Why paint a car apart versus together?

[66FBCharger]

 I just got Velocity channel and have watched all kinds of automotive resto shows.
Why do restorers paint cars with all the bolt on body parts off the car? I would be worried about chips and scratches and trying to get everything properly aligned after being freshly painted. In my thinking, for the guys that are always bragging of doing the car the way the factory did it, why don't they paint it together, like the factory did it?

[garner7555]

If you paint the car apart then you eliminate tape lines in door jambs, trunk jambs, and under the hood.  Painting a car apart is far superior.   

[moparnation74]

Mine was painted that way.  I wanted everything painted.  When the car is primed all panels are fitted back on the car for final body work, aligned and marked.  So in the end the bolt heads are the only things to touch up at that point.  At least you hope.  

There are restorers out there that paint the cars just like the factory did when they rolled down the line.  Also, leaving runs, fisheyes, overspray etc.  

[Charger-Bodie]

I like to paint them apart too,but I leave the feders on. You can install a fender on these cars ten times and never have the bolts in the same place each time. I do like to have the hood, deck lid, doors and valance off. If it's a metalic I will base the jambs the day before. Bolt it together base the outside then blow it apart for clear. Leaving the fenders on.  Then I mask off the entire car except the hood hinge bar where the hood bolts  to the hinge, the part of the door hinges that are around the door bolts and the deck lid bolts( after the seal is in so your sure to be done adjusting) . I like to do these final spots when the widows are in the doors etc too just to be sure you won't need to re- wrench any of the bolts.

[500Jon]

Good Topic!

Originality over proper paintwork?
As we all know the body was dipped in wash primer up to approx the top door hinges.
Then a group of guys with hangovers and marital issues would paint everthing in reach on the production line, as the car whistled past!
There any many areas left in bare metal that will rust from DAY-ONE!!!
If its a keeper then paint with panels off.
Then  these unseen and unpainted areas will get protected.
Its twice maybe three times the work but hey its a Historic Vehicle now, not just a grocery GETTER!!!

If only a seller-on, spray-bomb the old girl...let someone else worry about the rust!!!

[hemi-hampton]

I like to paint all the hard to reach areas underneath first, Then bolt together & paint outside all at once, then paint door jambs &/or all jambs last. I get no tape lines. LEON.

[jaak]

Yes, painting it apart you can get every nook and cranny. Due to space, and not wanting to scuff up parts reassembling (because I'm not a pro), After applying the last coat of primer, I pulled the front fenders and hood, painted the bottom of hood, back sides of fenders, then opened up the doors and trunk, masked car as needed and painted all the jambs. Then I installed the engine in the car, front fenders and hood, then sanded the outside one last time, and sprayed the outside body with body assembled. Even though I painted the car with the doors/trunk lid attached, when the car was shot with epoxy primer after stripping... I sprayed epoxy while the car was apart... so there may not be any paint behind my hinges, etc... there is epoxy primer there, so its got some protection. I do have some tape lines on my jambs, but I didn't press it down along the edges, so it leaves a 'soft' line, but it doesn't bother me, my car is a driver, not a show car.

[500Jon]

Great colours there GUYS!!!

Thats taking resto to a whole new level indeed!!!
Loving that GREEN there JAAK!!!
Very similar to my 71 GTX...light-sassy into limey LOL!!! 

HNY to you all.
5J the LiMeY...

[Patronus]

Your compressor may also have something to do with your choice. I use regulators, air dryers, etc. and I can tell when you spray through a compressor cycle. ( I have a IR 80 gallon unit.) You can spray the chassis seperate, then refill and do the doors, refill again and do the remaining parts. If I were spraying any type of metallic I would prob go back to the whole car and just be ready to time the cycles between coats.

[Steve P.]

Hey Leon, what color is that?  It may just be my monitor but,,, WOW!!!!!!  I love it!!!   

[hemi-hampton]

The new Go Mango if I remember right. Forgot the paint code#. Painted it 5+ years ago. LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

Hey Leon, what color is that?  It may just be my monitor but,,, WOW!!!!!!  I love it!!!   

Same color & car thats in this post below. LEON.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,60195.0.html

[Steve P.]

Thanks Leon. I did go through that post after the other.. hahaha... That paint looks like it is still flowing!! LOVE IT!!!!

[qwick68]

Biggest reason to paint together is to keep the metallic even......mine was painted together and there are no tape lines.....there's ways to avoid tape lines......

[six-tee-nine]

Interesting topic.
Question for the pro's......
I'm going to try this out myself for the first time this year......

I was thinking like this :
I would like to paint the inner fenders first kinda like Leon's picture. then at the same time I would paint the inside and the underside so I can install the body plugs and spray the undercoating on.
I would then like to put the body together for panel alignment and fitting for final blocking and getting the panels as good lined up as possible. Then I would take the doors out and remove the hood and decklid to paint these separate, but I would like to leave the fenders on.
Then mask off underside and inside, paint engine bay, then mask off that too and finally paint the exterior.
Due to lack of space I would have paint the doors, hood and trunklid separate.

As a side note This car will be painted white, no metallic.

I know I'll probably spend more time wet sanding and polishing than painting, but I really want to do this.

[hemi-hampton]

I painted back sides of Fenders & Undercoated them before I re installed & painted exterior. LEON.

[six-tee-nine]

I was thinking to do the same.

Later on mask of the wheel openings to prevent overspray

[Charger-Bodie]

Interesting topic.
Question for the pro's......
I'm going to try this out myself for the first time this year......

I was thinking like this :
I would like to paint the inner fenders first kinda like Leon's picture. then at the same time I would paint the inside and the underside so I can install the body plugs and spray the undercoating on.
I would then like to put the body together for panel alignment and fitting for final blocking and getting the panels as good lined up as possible. Then I would take the doors out and remove the hood and decklid to paint these separate, but I would like to leave the fenders on.
Then mask off underside and inside, paint engine bay, then mask off that too and finally paint the exterior.
Due to lack of space I would have paint the doors, hood and trunklid separate.

As a side note This car will be painted white, no metallic.

I know I'll probably spend more time wet sanding and polishing than painting, but I really want to do this.

Sounds good to me. The only real difference you have laid out here compared to how I do it is that I go back into the engine compartment with the shell exterior and you are going to do it prior. 

[hemi-hampton]

I was thinking to do the same.

Later on mask of the wheel openings to prevent overspray

Here's how I did this one, With the hood & trunk off but I usually do them with the hood & trunk on. Depends. I did paint hood & trunk same day though. Painting these parts weeks later can change color due to temps, humidty, or somebody else painting with different gun, distance, viscosity, overlap, application, ect can all change the appearance of a mettalic. LEON.

[Highbanked Hauler]

 Hemi,  what did you use for undercoat on that fender ? That looks WAY heavier than anything I have ever seen come out of a spray can.  Al

[gtx6970]

Currently doing a 1970 Dart . Fenders, doors hood and decklid will all be off the car but  in the same booth a the same time when the body gets painted. The re-assemble at home,,,VERY carefully.

the 1968 Charger I have will be painted  with fenders on and adjusted, everything else will be off and done as above.

I hate tape  lines

[hemi-hampton]

Here's a pic of my doorjamb just before I sealed it & painted it. The Entire exterior has already been painted, I saved the door jambs for last. I got no tape lines doing it this way. LEON.


P.S. This jamb & quarter has all been removed, seperated, & replaced, Pain in the Azz to line everything up.

[six-tee-nine]

Sorry Leon you lost me there...

If you tape off the edge of the quarter you have a tape line right there. How do you blend that in? Or am I totally missing something?

I'm just not a guru on the subject and trying to pick up as much knowledge as I can for my own paint endeavour this year...

[Charger-Bodie]

Sorry Leon you lost me there...

If you tape off the edge of the quarter you have a tape line right there. How do you blend that in? Or am I totally missing something?

I'm just not a guru on the subject and trying to pick up as much knowledge as I can for my own paint endeavour this year...

Just mask it all close,but not all the way and do a flip edge with the tape. Rolling it a little further after sealer ,then base. Then remove it when your done clearing. This leaves a very soft edge. Tiny bit of hand rubbing and it done.

[six-tee-nine]

This is an awesome thread.....

Already saved me alot of quetioning around....

[hemi-hampton]

Yes, Charger Bodie exlained it. If you do it the fast way you'll get a bigger tape line but if you take your time & do it just right with some experiance the tape line will be 99% non existant. The 1% easily rubs off. Works for me every time for years. This Particular 1/4 was not so easy though thanks to the many factory contours & wavy body lines near my backtaping. LEON.