[Dirtbuster1]

My body should be ready to head to the paint shop this week. What is the opinion on painting the body with the frame off, verses painting it with the frame on.

I just don't want to make a bad decision. Give me your thoughts!!!

 

[mrvette]

IMO, prep/paint the body of ANY car on the frame and ready to go....so the stresses of loading, handling, and any stresses about mounting on the frame, are there, and hopefully not too much when the car is driven after painting....frankly I would put some miles on the body/car in primer first, so I know damn well it should be fine....I mean over rough roads...beat hell outta that thing....better to know NOW, in primer, when it's easy fix, than a grand+ worth of materials later and having to redo something....

I remember a few years ago, doing a frame replacement on a really nice yellow '72, but there was allmost no way of supporting that nose enough for the paint to not crack near the cowl, for instance....

i'ts a bitch to paint with the body on frame but a bit of tapeing and it's fine....strip all interior. and other items......obviously....

 

[SMYDA]

:agree: with what mrvette has said.

Road testing a body would be beneficial if there were a lot of
stress related repairs.

Technically there is no set "Right" or "Wrong" to body ON or OFF.
It comes down to what you expect in the end........a Daily Driver
or a full blown Show Car. Restoring the body first keeps you from
overspraying and screwing up your frame (vs) doing the frame
first. This would be typical for the NCRS crowd.
Or if your just a stickler for detailed work.

If you plan to SCCA race the car painting the body last, (on) the frame
would probably be the way to go since a few mods would most likely be in
order and your main focus would be on handling and not whether it has
overspray on the frame or not.

What do you plan to do with the car when it is finished?

 

[Dirtbuster1]

After finishing the car I just want to enjoy driving it when in the mood. However, after all of the hard work I want to be considered a very nice restoration. It's an 82 CE and will be restored completely stock in appearance.

:cheers:

 

[SMYDA]

After finishing the car I just want to enjoy driving it when in the mood. However, after all of the hard work I want to be considered a very nice restoration. It's an 82 CE and will be restored completely stock in appearance.

:cheers:

Personally ...........this is my Opinion.................now I work in a bodyshop
and can use a Downdraft booth and all the goodies any time I want.
Not to mention 2 dozen helping hands well experienced in this sort of thing.
Very few guys here have this luxury.


I'd paint the body OFF.

 

[vfpreacher111]

I'm with SMYDA on this one. Make sure your body dolly has a nose support and you have enough guys to put the body back on the car. 6 can pull it off the frame ... but it takes 10 to put it back on. I've helped my neighbor out a few times with his vettes. Never had a problem yet.... not that it couldn't happen but keep in mind that paint does flex. It's not hard like plastic. I like the idea of driving it around in primer. Only down side to driving it around like that , is the possibility of liquid contamination going unnoticed. Anything from soda to gasoline can atomise and cover the car in a light haze. Even with good prep, you could miss something and have a failure in the finish 4 to 6 months down the road.



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[big2bird]

Show car, body off. No decision.


Go car, body on is fine. Body off is fine also, but not worth the trouble.

 

[SIXFOOTER]

I am with these guys, sortof. No reason the thing can't be taped off to prevent overspray anywhere you don't want it. IMHO, unless you have to pull the body for bird cage or rail repair or a show car, I would not pull it.
Take the time to pull off all the door handles, locks, trim etc and tape it uo and shoot it. Spend the time and effort and $$ in the prep.

 

[Dirtbuster1]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The body is off sitting on a body dolly. My concern is transportting it to the body shop and having to manually push it around. A friend that works at the body shop is going to help me work on it after hours and weekends as time permits. I would rather it take longer than rushing it to get a quality job. This would allow me more time to put the engine, tranny, & etc. back in at a slower pace. As the summer gets hotter I'm getting lasier.

:cheers:

 

[SIXFOOTER]

Ahhh, I missed that. In that case I would put it back on and do all the prep and run it some. It will settle in some and body gaps will change. Plus, the odds of fuggin something up sitting the body back on are pretty good

 

[SMYDA]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The body is off sitting on a body dolly. My concern is transportting it to the body shop and having to manually push it around. A friend that works at the body shop is going to help me work on it after hours and weekends as time permits. I would rather it take longer than rushing it to get a quality job. This would allow me more time to put the engine, tranny, & etc. back in at a slower pace. As the summer gets hotter I'm getting lasier.

:cheers:

If it is a FULL dolly and supports the body at the very ends and not just in the
center than I would not see a problem with moving it around for several weeks.
Just make sure the dolly mounts in all the same areas the frame did.

Hope all your door gaps were to your liking before you removed the body.
Also do you plan to use the same body bushings or are you replacing them
at the same time you reinstall the body? This might create some issues! :surprised

As long as no major repairs are being done, like fender replacements....etc.
And it's just basically a strip..block...prime...paint......you should be fine.


:thumbsup:




I plan to pull my body but not till I'm ready to lay on some color.
I'll install all new body bushings, work my gaps, body & prep the entire car first.
I'll store the painted body on the dolly how ever long the need be till the rest
is finished.

 

[dojo]

The guy who is going to spray mine (hopefully in a near future) did not want to do any bodywork untill all mechanics where done (engine, cable and hose routing, ...) and the body was on the frame. So it can settle on the new bushings and the mechanics are not going to mess up the paint job during engine install, first fire up. Acc. to him it's extremly important to have all the braces support the body as it like it came off the assembly line. (eg support rod from radiator to nose tip) During the body mount on the frame for example a bond seperated just due to body flexing (where the fender meets the a-pillar in the near the top of the inner door jamb). I would not like that to happen to a brand new paint job!
Nick

 

[big2bird]

The car, when originally built, was painted before assembly.
If building a "show en shine," that's the way. Otherwise, it don't matter.

 

[dojo]

If I was to do it that way it would definitly go wrong
Example, installed seats, freshly covered get in and test how they feel .... with a screwdriver in the rear pocket of your jeans lol riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip :surprised

Nick

 

[Dirtbuster1]

Thanks for the comments. Everyone has a good point. The problem is I'm still confused. :crazy: Based on all my inspections on the car I guess I'm lucky, I don't see any evidence of previous body or frame damage. Someone attemped a paint job without trying to protect anything from overspray. I'ts everywhere, or so it was!! All doors and the hood line up perfectly. The only problem on the body is that the front nose has some dips in it do to age or the sun. Is there any repairs for this, or replace the nose???????

 

[big2bird]

The urethane noses do this with time. Replacements are available.

 

[turtlevette]

Show car, body off. No decision.


Go car, body on is fine. Body off is fine also, but not worth the trouble.

i thought there is supposed to be some overspray or they take NCRS points away.

Not like i'm an expert though.

 

[SMYDA]

The only problem on the body is that the front nose has some dips in it do to age or the sun. Is there any repairs for this, or replace the nose???????

Which are you referring to..........the front bumper cover or the fiberglass
from the hood forward? C3 fiberglass has been known to warp over time............
If it is the front cover........I'd throw it away and get a fiberglass replacement.
Repairing urethane bumpers that have become wavy is more trouble than it's worth.
A tear in the cover is much easier to fix than waves.

 

[Dirtbuster1]

I guess I am referring to the nose that has the dips in it. If I was going to replace it, which type is preferable???????

Any suggestions on where to find one! What price should I expect. I guess far as the overspray I better add somemore. All that wasted time.!! I'm heading to the paint shop with the car on a dolly Friday.

Thanks :cheers:

 

[vfpreacher111]

You could use plastic tarps on the frame and motor first, then put the body down on the plastic covered frame. It will take a little time to pull all the plastic out, but it will do the job..... that's the way I'm doing mine.



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