Painting door jams?

[lexxman]

Hi,I'm getting close to putting primer and some paint on the shell. I want to paint the engine bay ,door jams and inside the trunk myself to save some cash. But I've never masked and painted just the door openings. So where do I start and stop? And the rad support would be blacked out if I'm right?

[Patronus]

I've tried both, and I prefer the hard line method. Some will fade onto the body, but I'd rather not have to sand that off. Tape along an outside corner within the jamb. 
Then I would sand (when ready) the paint line and prep into an inside corner with the final paint coat. There's no wrong answer, just many ways. Kinda depends, you base-clear? What color?

[lexxman]

I plan to paint it b5 blue,with base-clear. That leads me to another question. Do I need to use base-clear in the engine bay,trunk etc? I thinking once I have these areas painted I can start putting it back together.

[twodko]

  Base/clear everywhere. Be thorough the first time and enjoy knowing you did the job completely the first time.

[Charger-Bodie]

I've tried both, and I prefer the hard line method. Some will fade onto the body, but I'd rather not have to sand that off. Tape along an outside corner within the jamb. 
Then I would sand (when ready) the paint line and prep into an inside corner with the final paint coat. There's no wrong answer, just many ways. Kinda depends, you base-clear? What color?

Yep. 

[JB400]

It wasn't mentioned, but yes, the radiator support should be blacked out behind the grill.

[bill440rt]

I've tried both, and I prefer the hard line method. Some will fade onto the body, but I'd rather not have to sand that off. Tape along an outside corner within the jamb. 
Then I would sand (when ready) the paint line and prep into an inside corner with the final paint coat. There's no wrong answer, just many ways. Kinda depends, you base-clear? What color?

Yep. 

x2
But... instead of hard taping it on a corner I prefer to backtape it (roll the tape edge). It provides a softer line that's easier to sand out when blocking the body.

[tan top]

I've tried both, and I prefer the hard line method. Some will fade onto the body, but I'd rather not have to sand that off. Tape along an outside corner within the jamb. 
Then I would sand (when ready) the paint line and prep into an inside corner with the final paint coat. There's no wrong answer, just many ways. Kinda depends, you base-clear? What color?

Yep. 

But... instead of hard taping it on a corner I prefer to backtape it (roll the tape edge). It provides a softer line that's easier to sand out when blocking the body.

  what the other guys say 

[Dino]

I prime the whole car first and use the 3M foam strips just outside the bend, same principle of backtaping.

You can also do a wet in wet paint where you reduce the primer to paint insides.  It'll flow real smooth so you can go over it with color and clear right away.  Your prep needs to be perfect though.

[C928BRAN]

I jammed mine out, then put it together, because i am building this car in a 10 x 20 storage unit, and i was afraid if i painted the whole car at once, i would scratch it, putting it together, and i would have. I scratched the quarter panel, and rocker panel, but that part was still in sealer, so it could be fixed before painting. i painted the firewall, and everything forward of that, no front clip on at this time, inside the trunk, door jambs, and the window openings, and even painted the inside of the doors. when i took it back to the paint shop, it had all the glass in it, and it could go under its own power. was better for me to do it this way.

[Patronus]

I agree with the back taping method as best. Create a flap to paint up to, then it wont build up. Helps to quick mask the rest of the car off though... Also with B5, personally, I would try to spray the shell without the fenders on, preferably without the doors on either.. but not a deal breaker. Thats a big area to get even in metallics all at once. Breaking it up keeps it easy on your compressor too.

[lexxman]

I jammed mine out, then put it together, because i am building this car in a 10 x 20 storage unit, and i was afraid if i painted the whole car at once, i would scratch it, putting it together, and i would have. I scratched the quarter panel, and rocker panel, but that part was still in sealer, so it could be fixed before painting. i painted the firewall, and everything forward of that, no front clip on at this time, inside the trunk, door jambs, and the window openings, and even painted the inside of the doors. when i took it back to the paint shop, it had all the glass in it, and it could go under its own power. was better for me to do it this way.

That's what a few people have told me I should do as well,I'm working in a small two car garage. I do plan to have the hood,fender and doors off, I have to go pick up some plastic to mask off with. I've never heard of backtaping before,so I guess I'll have to try it out. I will also do the engine bay and then my way back.This should work out well by painting the engine bay I will be able to start re assembling stuff and install the motor. I will be rebuilding it next month,and the front end gear is already restored and waiting to go back in. I've seen some people paint engine bay ,door jams,inside door and under the hood hang the sheet metal. Then send it to the paint shop,does that make it easier or harder on the painter as far as masking?

[Dino]

I jammed mine out, then put it together, because i am building this car in a 10 x 20 storage unit, and i was afraid if i painted the whole car at once, i would scratch it, putting it together, and i would have. I scratched the quarter panel, and rocker panel, but that part was still in sealer, so it could be fixed before painting. i painted the firewall, and everything forward of that, no front clip on at this time, inside the trunk, door jambs, and the window openings, and even painted the inside of the doors. when i took it back to the paint shop, it had all the glass in it, and it could go under its own power. was better for me to do it this way.

That's what a few people have told me I should do as well,I'm working in a small two car garage. I do plan to have the hood,fender and doors off, I have to go pick up some plastic to mask off with. I've never heard of backtaping before,so I guess I'll have to try it out. I will also do the engine bay and then my way back.This should work out well by painting the engine bay I will be able to start re assembling stuff and install the motor. I will be rebuilding it next month,and the front end gear is already restored and waiting to go back in. I've seen some people paint engine bay ,door jams,inside door and under the hood hang the sheet metal. Then send it to the paint shop,does that make it easier or harder on the painter as far as masking?

Depends on which painter you ask.

A good painter doesn't care if he paints panels seperately or the whole car at once.  With candies and mica's and the like's it's always better to have the car complete before you paint so you can be sure the coverage is uniform.  I like painting a car without masking too much simplky because you eliminate tape lines but in my book that's for show cars.  For a driver I first make sure everything lines up perfectly, paint the insides and then get it ready to do the outise all at once.  With some fine sandpaper and polish you can get rid of edges anyway.

[lexxman]

Well I plan to go down to the body shop tomorrow,so I guess that will be one more question to ask him. I guess it will depend on what him prefers and how I will save doing it myself . I hope to have it all sanded this weekend.