Best way to paint A bodies???
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Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
The best way would be to take the doors,fenders,ect off to paint. This way you can get into all the knooks and crannys. However,you can paint the car with everything on. Just depends how far you want to get into it.
440valiant
cuda
Best way not just for A bodies, but all cars is to completely disassemble the car( windows, doors, fender, suspension, engine....) then paint it, and re-assemble.:clock:
I'm in the process of painting my Valiant. I haven't made any final decisions on how to paint it as I'm just starting the priming. My research says it depends on whether you are using a metallic or not. With a metallic it would be better to paint it assembled. This doesn't mean that you still couldn't paint some parts while they were off of the car but that the outer surfaces of the doors, hood, trunk and fenders would be painted while on the car. With a solid color it doesn't matter so much. I'll definitely paint the engine bay and trunk first as well as the underside of the hood and trunk lid. I'm still not sure on whether to paint the door jambs or not. If you paint them you will have lines. As far as disassembly goes, it depends on what quality of a job you want and how much time and money you want to spend. Every car I do ends up being a bigger and bigger job due to the extent of disassembly. It sure looks nice though. :-D
I am leaning toward doing all the jambs with doors, fenders and trunk lid off. If When I do the jambs should I clear them too or leave all the clear for last after the doors and fenders are back on? I have the underside of the hood and engine compartment already painted and clear coated. Do you tape off the jambs when you paint the outer body? How do you avoid tape lines? Thanks
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
I`ve read the same thing that 1meanA said, if the car is being painted with a metallic paint it`s better to have the panels in their place so the paint has a continuous reflectivity.
70Duster440
Well-Known Member
We painted mine in pieces which yields the "best" results. As far as metallics are concerned, if the panels are oriented as they would be on the car while painting and the same gun pressures and techniques are used, it shouldn't be an issue. In the pic you can see one of the doors hanging in the background and the decklid is getting paint.
Longgone
John/68 Barracuda & Dart
Good point about panel orientation 70Duster440. That is key.
I just painted car that was completly apart but, I put it back together to paint it. There were several reasons for this. but the main reasons are because Is because of the primer sealer I used and more importantly I could block it as a complete car. Which to me was important. I wanted those panels straight.
To me priming the car was harder then painting it. the Primer I used was very thick. You don't thin it you simply add the hardner. But that's where the simple ends. You have to use a 1.8 spray tip which means you are laying down a lot of material. Which is good because you get a good base to block. however, it is somewhat easy to get runs. Also because of the heavyness of the material you can get a lot of orange peel.
As far as the color and clear I think it has to do mostly with the material you are spraying. I used all Limco products. Paint,Clear,thinner and hardner. I did the jamb first. Here's a car painting tip for you. Do not tape off the jambs from the outer body just let it overspray on the body. Also you want to spray your clear at the same time as your color. Do not just spray color on the jambs and wait to spray the clear when you spray the rest of the clear.
If you do it correctly there is very little over spary. You want the feathering effect of the overspray this way you dont have spray lines. You can simple sand the overspray with some 600 and shoot the outside. As far as taping of the jambs before shooting the outside 3 M has a product to apply and is cheap. It's a foam tape that goes on the inside of the jamb. here again no paint lines.
The only thing I took off to spay the color and clear is the hood. the reason why I did that is because the clear that I chose likes to be sprayed on very heavy. It is recomended to stand the hood up straight to spray it. Limco wants you to slam the first coat of clear right to the point of running. this sets a good base for the additional coats of clear.
I used dark gray primer 3 coats 2 coats to seal and lay a base for blocking and and 3rd coat after blocking that I could sand with 600 for final painting.
3 coats of dark red metalic. 1.5 nozzle with a 10 minute tack time between coats.
3 coats of clear right after the color with a 1.5 nozzle. Also a 10 minute tack time between coats. (This is another reason you want to shoot your clear on your jams after the color).
This worked perfectly. The panels are as flat as a desk. I have not color sanded it yet but the finish without color sanding is clear deep and rich. I couldn't be more pleased.
To me priming the car was harder then painting it. the Primer I used was very thick. You don't thin it you simply add the hardner. But that's where the simple ends. You have to use a 1.8 spray tip which means you are laying down a lot of material. Which is good because you get a good base to block. however, it is somewhat easy to get runs. Also because of the heavyness of the material you can get a lot of orange peel.
As far as the color and clear I think it has to do mostly with the material you are spraying. I used all Limco products. Paint,Clear,thinner and hardner. I did the jamb first. Here's a car painting tip for you. Do not tape off the jambs from the outer body just let it overspray on the body. Also you want to spray your clear at the same time as your color. Do not just spray color on the jambs and wait to spray the clear when you spray the rest of the clear.
If you do it correctly there is very little over spary. You want the feathering effect of the overspray this way you dont have spray lines. You can simple sand the overspray with some 600 and shoot the outside. As far as taping of the jambs before shooting the outside 3 M has a product to apply and is cheap. It's a foam tape that goes on the inside of the jamb. here again no paint lines.
The only thing I took off to spay the color and clear is the hood. the reason why I did that is because the clear that I chose likes to be sprayed on very heavy. It is recomended to stand the hood up straight to spray it. Limco wants you to slam the first coat of clear right to the point of running. this sets a good base for the additional coats of clear.
I used dark gray primer 3 coats 2 coats to seal and lay a base for blocking and and 3rd coat after blocking that I could sand with 600 for final painting.
3 coats of dark red metalic. 1.5 nozzle with a 10 minute tack time between coats.
3 coats of clear right after the color with a 1.5 nozzle. Also a 10 minute tack time between coats. (This is another reason you want to shoot your clear on your jams after the color).
This worked perfectly. The panels are as flat as a desk. I have not color sanded it yet but the finish without color sanding is clear deep and rich. I couldn't be more pleased.
Ryan426_
Well-Known Member
yep best way do it right the 1st time. painted the doors and panels seperate disaseambled EVERYTHING ie take the heater blower master cylinder ect. out of enigine bay just dont tape off its the little details that show the hard work into any project and its well appreciated
bizjetmech
Active Member
Are you repainting it the original color?
If so, you can get away without doing the complete jambs, if the original paint is okay, with no rust, etc.
I did the panel replacement, and the removal of EVERYTHING on the body (chrome, trim, door handles, door seals, etc. etc.) and the body shop did the priming/surfacing/base/clear......they did paint the jambs, but only up to the nearest seam or lap joint of the panels in the jamb. They also did part of the engine compartment, but I'll have to finish/reshoot the engine compartment one of these days, when I pull the junkyard 360 and go back in with a 340.
This is a driver, not a show car, but everyone comments about the paint when I have the car out (it did turn out really nice)......I've never taken the car to a show (in my mind, it's not done/ready yet), but several people have told me it looks good enough "as is" to show). Car was painted in 2005, still looks excellent 4 years later.
It is an excellent example of how you can save money by spending a little more money to buy the car in the best possible condition you can find, so you don't have to go overboard with a "rotisserie resto"/replace half the unibody project. You are money ahead by doing so.
It will cost the same amount of money to "restore" a slant-6 Duster as a 340 Duster, but the ROI on the /6 car will suck.
If so, you can get away without doing the complete jambs, if the original paint is okay, with no rust, etc.
I did the panel replacement, and the removal of EVERYTHING on the body (chrome, trim, door handles, door seals, etc. etc.) and the body shop did the priming/surfacing/base/clear......they did paint the jambs, but only up to the nearest seam or lap joint of the panels in the jamb. They also did part of the engine compartment, but I'll have to finish/reshoot the engine compartment one of these days, when I pull the junkyard 360 and go back in with a 340.
This is a driver, not a show car, but everyone comments about the paint when I have the car out (it did turn out really nice)......I've never taken the car to a show (in my mind, it's not done/ready yet), but several people have told me it looks good enough "as is" to show). Car was painted in 2005, still looks excellent 4 years later.
It is an excellent example of how you can save money by spending a little more money to buy the car in the best possible condition you can find, so you don't have to go overboard with a "rotisserie resto"/replace half the unibody project. You are money ahead by doing so.
It will cost the same amount of money to "restore" a slant-6 Duster as a 340 Duster, but the ROI on the /6 car will suck.
cavemanmoron
Well-Known Member
Hire a blonde, tell her its a porch. ;)
A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do.
"Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?"
The blonde said, "How about 50 dollars?" The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage. The man's wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, "Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?"
The man replied, "She should. She was standing on the porch."
A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
"You're finished already?" he asked. "Yes," the blonde answered, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats. "Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50. "And by the way," the blonde added, "that's not a Porch, it's a Demon."
RPM
Superior Member
My car is shot with 3 stage heavy metallic paint and pearl. The car was disassembled and shot with panels in correct orientation. A good body shop and a even great painter will do this. There is no... and I mean no.... metallic differences on my car anywhere... it just all depends on what you want to spend, and more so... how good the painter is. Keep in mind though... the best painter in the world can lay nice paint... its the body work that shows through...
-RPM
-RPM
73dart360
Well-Known Member
caveman lmao
shanson30
Well-Known Member
Lots of great info here.
Best I can do is tell you is what not to do!
Years ago I worked with a guy who had a 'Plum Crazy' purple 340 Duster. Came to work one Monday morning and his Duster is now silver! Well, I was running a little late so didn't have time to look closely at it. I walked in and said, "Chuck, who painted your car this weekend?"
He said, "I did it on Saturday."
Not previously knowing he was a car painter, I stupidly asked him what kind of spray booth and equipment he used.
He comes back with, "Spray booth? I used the attachment on my vacuum cleaner and painted it in my driveway."
Checked it out after the workday and found he didn't remove any trim or factory decals. He taped over the black vinyl between the tail lights but didn't bother to mask over the 'Duster 340' logo.
One of the older guys I worked with stared at the car for a few minutes, then said, "Looks like you put some paint in a sock and swung it around your head."
Needless to say, the paint started peeling a couple of weeks later.
clifftt
Well-Known Member
I agree. You'll want to commit hari-kari if you paint the panels off the car, then accidentally nick the paint during reassembly. And shooting the paint with panels on the car eliminates any continuity or metallic flip issues from panel to panel.
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