Robin97396 · 04-23-2016, 07:18 PM

I painted my Power Wagon with Rustoleum years ago. Nearing half of it has pealed off now, but it's been near 25 years and I didn't use a hardener in it. Interestingly enough my base coat of rudy brown is still hanging on extremely well considering I live in a coastal environment. I sprayed it on with an airless house painting gun which is remarkably fast. The prep time takes days though.
Still, that will also be the way I paint my "van". I've been painting trucks for years, and a two inch paint brush makes the best paint job for some reason. It's kind of slow compared to a 4" brush, but the results are day and night.

Dapplecreek · 04-23-2016, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I painted my Power Wagon with Rustoleum years ago. Nearing half of it has pealed off now, but it's been near 25 years and I didn't use a hardener in it. Interestingly enough my base coat of rudy brown is still hanging on extremely well considering I live in a coastal environment. I sprayed it on with an airless house painting gun which is remarkably fast. The prep time takes days though.
Still, that will also be the way I paint my "van". I've been painting trucks for years, and a two inch paint brush makes the best paint job for some reason. It's kind of slow compared to a 4" brush, but the results are day and night.

Not sure what you're saying: if you had a friend (well, a fellow member on Skoolie.net) with limited dough who needed to paint, what sort of prep, paint and application method would you recommend?

EastCoastCB · 04-23-2016, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Not sure what you're saying: if you had a friend (well, a fellow member on Skoolie.net) with limited dough who needed to paint, what sort of prep, paint and application method would you recommend?

Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, Rustoleum top coat of your choice, MAYBE a clear coat. And of course use a hardener.
I'd also grab smallish compressor and a cheapo $25 paint gun.

Oh and don't forget a gallon or so of ospho for any corrosion or galvanized areas to be painted.

Robin97396 · 04-23-2016, 09:01 PM

I would guess you'd spend a number of days just prepping the surface. I like to sand into the layer of paint that remains so the new paint holds on. You can apply the paint any way you like basically. Whatever you're most familiar with. You don't have to get fancy at all. Even a bad paint job with poor paint will last for a number of years, depending on your environment. Paint it like you would a dresser or anything else you might paint. High gloss paint is always my preference, and as has been mentioned a hardener can be added.
Prep the surface by sanding, address any rust issues and applying the paint of your choice. A truck is hard to paint and have it look nice, but it can be done. I'm not sure if that's triple or quadrupel the square footage of a truck.
Yeah, it might be a roller for me too. Gotta do something different and I'm thinking I'd like to complete that painting task in less than a week.
I've used house paint several times. It looks ok, but you need to be mindful of what you put on your bus. It's a lot harder to get paint off than it is to get paint on. You can always change it.

Scooternj · 04-24-2016, 06:45 AM

I've been spray bombing mine with Ace Hardware's Rust Stop in IH Blue, with the only prep being a bath before hand. Seems to be holding up for now, but I did just want to get it non-NSBYC relatively quickly.

Dapplecreek · 04-24-2016, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooternj

I've been spray bombing mine with Ace Hardware's Rust Stop in IH Blue, with the only prep being a bath before hand. Seems to be holding up for now, but I did just want to get it non-NSBYC relatively quickly.

How long has 'for now' been? I am interested. But I don't want to create a time bomb for the fellow I sell it to (or for me if I keep it). The Rustoleum idea sounds doable, and the few hundred mentioned above is within range. I already have a small compressor.

Scooternj · 04-24-2016, 09:37 AM

2 years. And one side has been getting continual sun for that period, since I'm still not finished converting

Dapplecreek · 04-24-2016, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooternj

2 years. And one side has been getting continual sun for that period, since I'm still not finished converting

Huh. And this is with shaker cans? I would think that to be quite expensive compared to a gallon or two of Rustoleum and a roller. My goal is to be legal, get from here to there with possessions via some beautiful territory, sell without creating a bad paint time-bomb, and not spend family more more than necessary. Thoughts?

Scooternj · 04-24-2016, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Huh. And this is with shaker cans? I would think that to be quite expensive compared to a gallon or two of Rustoleum and a roller. My goal is to be legal, get from here to there with possessions via some beautiful territory, sell without creating a bad paint time-bomb, and not spend family more more than necessary. Thoughts?

They also sell it in quarts, and I think gallons. I was in a hurry to get paint on it so as not to p*ss off the neighbors, landlord, or the local fuzz.

Jolly Roger · 04-24-2016, 01:45 PM

I haven't done it yet but have been looking at farm implement/tractor paint because it is cheaper than auto body paint. A couple of quarts of paint mixed with a couple of quarts of hardener will go a long way for about the same money as rust-oleum but you need a spray gun to apply.
I have also found a ceramic additive that will help with an exterior reflection value.
But I don't see spending the money for the ceramic because I kept over half of the original windows.
I am not a body or paint man and I must have done something right because my wife won't even let me touch a paint brush and we got into a heated debate just trying to rattle can the primer together? So she is my paint tech. Regardless of what we use.

Robin97396 · 04-24-2016, 02:43 PM

Does that turn out to be to thin to roller or brush on after you've put in the hardener?

Jolly Roger · 04-24-2016, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Does that turn out to be to thin to roller or brush on after you've put in the hardener?

Never said to mix quart for quart? I also said I ain't the one to talk to about paint?
I did say that I have found farm implement paint/tractor paint cheaper than auto body paint and for me price comparable cheaper.
In looking for a durable one time paint job.
If you like John Deere green,Ford blue, or IH?
I have found that paint cheaper than the rest?

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