Hi All

I did a search on this topic, but couldn't find an answer to my concerns. I am sending my Chevelle next week to the body shop for work and paint. I have spent hours upon hours upon dollars on detailing the frame and underbody. I remember seeing a topic on this last year, how someone wrapped their frame in heavy plastic and placed the body back on and sent it off to the body shop. I wonder how that turned out?? Did rust develop after a month or two of being wrapped in plastic??

The body shop talked about spraying a synthetic coating on my newly painted underside and exposed suspensions parts. Apparently you power wash it off in the end.

We even discussed swapping frames, but it was best to keep it on its final frame for aliging the panels.

I have stripped, sanded, wire wheeled, POR'ed, painted, scraped, lungs full of black soot, bumps on the head, sand in the ears, POR coated body parts for weeks, ringing ears, etc etc etc. I really don't want all that to go to waste . . . What has worked for you guys??

Thanks for the help.

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Gene
1970 Cranberry Red (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/CranBerryRed04.jpg)
1970 GreenMist (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/CranBerryRed02.jpg)

Gene, That might have been me. I put a sheet of heavy plastic on top of the frame before lowering the body onto it and punched holes for the mounting bolts. I then wrapped the sides under the frame and taped it with duct tape. On the way to the body shop the tape came loose but I just retaped it after I got there. The body shop removed my plastic before the final painting I think because of dust pockets. They then put their own plastic on it and did a fairly good job. There were just a few small areas of overspray. The big problem was dust. If the body shop does any sanding at all on or near your car, that dust will get in every nook and cranny. This requires many hours of cleaning to get it off and out. There are some places you just can't get to. A lot depends on how careful the body shop wants to be with protecting your frame. Most don't try too hard. Better make it real clear to them what you expect. The ideal thing to do if possible is take just the body and leave the frame at home. Of course that's a big pain and some body shops aren't equipped to deal with that.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575

I hate to tell you but you should have done the frame last. Nothing will send a body man into the roof more than a car coming in with a fresh frame resoration.
But now that it is done, the stuff the body shop is telling you about is a water borne "spray mask". There are a few different ones, 3M makes one, and there are others like Slime and Green Sheild. They really work remarkably well, but I would still make sure they mask things well. The problem about masking is you may think that you have done a good job but that urethane overspray will get in through very small openings and cover things with overspray.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

[This message has been edited by MARTINSR (edited 12-28-2000).]

Evercoat makes something called liquid mask that works well.it comes in a spray can.I used it on a 95 corvette i painted because the engine is a pain to cover because of the tilt nose.also used it on a roadrunner that was detailed under the hood and also the frame.just spray it on everything you dont want paint to stick to(make sure you dont get it on the surface to be painted)then wash it off with soap and water after the paint is cured.

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70 chevelle,400cid turbo400.blue with silver stripes.http://members.spree.com/entertainment/ochrisl/

Von . . yes that sounds about right. Hmm, well I was thinking of doing the same thing, although the spray mask seems like a good product.

My frame has already gotten dusty from sitting covered. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif

As for the frame first, I debated which route to go, I was afraid of scratching the body while doing the frame, as I only have a one car garage. Hence, someday when I get the shop with more room, DEFINETLY body work first.

But for now I am excited about getting it painted. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

A good way to go is to have all the body work done and blocked then primed for the LAST time. Then you do the chassis. That way the body just needs to be finish sanded and painted.
I also do things like paint the rockers and fender lips after the car is primed. This way when the body gets painted the lips and rockers can be masked off right down to the floor and no overspray gets under the car.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

I am in the same boat. I also need body work to be done and my body shop said they would need to have the body on the frame to replace the 1/4 panels and to be able to line up all the body parts. Who makes this "Liquid Mask" and where can you get it from?

Thanks,

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66SS Arlington,TX
66ss@chevelles.com
Team Chevelle Gold#161
Aces Chevelle #3759
96 Impala SS
Hoss Impala #216
See My Web Page
http://chevellepages.com/ghern/

Most ato paint stores should be able to get you the spray mask. 3M makes one and Super Green Shield is available at NAPA auto parts under part #388.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

Wish i knew to cover my engine before painting my car. Urethane overspray on an engine bay is a real hassle to clean off. Now I know what to do the next time it gets painted. :> )

I just got my car back from paint, I wrapped the frame in plastic before setting the body on then had the body painted. This worked great. Only problem I had was on front of frame rail that can be touched up easily. Where plastic wasn't pulled tight enough.
It also helped that the painter taped/papered everything under the hood as well.



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Jody Sirmans
71 SS454
ACES

I'm going to be in the same boat in a couple of weeks. I will get the car back with just the jams & cowl painted. Then I put the engine & trany. The car goes back to paint the body.

I was thinking of wrapping as much of the frame engine, & suspension with clear wrap then let the paint shop do what then normally do.

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FWIW, I just went through the "slime" process. TERRIBLE, would never do it again. Can't get the stuff off my polished aluminum on the engine, and there's still a bunch of it left on the frame and suspension. I had it looking so good. No more slime for me. The only thing I've found so far that gets the stuff off is polishing compund....Wenol or equivalent. That a VERY slow and tedious process, especially in the nooks and crannies in the manifold. If anybody knows a better way, I sure would like to hear about it. Oh yes, it was pressure washed thoroughly after painting. :-(

Wrapped our beadblasted/powdercoated frame and components in aluminum foil as we completed the body work.

We had rented a corner of a body shop to get the body (Off the frame) close on our '69 Elke. Then we mounted and aligned the body, fenders, doors, before completing the final body work/priming.

"Perfecto"

Really works great, as it seals all of the openings, and prevents overspray and sanding dust from entering the area(s).

Team Members,

Richard, Judy, and MAXX2



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