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Paint and Bodywork Services

Located in La Paz, BCS Mexico 🇲🇽

Ready to Reserve your spot?
​Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get started.

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We kindly ask that you read this page in its entirety before submitting the form at the bottom. Most basic questions about our services are answered in the following paragraphs. Thank you!

We're super honored to be mentioned along with some of our vans in Sunset Magazines summer 2024 issue. 

Top Quality Work and Affordability don't usually go together... unless you're LiveTheVanlife Restorations

The livethevanlife difference:

• Incredible work at a fraction of the price in the states
• The level of customer service and support you'd expect at home
• Pay in dollars, no need to exchange for pesos 
• Open communication directly with the business owner (in english)​
• Low Cost Shipping Options to/from San Diego or Tijuana (optional)
• A one stop shop for a complete restoration, from Paint, to Mechanical, to Upholstery
• Epic road trip to a tropical destination included at no charge!

Hi, i'm Shane Jordan. I've been restoring Vanagons since 2014 when I bought my first Westfalia. With the knowlege and experience I gained in buidling my own Vans, I decided to set out and establish a small business of my own restoring vans for others. Baja Mexico beckoned, and I bought myself a 42ft sailboat and in 2018 moved with it to La Paz, at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula to build myself a new life here. Since then, ive made a family here and a new life here, and established myself as among the most respected restorers of classic Volkswagen Vans. These vehicle are my passion, and not a day goes by that i'm not in or around them in some capacity. When you choose to restore your VW with me, you're getting something rare these days, personalized, 1 on 1 attention. We offer everything from Paint and Bodywork, to full mechanical restorations, including engines, suspension, transmissions, and more. There isnt much on a Vanagon (come to think of it there isnt anything on a Vanagon) that we can't do. Additionally most folks realize a 50% cost savings versus having similar quality work done back home in the states. So what are you waiting for? Read on for more details and examples of our work, and then start planning your trip of a lifetime to beautiful and sunny La Paz, Mexico. 

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Get ready for the trip of a lifetime to beautiful Baja Sur.

I took this tired old 1982 Vanagon Westfalia...

And created the ultimate 2wd Vanagon Westfalia. Sold for $50k in August 2019

Over the years my builds have been featured in Magazines, Youtube videos with over 1 million views (See Here), and have won best in show at car shows. I love taking tired old Vans and giving them a second life. In addition to paint and bodywork we can perform mechanical overhauls, from complete suspension rebuilds, VW engine rebuilds, brakes, interior upholstery, and even transmissions. 

I took this 1989 Vanagon Syncro from this...

And created this stunning Pop Top Weekender

This 1987 VW Syncro Westfalia came out beautifully, is yours next?

Why should I restore my Van in Mexico?

The cost of labor is dramatically less in Mexico. This translates to restoration costs that are often half what a comparable restoration might cost in the states. A typical comparable paint job in the US or Canada with body work and rust repair will easily run you $15,000-$20,000 dollars or more. Its quite common we have folks tell us they were quoted $30,000 or more for paint and bodywork stateside.  And that's before you add on extras like upholstery, mechanical work, window tinting, undercoating, and all of the other services we have here with us. 

Why should I restore my Van with Live The Van Life Restorations?

Finding the right craftsmen for the job at a reasonable price is only part of the equation. When you work with us, you benefit from our years of experience building Vans for ourselves, and for others. We know the things to watch for, we know the common areas that need to be addressed, and we have relationships with all of the big players in the industry. We've also learned from all of our previous builds what works, and what doesn't. In short, we've made mistakes and learned from them so you don't have to. Our builds have been featured in magazines, on Youtube and have won awards including best 2WD van at Syncrofest in California. Also, as of July 2024 our main shop is 100% powered by Solar Energy. With 11kw of Solar Panels, and a 15kwh Lithium battery system, we just might be the first VW shop in the world powered completely by renewable energy.

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Who are we?

I fell in love with (and in) Baja, and so will you

My first real adventure "South of the Border", was in early 2018 when I grabbed a buddy and took off from San Diego down Baja in my Westfalia. I was living on a houseboat at the time, and it wasnt long before I had just finished living full time in my van and traveling the United States. I had been to Tijuana and Ensenada plenty of times, but never further south. It was completely unknown and uncharted for me. The further south we went, the more I started to fall in love with Baja. It just kept getting better and better! When we finally arrived in La Paz, a city I had never heard of, a chance encounter led us on a double date with my now wife and her best friend. I threw caution to the wind and a few months later sold my houseboat, bought a 42ft sailboat in La Paz, dated the girl, and started a new life in Mexico. In 2020 as my world changed with the birth of our son, and the world changed with Covid 19, I decided that La Paz was the place I wanted to settle down, raise my family, and take a stab at building this business doing what I love. When I first started this business here I wasnt sure that anyone would come. Now several years later we typically have a waiting list 6 months long. Our family has grown to 4 and we welcomed a little girl in late 2023. Now I spend my time working on Vanagons and raising a family, in an incredible corner of the world, and I couldnt be happier that I took that first trip down Baja in 2018 in my van. We never know what life has in store for us. What might your Baja adventure have in store for you?

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What is our process?

Disassembly of my 1990 Syncro Doka for paint and bodywork

The finished product

When comparing paint shops it is super important to be sure that the work is being done properly. You simply cannot skip any of the steps outlined below and have a quality paint job. Many low cost shops will simply mask off everything and spray it, but nearly every single Vanagon has rust under the window seals, and so in short order, your new cheap paint job will be worthless, and you’ll need to pay to do it all over again, the right way. Masking will also leave overspray all over the vehicle, which just looks terrible. Here is how we do things...

1. Remove all exterior accessories, lights, grilles, antennas, hook up boxes, door handles, etc.
2. Remove all windows including windshield and rear hatch glass.
3. Remove all of the doors, the two front doors, the sliding door, and the rear hatch.
4. Cut out any rust, and weld in new metal
5. Pull out any dents
6. Primer
7. Paint (we use PPG paint)
8. Sand
9. Polish
10. Wax
11. Reinstall everything with brand new window seals, and other new seals as required (every van is different)

This process is lengthy and detailed with a typical timeframe for Bodywork and Paint coming in at 4 months. A typical job (IE not a ton of rust) is somewhere in the range of 400-500 man hours. At 500 hours of labor that works out to just $19.99 per hour of labor! Extensive rust repairs, panel replacements etc can lengthen the work to 6 months and more. There are a lot of parts, large and small that need to come off, and go back on your Van again. Its not uncommon for some of these 30+ year old parts to crumble when removed. This is another important reason to work with us, we either have the spare parts needed to replace the broken bits, or we can source them for you. We are Vanagon experts after all. There are just too many things to know and do when painting a Vanagon and most regular paint shops just don't want to deal with the hassle. We on the other hand, live for this. Beware of shops quoting you unreasonable timeframes, the right way to paint your VW is not quick. 

Pricing

A basic exterior paint job and bodywork without changing the base color starts at $9995 USD (plus the cost of window and body rubber, and any required replacement parts, panels, etc). More complex jobs, changing exterior and interior colors, more bodywork, rust, etc will increase the cost.  A typical job (IE not a ton of rust) is somewhere in the range of 500 man hours. At 500 hours of labor that works out to just $19.99 per hour of labor! A complete interior, with carpeting, front seats and rear bench seat reupholstered and door panels, starts at $3000 USD. Estimates are free, contact us to start the conversation. Our aim is not to be the "Cheap" restoration option. Folks will advertise or quote you anywhere from $500 and up for painting your van. The top quality paint and materials we purchase for your van alone costs several times that amount. Rather our focus is on offering the absolute best quality work and customer service at a very fair and affordable price. Our goal is to match the best shops and quality you would expect north of the border, but for a considerable cost savings. Not to mention, how many restoration shops offer you direct access to the owner? 

Some Add-ons and approximate costs:

• Truck Bed Liner along the bottom quarter of the van and rockers: $699
• New Vanagon Window Seals (windshield, side windows, rear hatch): starting at $700
• Vehicle undercoating: $750
• Ceramic Vehicle Tint Complete Van: $699
• New Pop Top Tent Installation: $599 
• Complete Interior Upholstery (Front and Rear Seats, Mattresses, Carpet, Door Panels)
• Stereo and Speaker installations
• Power door locks and Alarm System: $750
• Lighting upgrades and installations
• Solar and Battery Systems design and installation
• Westfalia Specific Repairs and Upgrades
• Secure Van Storage in La Paz, Monthly: $125

For more details on some of our extra services, head on over to our "Optional Extras" page under the Van Restoration Services tab above.

I took this tired, abandoned Syncro...

And created my ultimate Vanagon. My 1991 Syncro Westfalia, Miki

My 1992 VW Syncro from Austria, restored right here in La Paz, Mexico.

We are located in beautiful tropical La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
​ An incredible and easily accessible drive from Southern California and the West Coast
Please see the Baja Guide section of our website for more info about our amazing location