A few paint questions

[34isgreat]

My 67 is nearly ready for paint AND i HAVE QUESTIONS...
Whole car needs paint, jams, trunk, under hood, window openings. My question is, the car is disassembled now, should I paint it all apart or should I paint the jams, trunk and under hood, reassemble and then paint the outside? I know I will get a better paint job if the car is painted all apart BUT I am concerned about putting the car back together and not chipping the paint?

What would you do?

 

[Sluggo]

It would depend on color.

Metallics should be painted assembled.

Solid colors you can paint in pieces dependent on color.



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[Laurie S.]

You can paint metallic if the car is disassembled, but the pieces must be set as though they were on the car. We did that with my fastback, and it worked great.

 

[Sluggo]

Laurie is correct. If you are painting metallics yourself and you're a novice it may be pretty difficult to pull off even assembled.

My car was jambed, assembled from the doors back then painted with the fenders, qtr extensions, headlight doors, valances and trunk lid off and hung as Laurie described.

I have since learned how to "squirt" clear deep into the jamb and can paint a car mostly assembled. Extensions and valances/stoneguards should still be done off the car.

Either way is doable and there's plenty of talent here to help you through it.

 

[Ponyman66]

Your question actually raises a question; are you actually doing the paint job or is someone else shooting it? The reason I ask is, your question is the great debate amongst painters. A good friend of mine has been painting cars professionally for over 30 years now. He's also going to spray both of my cars, the restomod project and my fastback (when I get to it). He is adamant about jambing it, assembling, then doing the all over. For the restomod I can live with that. For the fastback we'll probably have looong discussions and some head butting before it's done and over with. I benefit from him being a life long friend (his father was my elementary school principle!), and I know his girl friend. All I have to do his chat with her, she talks to him and it gets done how I want...hehehe. Dirty pool, yeah I know!

If you're having someone doing it for you, talk it over with them. If you plan on doing it, see the good suggestions already posted. Be aware, PLAN on having a few chips during reassembly if you shoot it disassembled. Chances are very high for them, though preparation before and care during assembly helps minimize them.

 

[34isgreat]

Your question actually raises a question; are you actually doing the paint job or is someone else shooting it? The reason I ask is, your question is the great debate amongst painters. A good friend of mine has been painting cars professionally for over 30 years now. He's also going to spray both of my cars, the restomod project and my fastback (when I get to it). He is adamant about jambing it, assembling, then doing the all over. For the restomod I can live with that. For the fastback we'll probably have looong discussions and some head butting before it's done and over with. I benefit from him being a life long friend (his father was my elementary school principle!), and I know his girl friend. All I have to do his chat with her, she talks to him and it gets done how I want...hehehe. Dirty pool, yeah I know!

If you're having someone doing it for you, talk it over with them. If you plan on doing it, see the good suggestions already posted. Be aware, PLAN on having a few chips during reassembly if you shoot it disassembled. Chances are very high for them, though preparation before and care during assembly helps minimize them.

Well I am no painter, I have taken body repair classes but not paint yet. I have done SOME paint many years ago but I will not paint the outside of the car. I was thinking of painting the jams and then reassembling the car and having a pro paint the outside but my color is burnt amber metallic so now I wonder if I should leave all of it to the pros? I want a good paint job but I need to keep the cost down also. I have the equipment but not the skills needed I fear.

 

[mustangstofear]

I always paint our mustangs in pieces. The only time you have to worry about chipping the paint is when you are installing the fenders. We just make sure the front of the fender is taped up. I really like the deck lid rotisserie I made, I can paint the top and the bottom at the same time.

 

[AzPete]

Just another off the wall question.....has everything been pre-fitted to eliminate as many alignment issues as possible? When doing the jambs and insides first, be aware of the possible tape line when doing the outside. How you lay the tape can prevent them.

If finding a shop to do it, be careful on how they warranty the job with you having done the body work. Some will really be a pain with that.

 

[cmayna]

Shag was painted with only the doors attached. Front fenders, hood, trunklid were painted seperately and it turned out just fine. Don't worry about chipping anything unless you have a beer first and am trying to hang the parts by yourself.

 

[stangg]

If you paint it apart, Definitely pre assemble the whole car beforehand. Keep track of how many shims where uses at each mounting point and also drill an 1/8" hole in each hinge through to it's mate and realignment will be a breeze. Also tape up every mating edge during re assembly and have a helper to put it all back together.
When putting the doors on, I tape up the rocker real good, then tape a piece of cardboard or two to the top edge of the lower rocker to help rough door alignment and to prevent chips and scratches.

 

[Laurie S.]

Well I am no painter, I have taken body repair classes but not paint yet. I have done SOME paint many years ago but I will not paint the outside of the car. I was thinking of painting the jams and then reassembling the car and having a pro paint the outside but my color is burnt amber metallic so now I wonder if I should leave all of it to the pros? I want a good paint job but I need to keep the cost down also. I have the equipment but not the skills needed I fear.

You're not going to save that much by doing the jambs yourself and you risk a color difference. I would have the painter do it all. That's a beautiful color that you don't see at the shows very often and you want it all to look great.

 

[34isgreat]

Thanks to everone for all the input, I have been back and forth on what to do. I have yet to find a painter, I think I will meet with a few of the better paint guys in the area and see what they say to do. I am aware of the tape line issue and that some body guys will balk at me having done my own body work. All my body pannels are original so fit should not be a problem. Hearing what all of you have done is a big help. LORD I AM READY FOR THIS THING TO BE FINISHED!

 

[SELLERSRODSHOP]

i paint most of mine in pieces unless its a pearl or candy job. did pops truck in pieces as i laid the graphics out that wrapped around thru the jambs & over the firewall. had to paint the base colors, assemble without messing anything up, lay out the stripes, disassemble, paint the stripes then clearcoat everything. i hang the parts in the same position as they go on the car as others have advised & never had any issues with the flake laying different.

also did my 40 the same way with no issues:

for you guys who prefer to paint the jambs first, then assemble & do the outside, you need to try using this foam jamb tape on the next one. it creates an invisible soft edge with no tape lines....

http://3mcollision.com/products/masking ... 06296.html

 

[apollard]

Dang. Wish I'd known about the 3M soft edge tape before I created the tape line when I spotted the paint on the M5. Sanding it out was, well :roul

 

[Laurie S.]

I'm going to get some of that when I do the paint repair on Trouble next month.

 

[SELLERSRODSHOP]

i also use it for spot in on panels. i just make a frame around the repair & mask out from the foam with paper. much easier & quicker than trying to reverse roll masking tape &creates a softer blend edge with less buffing...

 

[Sluggo]

The foam tape works well. There is one instance I would avoid using it. If you have jambed and assembled the car for paint and are spraying a color that requires sealer prior to base, you won't like the result. Because of layering you will have a bleed edge of sealer color.