Hi guys, I need some ideas here. I'm just about ready to get to the outside bodywork on the restoration of my '67 chevelle. I need to plan how to go about this. The whole chassis and underbody are done (I know I'll have to take care not to get overspray all over it), and I put new quarters in. The front clip is all off and apart, the glass is all out along with all the interior (including the dash). Now I figure on painting the inside of the car (floorpan) with Eastwoods Coroless and then refinishing the upper part of the dash and the windshield pillars in the black that they will be. I figure on doing these things first that way I only have to mask the dash and pillars from overspray rather than doing them last and having to mask the whole car. After that I'm not sure how to tackle the rest. I am going to use a BC/CC system.
Where should I start?? All the jams and the cowl will be stipped and refinished. Should the fenders, doors, hood and trunklid get painted off the car?? I figure on doing all the bodywork (filler) out over the etching primer, seems like thats the way to go from what I have heard. As far as the cowl, jams, and other hard to work areas, once I do get them in primer, I'm obviously going to miss my window for the next step as I will have alot of bodywork to do. I guess I am going to be stuck sanding the cowl and jams again to spray the next step, right? Should the doors, fenders, etc. be painted the same time as the rest of the car?

I'm getting a headache just reading back over my post, I hope someone can give me a clue.

Thanks,
Steve

Snydes, to answer your questions you must know what you want out of the car, do you want a show car or a nice cruiser? If you want a show car you would want to paint the removable panels off the car. This gets rid of the tape lines and sometimes poor paint coverage on those hard to reach areas. But the risk of chipping paint is vey high. If you paint the pieces off the car I would reasemable the car before you paint and get the doors, fenders and the hood etc lined up where you are happy and take notes of the shims used and their locations. This will help when hanging the painted metal on the body, decreasing the chance of chipping paint. A nice cruiser more then likey will have the panels on the car while painted. Just less of a chance to chip the paint and get even color disburtion throughout the entire car. But the tell tale tape lines will be present. In my opinion paint the pieces off the car but just make notes of the shims and how they went on!

Yes the fenders, hood and doors need to be painted the same day as the car, specially true if you are painting a metallic color. As a change in temp and humdity can change the hue of the color.
One of the best ways to protect your frame I have found is taking that real heavy plastic that you would use to cover the outside portion of your windows during winter time and wrap the frame with this plastic. After you are done painting just take a ravor blade and cut the plastic. You stated that you are going to do your body work over an etch primer. The only primer you can do filler work over is epoxy like PPG's DP series primers. A word of advice from experience and others, use an acid etching primer first over the bare metal like PPG's DX1791 first before you apply your expoy. The DX1791 is a much better corrosion fighter and has more bite into the metal for a good bond. Hope this gives you a start and good luck with your project...Eric

Thanks for taking the time to answer this for me. I am trying to build a show car, so I guess that means I'll be painting all removeable panels off the car. My color isn't metallic, but it seemed to me that everything should be painted at one time, which you confirmed for me. As far as my etch primer, I have been using DuPont's Variprime. I have been using DuPont products simply because I don't have a PPG dealer around here that is any good and my DuPont dealer helps me out alot, so I stick with them. I guess I'll have to look into that a little further.

Thanks,
Steve

Syndes, the variprime from dupont is a very good etching primer. But filler can not be applied over it. To my knowledge dupont doesnt make an expoy primer but its been several years since I last used dupont products. But you can use PPG DP expoy over the variprime. Then use dupont's primer surfacer. Those two primers wont react with each other. I use sherman williams ecthing primer first then use ppg expoy primer. I just think that sherman's etching primer is a little better then PPG and no problems. I know of many shops that use sikkens primer surfacer over dupont or ppg, just because its a very good surfacer, then use dupont or ppg paint over that sikkens primer. But the best bet to is ask questions about the dupont products, ask the dupont reps dont relay on the guy behind the counter. Ask if you can talk to the paint rep and most reps will be happy to answer your questions.

If you have any more questions you can email me I'll be more then happy to help you out and good luck with your project...Eric

I also am using Dupont paints, I found this web site verry helpfull.
Just click on "products" and then "tech. manuals" I think you may find your answers?
hope this helps?
T.C.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TC:
I also am using Dupont paints, I found this web site verry helpfull.
Just click on "products" and then "tech. manuals" I think you may find your answers?
hope this helps?
T.C.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I'm sorry, what web site are you referring to?

Thanks,
Steve