Riddle me this Bodymen!

-
NukeSec1

NukeSec1

DUSTinguished
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Messages
186
Reaction score
0
Location
Illinois
I'm WAY ahead of myself, because we aren't even to this point yet, but was wondering about this on my hour drive home from work (I'm a forward thinker!). '73 Duster is the project. Let's assume the fenders, doors, hood and trunk are off and all body work has been completed.

Let me sidetrack here for a moment and say that when we were taking apart the parts car (another '73 Duster) I couldn't see any way to remove the front fenders without the aid of some magical wrench because there is that one bolt way back in there at the top rear of the fender that unless you have tiny bionic fingers OR removing the doors are you going to get to it.

So with that being said...and all the body work completed. Are you cutting the panel jambs with final paint then installing them and then final paint? Or is there something I am missing?
 
If Your painting the entire car You can do it either way. Paint all parts off, then build the car. Or edge everything, build the car, and paint the outside. However I would recommend the latter if your spraying a metallic color. Those bolts are a ***** but doable.
 
I don't remember for sure, but can't you get at that stud/nut from the wheel opening with the splash panel removed?

We paint all the jambs first. Basecoat and clearcoat. Then mask them off a little bit back from the edge, so when you paint the outside of the car, it gets in the seam a little ways. Then we'll carefully use some 600 grit scotchbrite to knock the gloss off next to the tape line. You don't want to hit the tape with sand paper.
 
Yea Mark is right about the bolt. Just pull the inner splash shield. I use a 3/8 impact with a long extension and an impact swivel... what can I say I'm lazy....

As far as the paint goes pretty much any way works. When doing a resto I don't like tape lines so I usually have the entire body prepped and masked in a way I can paint with the doors on, fenders off and hood laying on the car... that way you can paint all the jambs but don't have the difficult task of hanging doors without chipping things. Then all you have to do is hang the fenders and hood and you are done.
 
Depends on how you want to do it. The factory shot the cars with the bodies assembled and the doors off. Fenders, deck lid, hood, even the door hinges were in place before the car was painted. Doors were bolted on last. Hence the reason you don't see paint in some areas, and some areas don't even have primer.

If you want to cut everything in and assemble before paint, that's up to you. If you want to paint unassembled and then put it together, that's up to you, too.

Personally, I don't like masking. I prefer to do it the way the factory did it.
 
If you loosen the bottom of the fender you should have enough room to pull it out and use a socket on a long extention straight up from the bottom to get that bolt.
 
I accessed that upper rear nut with a deep socket, a couple of long extensions, one or two universal joints, and a ratchet with the door open. I'll be putting it back with the splash shield removed, however.
 
Ok, so it's all apart and you go to put it back together. And you align a fender/hood/door/hinge/etc, tighten a bolt and then move it some and tighten a bolt, etc. How the H e double hockey sticks do you paint the bolts/panel back after you knock the paint off? And it's a tough color, not flat black. Get my question? Not cad bolts, painted bolts.
 
Hyper_pak said:
Ok, so it's all apart and you go to put it back together. And you align a fender/hood/door/hinge/etc, tighten a bolt and then move it some and tighten a bolt, etc. How the H e double hockey sticks do you paint the bolts/panel back after you knock the paint off? And it's a tough color, not flat black. Get my question? Not cad bolts, painted bolts.
Click to expand...

There are tools available to help protect the painted bolt heads. But the easiest way is to put a little catalyzed paint in a dixie cup and use an artists paint brush to touch up the bolt heads as needed. You can get several coats on before it sets in the cup. If its B/C just mix some base into some clear.

And, agreed with what's been said above. Just pull the splash shield to get to the top nut/stud. It's pretty easy.
 
Hmmmmm? Those are all good ways to attack this issue. I think by the time we get to that point we will have assembled and removed and reassembled things so much that we may find ourselves old pros at it. We are still stripping and prepping the engine bay at this time. The fenders, hood and deck are off at this time (that's how we bought it). So I'm going to have to assemble the body for a "trial" body line line-up and see where we are at. Hopefully that goes well!
 
70Duster440 said:
There are tools available to help protect the painted bolt heads. But the easiest way is to put a little catalyzed paint in a dixie cup and use an artists paint brush to touch up the bolt heads as needed. You can get several coats on before it sets in the cup. If its B/C just mix some base into some clear.

Thanks for the reply. I guess I see the deal. It just amazes me when I see some cars and they look like glass. No touchup ever on bolts or panels. Those are the cars that impress me. And don't even get me started on Black and swirl marks.
Click to expand...
 
You can touch up and no one will ever know. Take Your base and mix an equal part clear, and add your clearcoat hardener and activator. Treating the total weight like its all clearcoat. Scuff with grey scotchbrite. Use a gun, not a brush, and touch up. If its bolt heads Your done. If its a flat surface take a little SRA reducer and lightly spray where the old and new clear meet. It "melts" them together. This melting process is called burning. Two pitfalls here. 1 If You "burn" where the sun hits it, an outer panel, it will look bad in about a year. Its for under hood only in My opinion. 2 If You mix a metallic paint with clear the metallics wont lay down right. Fine for bolt heads but not flat surfaces. Also never mix Your base and clear together if the sun will hit it. It will fade.
 
IF, you use a metallic paint, make sure you paint the panels as they are going to hang on the car. I.E. paint the door as it would hang, normally. You would think you could do a better job layin flat, BUT, the metallic will lay differently on a flat versus upright panel. And you'll see it.
 
Eric is right. Which is why I would just paint a metallic assembled.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top