Passenger vans don't require any more special treatment during the painting process than normal cars or trucks do. The only difference between painting them is that vans generally require more paint than other vehicles due to the amount of surface area which must be covered. The best place to paint a van is in a paint booth, where the environment is sealed, but you can accomplish a passable paint job in the open air by using just a bit of caution.
Remove the trim from the van, as well as the side mirrors, front and rear bumper, and the luggage rack from the roof, if equipped. Remove the front grill and headlights and the rear tail lights. On full-size vans, remove the rear ladder and spare tire. Remove the door handles, fender flares and running boards.
Wash the van thoroughly with soap and water, then allow it to dry completely. Wet a clean rag with wax and grease remover and clean all the surfaces of the van. As you wipe the wet rag across the surface of the van, remove the wax and grease remover using a clean, dry rag.
Mask off the van's windows as well as the wheels and tires using the masking tape and masking paper. Completely cover with masking tape or paper any surface that is not to be painted.
Scuff the surface of the paint with the red scratch pad. The purpose of this is to provide a rough surface for the new paint to adhere to. Use the scratch pad to remove any trace of gloss from the van's paint.
Wipe the van completely with the wax and grease remove once again. This will remove the dust formed by using the scratch pad.
Fill the HVLP spray gun with your choice of paint color and attach the air hose to the fitting on the base of the spray gun. Turn on the air compressor and adjust the spray gun. When prepared, paint the roof of the van first because this will be the hardest part to reach. Use long, straight strokes, applying paint evenly and overlapping each pass by 1/2 with each new pass until you've covered the entire roof.
Paint the hood of the van in the same manner, then paint the driver's side fender. From that point, paint around the van in a counterclockwise direction until you've completely covered the van in paint. Allow the paint to dry to the specified time before applying the clear coat.
Clean out the HVLP spray gun completely, then fill the paint cup with clear coat. Spray the clear coat onto the van using the same technique that you used for the paint, and being careful to avoid drips or runs. Allow the clear coat to dry completely before continuing.
Sand the van's new coat slightly with the wet/dry sandpaper. You will need to create a smooth surface, so sand the clear coat until you've removed all the new gloss, being careful not to sand through the clear coat and into the paint below. Then use the orbital buffer with polishing compound to remove and polish the scratches left by the sanding process.
Remove the masking paper and tape, then reinstall the items removed from the van before painting. Removing the paper and tape at this stage allows you to avoid having to clean polishing compound off of the van's windows.
