Hello everyone,my 69 has some surface rust and needs to be bondo in some places,some parts need to replace all together,my ? is should i just sand down to bare metal where i can?and how does that change the price when i take it in to get painted?Any advice for first timer would be so great!! :eek:

If its not too rough I would just sand it smooth,
bare metal seems to send the price sky high.

Originally posted by Rick Bandy:
bare metal seems to send the price sky high. Doesn't it also provide the most durable, high-quality finish as well? If the car's a keeper, isn't it worth doing right? (I'm really asking... this is what I've always heard, but maybe there's another side to it.)

Reid

Originally posted by Rabbit:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Rick Bandy:
bare metal seems to send the price sky high. Doesn't it also provide the most durable, high-quality finish as well? If the car's a keeper, isn't it worth doing right? (I'm really asking... this is what I've always heard, but maybe there's another side to it.)

Reid </font>[/QUOTE]Yes it is the right way and I did this on my 66. We stripped off all the paint,bondo,and rust right down to bare steel, my point was that most shops seem to be more critical in accepting such a job without lining their pockets very well. For someone who just wants a repaint and they have a fair surface to work with may not want to sink a mint in the bodywork.

If your going to do it, do it right. Take it to bare metel. do your repairs.

The paint shop will like it better, not painting over unknown paint. HTH , Good Luck. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I agree that bare metal is the only way, unless you are dealing with something new that has not been subjected to the elements for so many years. If you do uncover body work underneath, it will be costly for a body shop to do your paint job unless you can do all the body work, priming, and blocking. Your paint job can go from $2200 to $5000+ very fast. I can do my own body work and I am fairly good at it, but I have found that it is much more time efficient and cost effective to replace panels with NOS or quality reproductions. Replacing the panels is fairly easy and does not take much time with a bit of knowledge and willingness. You will have nice clean panels at a fraction of the time and $$ if you are not doing it yourself.

Take this example and think about it.
(Pair of 70-72 chevelle doors with surface rust only and couple of small dents.

Time to sand paint off = 30 minutes/door,
time to rough out dents with hammer and dolly = 2 hours/door,
time to skim door with plastic and cut down to contour = 2 hours/door minimum with drying time and probably two separate stages for each,
high build and block sand 3 times for perfection show paint job = 4 hours/door + drying time.

Now, cost to buy quality door skins = $145 ea/ delivered,
time to remove old skins and prep = 45 min/door,
time to install new skins =45 min each,
no plastic work needed = 0,
High build and block sand once for same result = 1 hour/door.

Scenario 1 = 8hr 30min /door + filler and extra high build material
Scenario 2 = 2hr 30min /door + $145/door

if you do figure it all out, whether you do it yourself or you pay a body shop, you save considerably from a time and $$ standpoint to use the 2nd alternative if quality parts are available. What I have found is that a project takes 4 times longer when working with body work as opposed to buying new panels and this translates into 3-4 years instead of 6months - 1 year just because of the body. Of course others might disagree with the times, but most of them can surf on the panels of their cars! Accept nothing but perfection is always the goal.

I'm tired!

Thank you all for your help,I have more time then money,so down to the bare metal it is.I do have replace some parts,but in time she will be pretty again.Man do i have some truck work to do,Thanks again for all of your help. graemlins/hurray.gif

Originally posted by robs69:
Thank you all for your help,I have more time then money,so down to the bare metal it is.I do have replace some parts,but in time she will be pretty again.Man do i have some truck work to do,Thanks again for all of your help. graemlins/hurray.gif Taking the body down to metal sounds like the best bet to me also but how do you prep the metal before working on it? Example, do you wipe the bare metal with metal prep or is bug and tar remover just as good, before using primer? :confused:

Kent.

Do not use that, the "bug and tar remover" ive seen are petroleum based, You will have major paint problems. Clean it with a wax and grease remover, available at any automotive paint store. You want maximum adhesion here, so do it right, your paint job is only as good as the weakest link.