How to to tell if paint is original?

[Supertramp]

This seems to be a big selling point for buses, 'original paint'. So when viewing a bus, how do you tell if it's original, are there any usual spots that give it away a paint job?
Cheers
Paddy

 

[Heebee_GB]

Original underseal around the inner arches are a good indicator a bus hasn't been fully restored.

 

[trebor]

Have to say I've seen a few advertised og paint and there has been plenty of filler underneath. They should say og colours. :? The only reason I would like one in og paint is for the lack of bodges :shock:

 

[Supertramp]

Have to say I've seen a few advertised og paint and there has been plenty of filler underneath. They should say og colours. :? The only reason I would like one in og paint is for the lack of bodges :shock:

Exactly. I'm not keen on resprayed vans unless I've seen the restoration as it's harder to gauge what's underneath. With OG paint at least what you see is what you get (mostly/hopefully).
Give me a nice original paint with patina/sun bleach any day.

 

[Trikky2]

Depends on how long ago it was re sprayed.

Fresh paint can hide stuff but a re spray a few years old is fine.

It's perfectly normal that a 40+ year old vehicle has had a re spray if the previous owner took any pride in their vehicle.

 

[Supertramp]

Depends on how long ago it was re sprayed.

Fresh paint can hide stuff but a re spray a few years old is fine.

It's perfectly normal that a 40+ year old vehicle has had a re spray if the previous owner took any pride in their vehicle.

That's true. Such a minefield, got very lucky with my last one.

Does this look like original underseal or just lots of dust?

 

[Trikky2]

I'm not sure what you mean by original under seal.

From the factory they came, like the beetle, with a wax based under seal. Although not bad for the day, when most vehicles came with nothing, this wax did not have the long term resistance like that of Zeibart for instance.

This was because it was very similar to the protective shipping wax put all over the car and hence was not all that thick and did not have the resistance over time.

Back in the late sixties and early seventies Zeibart started to offer a type of underseal that was thick and resistant, yet, unlike the bituminous ones, did not over time turn into a hard, semipermeable, moisture trapping disguise for rust to hide under.

Whatever that is in the photo, it was not put there by VW but if it has kept the rust at bay then its fine.

 

[Supertramp]

I'm not sure what you mean by original under seal.

From the factory they came, like the beetle, with a wax based under seal. Although not bad for the day, when most vehicles came with nothing, this wax did not have the long term resistance like that of Zeibart for instance.

This was because it was very similar to the protective shipping wax put all over the car and hence was not all that thick and did not have the resistance over time.

Back in the late sixties and early seventies Zeibart started to offer a type of underseal that was thick and resistant, yet, unlike the bituminous ones, did not over time turn into a hard, semipermeable, moisture trapping disguise for rust to hide under.

Whatever that is in the photo, it was not put there by VW but if it has kept the rust at bay then its fine.

That makes sense thanks Trikky!
All good advice and taken on board.

 

[BrotherNumberOne]

I'm not sure what you mean by original under seal.

From the factory they came, like the beetle, with a wax based under seal. Although not bad for the day, when most vehicles came with nothing, this wax did not have the long term resistance like that of Zeibart for instance.

This was because it was very similar to the protective shipping wax put all over the car and hence was not all that thick and did not have the resistance over time.

Back in the late sixties and early seventies Zeibart started to offer a type of underseal that was thick and resistant, yet, unlike the bituminous ones, did not over time turn into a hard, semipermeable, moisture trapping disguise for rust to hide under.

Whatever that is in the photo, it was not put there by VW but if it has kept the rust at bay then its fine.

My van '72 was ziebarted. there's nothing like the bitter irony of finding a 'Ziebart rustproof' plastic plug in the middle of a load of rust that once was a panel.
My '79 has got some kind of clear rustproofing stuff that I think must have been applied at the factory(it was on the underneath of the cargo floor behind the factory belly pans) looks slightly lighter and clearer than waxoyl. whatever it is, it seems to have worked well.

 

[Trikky2]

My van '72 was ziebarted. there's nothing like the bitter irony of finding a 'Ziebart rustproof' plastic plug in the middle of a load of rust that once was a panel.
My '79 has got some kind of clear rustproofing stuff that I think must have been applied at the factory(it was on the underneath of the cargo floor behind the factory belly pans) looks slightly lighter and clearer than waxoyl. whatever it is, it seems to have worked well.

Zeibart was black strong stuff on the underside subject to stone chips and the like and wax injection on closed sections. What you describe sounds like the cavity injection.

Zeibart had a warranty that required an annual or bi annual inspection so that any damage could be touched in. I very much doubt your vehicle was regularly inspected.

Only rust hating fanatics like me will take the time and effort to keep things correct.

Considering your vehicle is over forty years old I think your anti rust treatment has done well and out lasted its guarantee period by quite a margin.

Many bays from the early seventies went to the scrapyard by the end of the eighties. (Government vehicle parc figures from the SMMT).

 

[BrotherNumberOne]

My van '72 was ziebarted. there's nothing like the bitter irony of finding a 'Ziebart rustproof' plastic plug in the middle of a load of rust that once was a panel.
My '79 has got some kind of clear rustproofing stuff that I think must have been applied at the factory(it was on the underneath of the cargo floor behind the factory belly pans) looks slightly lighter and clearer than waxoyl. whatever it is, it seems to have worked well.

Zeibart was black strong stuff on the underside subject to stone chips and the like and wax injection on closed sections. What you describe sounds like the cavity injection.

Zeibart had a warranty that required an annual or bi annual inspection so that any damage could be touched in. I very much doubt your vehicle was regularly inspected.

Only rust hating fanatics like me will take the time and effort to keep things correct.

Considering your vehicle is over forty years old I think your anti rust treatment has done well and out lasted its guarantee period by quite a margin.

Many bays from the early seventies went to the scrapyard by the end of the eighties. (Government vehicle parc figures from the SMMT).

Quite right, something is better than nothing as I always tell my customers. It certainly has done better than most for a UK van.