I've been throwing around the idea of repainting my van. About how much paint per coat would I need?

 

I do not know per coat ..but 1 gallon will do it ....

 

The reason I ask is, I have all the tools to paint it myself. I also have a sand blaster... More on that later...
I would blast down to the primer and sheet metal on the rusted spots. Fill in bondo where needed. Sand. Then do two layers of primer, thick over low spots, and thin on the rest. Sand. Two coats of paint. Sand. One coat of paint. One 50/50 coat of paint/metallic gloss. 2 coats of metallic gloss. 1 coat of 50/50 gloss/thinner. Buff with correction compound. Buff with finishing wax.

For those guesstimates, I would need more than a gallon. Maybe a gallon and a half of paint. A gallon and a half of clear coat, and a gallon of primer, no?
I may do less coats depending on the price of paint and how much work I decide to put in it.
My plan is to do a metallic electric blue. The interior is in excellent shape and is blue **** from top to bottom, so with a fancy paint job, I think it will make a nice show vehicle.

As far as the the sand blaster, I read that while it is excellent at removing paint and rust at a fast pace, there is the risk of warping sheet metal from the heat. I also read that crushed walnut shells are great for keeping down heat. I also read that it is best to start a paint job at the bare metal. How would I clean and protect bare metal before I even prime it? Some kind of acid rinse? What do you guys think about rustoleum primer/paint/gloss? If that is no good, where can I find good paint at a decent price?

 

Before i start, there are a few small rust holes around one fender that i would like to get professionally repaired as I don't have any welding experience. The rest i can do myself. After the fender repair, I would like to keep this project around $600 or less for paint and supplies if I can, with good lasting results. Labor is free.

 

I use POR-15 on the bare metal , then prime it , then repair it ...then if required another coat of POR-15 then prime it ....after that I usually use filler and prime again .....Then I wet sand it, before I spray the enamel and do not clear it, since it is a Construction Truck and I have a Metallic paint on it already .....and it does not have to be perfect for me....

 

POR-15 or its equal is the way to go---using "bondo" is a big no-no when repairing lower panel rust. At the least your two-part filler material should be a fiber glass gel or Duraglass---those are water proof, "bondo" aka body filler is NOT.

Just like building a house body repair is all about the foundation or beginning.

 

I am also about to start a few rust repairs on mine. i hate doing body work but want to teach my boys.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm fairly new to doing body work. I've been watching tons of videos on YouTube on the subject. I've used paint guns before and have excellent painting skills. I have never welded, getting the bad fender repaired is going to be the expensive part. The doors have some rust issues as well, but I'm hoping to find some donors off of another blue van. Otherwise, everything else is just small surface rust. How common a color was blue exterior/interior on these? Its a 75 E150 FYI...

 

I'm no expert on painting but it your going "base coat/clear coat" then you don't need as much color as you would clear. If there is no change in color or the color change is not radical you only just need enough color to cover everything. You don't even need a shiny finish since you're going to spray clear gloss over it.